HOG FUTURES DAMON MITCHELL

D-Mac’s influence helped stir Duwop

Cedar Creek's Damon "Duwop" Mitchell (5) attempts to avoid Cinnaminson's Marty McDonald (2) during a playoff football game at Cedar Creek High School on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012.

FAYETTEVILLE - A magazine with Darren McFadden on the cover helped Egg Harbor City (N.J.) Cedar Creek Coach Tim Watson convince Damon Mitchell to become a quarterback.

Mitchell had grown up playing running back, but going into his sophomore season at Cedar Creek in 2010, Watson believed Mitchell could run the “Wildcat” offense the way McFadden did at Arkansas.

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Damon Mitchell, left, is congratulated after signing a national letter of intent with the University of Arkansas in Feb. 2013.

McFadden was an All-American running back and Doak Walker Award winner for the Razorbacks in 2006 and 2007, but also became a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist because of the plays he made taking direct Shotgun snaps from center.

While McFadden has been in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders since 2008, the March 2010 cover of American Football Monthly showed him lined up at quarterback in his No. 5 Arkansas uniform for an article about the “Wildcat” offense.

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“When I saw the cover, it reminded me of Duwop,” said Watson, using Mitchell’s nickname. “He’s big [6-2, 200 pounds] and athletic like McFadden, and he wore No. 5, too.

“We were trying to plant that seed and get him believing in the idea of being a quarterback, and the cover shot of McFadden provided a nice visual for what I wanted to talk to him about.

“I pointed to McFadden and told Duwop, ‘This is what you’re going to be for us. This is your future.’ ”

What Watson and Mitchell couldn’t have known at the time - couldn’t have even imagined - was that Mitchell’s future would include signing with Arkansas in February as a dual-threat quarterback.

Mitchell will be a freshman this fall and figures to compete for playing time with the Razorbacks having no experience at quarterback behind redshirt sophomore starter Brandon Allen.

“We knew he was a special athlete, but obviously when a kid from New Jersey is getting ready to play quarterback for the first time as a high school sophomore, you’re not thinking he’s going to end up going to Arkansas on a full ride,” Watson said. “But it just all kind of worked out.

“Sometimes in life things happen and you think, ‘Wow, maybe this was meant to be.’ We showed him the McFadden cover, and now he’s at Arkansas.”

Mitchell started at quarterback and safety as a junior and initially drew most of his recruiting attention on defense.

Georgia Tech, which runs a triple-option offense, became Mitchell’s first offer to play quarterback, and other schools - including Wisconsin - changed their offers from safety to quarterback as he continued to showcase his skills on offense.

As a senior, Mitchell passed for 2,025 yards and 22 touchdowns and rushed for 1,027 yards and 21 touchdowns. The previous season, he passed for 859 yards and 9 touchdowns and rushed for 937 yards and 12 touchdowns.

When Bret Bielema left Wisconsin to become Arkansas’ coach in December, the Razorbacks offered Mitchell a scholarship.

“Arkansas hadn’t been recruiting me at all. Then when Coach B went there, suddenly they wanted me to visit,” Mitchell said. “Before that I hadn’t given Arkansas any thought.”

Mitchell took a recruiting visit to Arkansas on the final weekend before national signing day.

“I was used to taking visits to bigger cities like Atlanta and Madison [Wis.], and when I hopped off the plane in Arkansas and saw all the land and hills, that was a lot different,” Mitchell said. “But when I got to Fayetteville, I could see it was a great college town and a really beautiful place, and I liked the idea of being here in SEC country.”

Watson said Mitchell also felt good about choosing Arkansas because a secretary in the vice principal’s office at Cedar Creek, Kandee Lipke, has a daughter who attended the UA.

“She’s a great lady, and everyone at our school really trusts her, and she raved about Fayetteville and the university and how much her daughter loved it,” Watson said. “When Duwop heard that - and from somebody who isn’t affiliated with football - I think that helped put him at ease about going to school so far away from home.”

Mitchell committed to Georgia Tech in July before his senior season, but began to wonder if it was the best fit for him. When he decided he wanted to take some other recruiting visits, Georgia Tech pulled its offer.

Georgia Tech then offered him again shortly before signing day.

“I didn’t think that whole thing was too professional, so I wasn’t going to Georgia Tech,” Mitchell said. “I’m glad to be at Arkansas.”

The Razorbacks shot to the top of Mitchell’s list when he got a recruiting visit first from offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jim Chaney, then from the entire offensive staff.

“Arkansas was the only school to have their whole staff talk to me like that, telling me they really wanted me to play quarterback,” Mitchell said. “That helped sell me on Arkansas.”

Mitchell also had a scholarship offer from Rutgers, which is located in Piscataway, N.J. The Razorbacks will play at Rutgers on Sept. 21.

“There’s a lot of talk back home in New Jersey about that game,” Mitchell said. “All my family and friends have looked at the schedule and marked that date.”

Mitchell figures to be competing for the backup quarterback spot.

“If I can play as a true freshman, that would be great,” Mitchell said. “I’d love to be out there with the guys contributing.

“But if they need me to redshirt and sit out for a year to get stronger and learn more things, I can do that, too.”

Watson said he believes Mitchell can play this season if the Razorbacks need him.

“He certainly won’t back down from competition,” Watson said. “He believes in himself and he’ll embrace the big moments.

“He did some very special things for us last year. There were times he made some plays that were just magical.”

Watson said it didn’t take long when Mitchell began playing quarterback to see he could excel at his new position.

“When Duwop threw the ball, it just looked pretty natural,” Watson said. “It looked like, ‘OK, we’re going to be able to do something with this guy.’

“The ball jumped out of his hand right away, before he even had learned anything about playing quarterback. There’s no question he has a live arm.”

Sports, Pages 19 on 07/20/2013