St. Louis pays off for Hogs

The 10th in a series profiling newcomers on the 2014 Arkansas Razorbacks football team.

It didn't take long for Scott Pingel to realize Brian Wallace and Armon Watts were going to be highly sought college prospects.

That was obvious when college coaches started roaming the halls of Christian Brothers College High School in suburban St. Louis. Pingel remembers college coaches craning their necks in the direction of the two linemen while visiting the school looking for potential recruits.

"Coaches will walk the halls and say, 'Oh, s***, who is that kid?' " said Pingel, who coached Wallace and Watts before both signed with Arkansas in February.

It's easy to see why Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema pegged Wallace and Watts to help him continue his inside-out overhaul of the Razorbacks.

Wallace is a 6-6, 304-pound offensive tackle who spurned offers from Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio State, Iowa and others to sign with the Razorbacks. Watts is a 6-5, 274-pound interior defensive lineman who could have gone to Missouri, Kentucky or Wisconsin.

They traveled to Fayetteville this summer and are roommates after playing four seasons together at Christian Brothers. Pingel said the two weren't best friends in high school -- Wallace is an introvert while Pingel called Watts a "social butterfly" -- but a familiar face always helps, especially on the football field.

Wallace played tackle and Watts played inside, so they didn't face each other much during scrimmages, but Pingel said he always matched the two up during individual drills because nobody else on the team could challenge either of them.

"He gave me his best, and I gave him my best," Watts said.

The two talked occasionally about where they might end up playing college football, but their decisions weren't made together.

Watts committed to the Razorbacks in August, but Wallace waited until January. Pingel said he encouraged Watts to commit if he felt comfortable with a school because he didn't have as many offers from power conference schools. Wallace, on the other hand, was ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 9 offensive tackle in the country, so big-time schools such as Alabama and Ohio State would wait for his commitment.

"It felt like home, and I felt like it was the right place for me," Watts said.

Wallace took more time. Watts said he asked Wallace throughout the season -- in between trips to Tuscaloosa, Ala., Columbia, Mo., and Iowa City, Iowa -- if he had decided yet, but he said he never pressured Wallace.

Pingel said the Razorbacks ended up getting a "freak athlete" in Wallace.

"He hasn't even come close to his potential yet," Pingle said. "He's that good of a ball player, and the ceiling hasn't even been seen yet. I think with him you're going to see constant growth and he'll do what he needs to do to get better."

Now, all he has to do is learn a new position.

Wallace didn't become a starter on the offensive line until he was a junior at Christian Brothers, and even then he played right tackle. Pingel said that is where he played when he entered the program as a ninth-grader, and to maintain consistency he kept him there.

Bielema and Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman want him to play left tackle, and Wallace has been trying to make the transition during summer workouts.

"I just feel like I'm quicker on the right but, then again, I don't feel like I have to do anything but keep practicing," Wallace said. "The main thing that's different is the footwork. It's mirrored almost."

Sports on 07/19/2014