Bret Bielema has done wonders with walk-ons.
A day after the University of Arkansas locked up 24 football signees and prior to speaking Thursday night to the Little Rock Razorback Club at the Statehouse Convention Center, Bielema lauded the importance of players who have not been offered scholarships but have committed to the Razorbacks anyway.
"Walk-ons are huge. You're looking at one," said Bielema, who played nose guard for the University of Iowa from 1989-1992. "To say that kids are a little bit undersized or underdeveloped, that can literally change overnight. It's not uncommon. Maybe it's a 190-pound safety that's going to be a 230-pound linebacker, or a 220-pound linebacker who becomes a 260-pound defensive end."
Bielema's teams have had had a history of success with walk-ons.
Jared Abbrederis, a senior who played four seasons for Bielema at Wisconsin that included a redshirt freshman year, won the 2013 Burlsworth Trophy as the nation's most outstanding player who began his college career as a walk-on. Abbrederis, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, is currently on the Green Bay Packers roster.
Former Arkansas walk-ons who eventually were awarded scholarships by Bielema include tight ends AJ Derby and Alex Voelzke, place-kicker John Henson, fullback Patrick Arinze, deep snapper Alan D'Appollonio, defensive end Mitchell Loewen, and linebackers Austin Jones and Price Holmes.
In addition, fullback Tyler Colquitt and defensive end Jake Hall agreed to come in as walk-ons last year but were awarded scholarships prior to the start of the fall camp.
The Razorbacks announced Thursday the addition of four more walk-ons to their 2015 class: Defensive backs Reid Miller (Hollidaysburg, Pa.), Tyler Phillips (North Little Rock) and Byron Keaton (Camden) and long snapper George Madden (Blanchard, Okla.).
Phillips, a 6-2, 208-pound safety, might be the most intriguing walk-on in the latest class.
Phillips made 114 tackles -- including 22 for a loss -- and 5 sacks as a senior with 1 interception and 8 pass break-ups. He also recorded one of the nation's top scores of 143 in the SPARQ competition at Nike's The Opening camp.The competition tests prospects in speed, agility, power and vertical jumps.
"Anytime a kid gets a little bit overlooked in high school it could be simple geography or numbers," Bielema said. "Obviously there were kids on his team that were recruited. Some people say, 'They already got this kid and this kid, so how could they possibly have this other kid.' As coaches, we fall victim to that a little bit more than we'd like to admit."
Bielema also said game films sometimes hide a player's true ability.
"Sometimes we see a kid who we may have liked on film, but we didn't love them until we got them in camp," Bielema said. "We like to see them with our own eyes."
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Sports on 02/06/2015