Star City Coach Jett Ferneaux believes Arkansas is getting a unique player and person in defensive line commitment Austin Capps.
“He’s a special kid, he’s unlike anything I’ve ever been around,” Ferneaux said. “To have the whole deal, the size and speed.”
Capps, 6-3, 312, 5.1 seconds in the 40-yard dash, chose the Hogs over scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Louisville and Mississippi State along with interest from Alabama, Auburn, LSU and others. Video highlights CLICK HERE
“He’s a reserved kid,” Ferneaux said. “He’s not all about himself.”
Capps committed to Coach Bret Bielema during a visit on Saturday, but wanted to hold off making his pledge public until telling his coaches and teammates Monday morning.
“It’s like today when he was telling about his commitment, he doesn’t want anybody to know,” Ferneaux said on Sunday. “He wanted to tell his teammates. He didn’t want it all around until he got chance to tell them. He’s more than just about himself.”
An Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Super Sophomore, Capps had 103 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovered fumble and 1 blocked punt in his first year to start for the Bulldogs.
Capps, who’s rated a 4-star recruit, the No. 18 defensive tackle and nation's No. 208 prospect by ESPN, recorded 76 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 recovered fumble this past season.
He plays both ways for Star City, but will play the three technique or nose guard for the Razorbacks. Ferneaux said Capps had two plays on offense that stood out and one came in a 41-30 victory over Newport in the first round of the playoffs that led to a 70 yard run for a score.
“Two of the best linebackers we had faced all year,” Ferneaux said. “They blitzed a bunch. They would try and shoot those linebackers in the A and B gap. We called our inside zone behind Austin and that linebacker comes up to blitz and Austin picks him up and the first thing that hit was the back of the kid’s shoulders.”
Earlier in the season, Capps, who has a 3.8 grade point average, had another outstanding block against Dumas.
“He took their 300 pound D-tackle and drove him over to where we were standing on the sideline and put him down,” Ferneaux said.
Capps has recorded a 390 pound bench press, 585 squat and 365 power clean in recent testing.
“He had a standing broad jump of nine feet the other day at 310 pounds,” Ferneaux said.