FAYETTEVILLE -- By using so many three and four receivers sets this spring, it seems the Arkansas Razorbacks rediscovered Cody Hollister for the first time.
Hollister, a senior wide receiver from Bend, Ore., begins his third and final Arkansas season this fall. He first redshirted at the University of Nevada as a freshman in 2012 and played in 2013 for Arizona Western Junior College, catching 69 passes for 934 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema and receivers coach Michael Smith have consistently touted Hollister since his January, 2014 transfer to the U of A.
Sometimes it puzzled why.
Hollister, 6-4, 208, sports good size and good speed, but when thrown in the mix with the Razorbacks other receivers, he disappeared like Where's Waldo?
Hollister caught 13 passes for 137 yards in 2014, with 5 of the catches for 70 yards in nonconference blowout victories over Northern Illinois and Alabama-Birmingham.
His best game in 2015 came in Arkansas' most forgettable game. Hollister caught 4 for 65 yards while Arkansas was upset, 16-12 by Toledo in Little Rock.
But Hollister broke his foot in practice three days after the Toledo loss, and joined Keon Hatcher, the Razorbacks leading receiver, who was also on the sideline with a broken foot.
Hollister was cleared to return for the 2015 season's final three games but caught no passes.
Young receivers Drew Morgan, Dominique Reed and Jared Cornelius, all originally in Hatcher's shadow, were all starring by then.
So Bielema smiled as Hollister caught 5 passes for 94 yards and 1 touchdown during an April 9 scrimmage full of three and four receivers sets.
"I think with those other guys playing well people have forgotten about Cody," Bielema said. "But he's a guy that can have a big role for us in the fall. He competes for the ball and in the running game is a big body that can cover people up."
Smith praised Hollister after that April 9 scrimmage.
"If he continues to progress the way he is right now," Smith said, "he's not only going to add depth but he's going to be a guy we're going to try to get the ball to."
Smith wasn't kidding. Hollister got the ball four times in last Saturday's Red-White game, catching passes of 21 and 14 yards and running 2 reverses for 30 yards, each for 15.
"I've been begging Coach Smith for a little handoff, a little dash," Hollister said. "I played running back up until high school. As receivers, we love going out in 4-wide and throwing it around because it means we get the ball. We love it, but honestly we want to do what it takes to win. If that means 4-wide, we'll do it. If it means, 2-wide, 1-wide, we'll do that. We just want to win the game."
Perhaps Bielema will utilize fewer 3- and 4-wide sets at the outset of the August preseason to reemphasize the running game. But he won't forget what Hollister did in those three and four receivers sets during the spring.
Sports on 04/25/2016