FAYETTEVILLE — When Jeremy Sprinkle was drafted by the Washington Redskins in April, Arkansas became the only college program to send three tight ends to the NFL in the last three drafts.
With a younger group of tight ends on campus, it seems unlikely the Razorbacks will have a player represented again in the 2018 NFL Draft, but one name is emerging as a tight end for pro teams to watch closely.
Prior to a golf outing in Rogers on Monday, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said Austin Cantrell, a redshirt sophomore from Roland, Okla., has separated himself from a crowded pack in the Razorbacks' room of tight ends.
"At tight end, you have Austin Cantrell who is kind of up here, and then there is just a covey of tight ends trying to jockey for that (next) spot," Bielema said.
Cantrell emerged as one of the Razorbacks' best blockers last season. He often lined up or motioned into the backfield to serve as a lead blocker for Rawleigh Williams, who led the SEC in rushing yards during the 2016 regular season.
"I think Austin might be the best blocking tight end in the country," Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos said during an off-season interview with Hawgs Illustrated. "He's strong, has great feet and understands how to stay on blocks. He understands how to get on a guy and stay on him."
But Cantrell began to round into a polished all-around tight end toward the end of last regular season. He had a 32-yard reception and a 1-yard touchdown at Mississippi State, and a 5-yard touchdown six days later at Missouri.
In all, Cantrell had catches in 10 of 13 games totaling 120 yards. A relay sprinter and shot putter in high school, he showed the speed to gain yards after the catch and the strength to break arm tackles.
"He understands that as he gets better (receiving), he can stay on the field and be a much tougher matchup for a defense," Enos said. "That will make him harder to defend and make his blocking easier."
Arkansas employs several multiple tight end sets, including as many as three in short-yardage situations, meaning help is needed to complement Cantrell. Behind him are tight ends known more for their ability to catch than block, such as Cheyenne "C.J." O'Grady and transfer Jeremy Patton, who was rated the No. 1 tight end in junior college last season. Jack Kraus and Will Gragg also went through spring drills.
Coaches are interested to see their all-around play when preseason camp opens Thursday.
"I think the first two or three weeks of camp will show who are those guys that we're ready to go to battle with," tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. said Monday. "There will be a lot of reps, a lot of opportunities and every one of those opportunities will be evaluated, graded and watched very closely."
One player Lunney will be watching is sophomore Grayson Gunter, who earned more playing time late last season and had a 29-yard reception at Mississippi State that sparked a quick scoring drive. Gunter underwent off-season shoulder surgery to repair an injury that he played through most of last year, which likely limited his first-year impact.
"He came in last year as a true freshman and surprised us as coaches who recruited and evaluated him," Lunney said. "We thought he had some great qualities, but he came in and just really showed a great desire to learn and compete. We're really excited to see him after he's healed up.
"Obviously missing 15 days of spring wasn't ideal for him, but he's very intellectual and very competitive. He's in the 240-pound range now and almost on the verge of being bigger than I thought he could be as a senior. He's really dedicating himself. I think we've got a really healthy competition at that position group."