Arkansas defensive coordinator John Chavis watched eagerly to see if Chevin Calloway would come down in bounds with the ball.
From all indications, the sophomore cornerback made one of the highlight reel defensive plays in the Razorbacks’ first scrimmage of the fall on Saturday, which was closed to the media.
Chad Morris, early in his Saturday press conference, called Calloway’s interception “fantastic,” and Chavis, after seeing his young defensive back’s foot drag the turf along the sideline, described it as “a big-time play.”
Ty Storey intended to target a tight end on a back-shoulder throw, but miscommunication allowed Calloway an open lane to come up with the turnover – the lone interception of the scrimmage, according to offensive coordinator Joe Craddock.
“Chevin made a heck of a play, man,” Craddock said. “That was unbelievable. A one-hand catch, kind of turned his body and drug a foot in. Good play by him.”
Calloway did not start in any of Arkansas’ 12 games a season ago and finished with just 10 tackles and a pair of pass breakups. But seniors Dre Greenlaw and Santos Ramirez said they have both noticed an uptick in the sophomore’s game this fall, which should lend to an increase in production as Arkansas’ starting corner opposite a healthy Ryan Pulley.
Expounding on Calloway’s game, Ramirez made a secondary-specific observation that he believes will prove beneficial for the Dallas native.
“Overall, his ball skills are way better — that’s one thing,” Ramirez said. “He has all of the athletic tools, but his eyes had to get right, and he’s done a good job this fall camp of focusing on that. As a result, he’s in the right spot all the time. Now you just have to make the play."
A man of few words, Ramirez says, Calloway has been chipping away in preseason practices and spending extra time in the film room and fine-tuning his four-star talents. Those things don’t go unnoticed, Ramirez added.
“It’s showing on the field,” he said. “He had his one-hand pick today, so Chevin is really coming along. He has to make sure to keep working and not get content.”
Greenlaw has relayed a similar message to Calloway, who will have ample opportunity to shine and create takeaways in 2018 with Pulley – 13 pass breakups in 2016 – manning teams’ top target.
“(Calloway) made a sick catch and we are going to need some of those on Saturdays,” Greenlaw said. “He has been doing real good in practice and you can see a big difference in him and the way he plays. So I urge him to keep pulling and just keep doing what he’s doing.
“He’s going to have a great season.”