If Arkansas football is to climb out of the abyss, it will do it with two things: the ability to protect the quarterback and the off-the-edge pass rushers to wreak havoc.
How many times have you seen Tyler Wilson, Brandon Allen, Austin Allen and Ty Storey smeared by an SEC pass rusher in the last seven seasons?
On the flip side, the opposing quarterback had all the time needed to pick apart the Arkansas secondary.
It brings me to one of the cornerstones of football. If you can disrupt the quarterback, your chances of winning soar. If you also can protect your man in the pocket, the odds of being successful double again.
“Hit the quarterback,” a coach once told me. “Then, keep your quarterback from getting hit. Do that and you are going to have a fun day calling plays.”
I'll let you figure out who said that, but it was a man given great credit for drawing up plays and then calling them at the right time. He said it all centered on keeping your quarterback clean and making the life miserable for the other team's man.
Over and over, it comes down to two positions, offensive tackle and defensive end. The winning teams are good at both spots.
When the dust settled last winter and it was clear where Chad Morris was stacking his chips on pulling the Razorbacks out of their deepest hole, I gave it a double thumbs up. There are good recruiters scattered everywhere on this Morris staff, but the ability to go get pass rushers was what was needed.
Yes, the Hogs needed offensive line help, especially at offensive tackle. But where the Hogs had to improve was the ability to hit the quarterback.
I could think of only two assistant coaches in my time of covering Arkansas football that impacted defensive end play in a huge way. One of them, Jim Washburn, had just retired after 18 years in the NFL. Morris hired Steve Caldwell, the other one.
Less than 12 months later, following a 2-10 season that ached for help on the edge, Caldwell's recruiting ability was on full display Wednesday. The early signing period unfolded with four defensive ends picking the Razorbacks. There's one more committed to sign in February and one more possibility.
Collin Clay, Eric Gregory, Mataio Soli and Zach Williams signed Wednesday. Dante Walker is committed.
Consider their most notable offers:
• Clay (6-5, 255, Oklahoma City) - Georgia, Oklahoma State, TCU, Oregon, Florida.
• Gregory (6-3, 270, Memphis, IMG Academy) - Auburn, Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State.
• Soli (6-3, 225 Douglasville, Ga.) - Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State.
• Walker (6-3, 240, Ellenwood, Ga.)- Auburn, LSU, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina.
• Williams (6-4, 225, Little Rock, Joe T. Robinson) - Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida.
Back to Caldwell, who was the Arkansas defensive ends coach in 2010-12. It was during that 2010 season when he coached Jake Bequette, Tenarius Wright, Chris Smith and Trey Flowers that it hit that Caldwell was a difference maker, both in his ability to recruit, then teach technique.
Maybe it's not hard to spot defensive end talent. Caldwell's wife, Leisa, liked what she saw when they went to watch Clay together at a game last fall at Putnam City High School.
“My wife went with me to his game and she had never seen him play,” Caldwell said. “She said, ‘Well, this is the one we’re looking for.’ When she can pick them out, you know we’re doing the right things."
It's not difficult to spot the kind of talent the Hogs are signing in the 2019 class. They are impact players, most with exceptional speed and athletic ability. Caldwell will become a better coach almost immediately, although he wouldn't be surprised to see some of these to grow into defensive tackles.
“Anytime you’ve got to go recruit these big guys,” Caldwell said about Clay, “he could play for myself or, who knows, he could grow in and play for John Scott (at tackle).”
Soli and Williams are both legacy Razorbacks. Junior Soli and Rickey Williams had the same burst that is the calling card for their sons.
Caldwell sees the athletic ability in Soli.
"He’s exciting,” Caldwell said. “I think his dad even tweeted out this morning, ‘This one’s going to be better than me.’
“He’s the guy we’re looking to come off the edge, for sure. He’s so flexible that when you see him come off the edge he can do a lot of things. I’ve got to give Junior a lot of credit, he’s done a great job coaching him. He trains him. He’s very quick with that first step, which is going to make him explosive coming off the edge."
Speed is what sets Williams apart, too.
"This is the longest one of the group,” Caldwell said. “What a great wingspan. I watched Zach play earlier in the year and then was able to watch him play in the state playoffs, and I think he got better and better as the year went on. The one thing this jokester can do is he can run.
“I watched him run down the quarterback against a couple of teams that they played that had some guys who were pretty athletic. I’m just excited about him. He’s another one of those guys that his dad (Rickey) played here and his mom is excited about him being here. He’ll be here in January, so it’ll be a great opportunity."
Gregory will arrive early, too. He's ahead of the others in another way since he played at IMG in Bradenton, Fla. He understands life away from home, perhaps an advantage for a freshman. He's big and athletic, too. He can coach the others on how to get through life away from home.
"When you look at Eric, he’s a lot like Colin because he’s 280 pounds right now,” Caldwell said. “So he’s going to do some of the same things Collin can.
“I think the fact that he had the chance to leave, he’s coming in January - that’s going to be huge - but he’s been away from home for a year. He’s going to be that kind of role model that can help (freshmen) get through that first semester away from home.
“It’s not always as easy as you think it’s going to be. Just maturity wise, I think he’s going to be ahead of a lot of the guys."
Now about those guys who are going to protect the quarterback. Morris – and O-line coach Dustin Fry – also got that covered Wednesday.
That leaves us something to write about tomorrow. It's all good, too. The Hogs are about to climb out of the abyss.