FAYETTEVILLE — Head coach Chad Morris was the only Arkansas staff member made available to local media Wednesday, but the Razorbacks' assistant coaches spoke at length about the new signees during an Internet broadcast on SEC Network-Plus.
Here is a partial transcript of what they had to say:
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach Joe Craddock on QB KJ Jefferson
"When I first saw KJ, we literally got him on the phone within 10 minutes….We watched him and we offered him later that night. He’s been a great recruit. It’s been great to get to know him and his wonderful family….We’ve had a great time recruiting them and recruiting KJ. He’s going to be very, very successful here at the University of Arkansas....We saw a lot of (quarterbacks) in this class that were one read and run guys. You see KJ go through his progressions. He’s a bigger guy than you think; when you see him in person, he’s a big kid. He has all the intangibles that you want. He’s a leader. He throws the ball down the field phenomenally. He does do a lot of RPO game, zone read - those kind of things are exactly what we’re looking for in a quarterback and KJ was the perfect fit for that."
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach John Chavis on LB Zach Zimos
"Obviously he’s an outstanding player. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s focused and he’s got a plan for everything, and you like that….He’s from right outside of Houston and that’s Ron Cooper’s recruiting area, but I got involved because he’s a linebacker. It was easy to build a relationship because he’s easy to talk with and very intelligent to have a conversation….It goes back to last summer when they took a visit up here and we had an opportunity to spend a lot of time with him….He plays physical, and that’s what you’re looking for. And the other thing, too, when you start looking at his length, most great pass rushers are going to have that kind of length and those arms. As much as we like to get in that Bear package and bring him off the edge, he’s going to give us a dimension coming off the edge in that package that we didn’t really have last year."
Defensive Ends Coach Steve Caldwell on DE Collin Clay
"He not only fits the bill, but everybody on social media knows he was our recruiting coordinator for the year….Collin was on Twitter every day and got it started, ‘The new Arkansas.' It’s just an exciting time for him. You watch him play the game and he can do so many things. Anytime you’ve got to go recruit these big guys - he could play for myself or, who knows, he could grow in and play for John Scott (at tackle)….It’s hard to teach those young guys to play with their hands because they’ve been big enough…but he plays with good pad leverage, he bends well, he gets his hands in there and that’s what it’s all about, taking on blocks and shedding blocks and making plays….My wife went with me to his game and she had never seen him play. 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."
Defensive Ends Coach Steve Caldwell on DE Eric Gregory
"When you look at Eric, he’s a lot like Colin because he’s 280 pounds right now. 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….We were down and watched him play Hoover one night down in Alabama, and just to watch him come off the edge…he was very well-coached down there. Just maturity wise, I think he’s going to be ahead of a lot of the guys."
Defensive Ends Coach Steve Caldwell on DE Mataio Soli
"He’s exciting. I think his dad (former Arkansas defensive lineman Junior Soli) 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 will be the most technique-sound guy, I think, out of the class when he gets here just because of the way he’s been coached. He plays a great brand of football down in Douglas County. He’s exciting….He’s very quick with that first step, which is going to make him explosive coming off the edge."
Defensive Ends Coach Steve Caldwell on DE Zach Williams
"This is the longest one of the group. 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."
Defensive Backs Coach Ron Cooper on DB Malik Chavis
"He’s a state champion in the 100, so he can run. They don’t have a track to even run on and he’s still winning in his division. He’s a talented young man who is tough. He played offense and defense, and never came off the field. He’s got great speed. You talk about a guy that can run - a 6-2, 6-3 kid that can play. He’s smart and can think, also….He loves the state and has always wanted to play for the Razorbacks. I think he’ll be the surprise. You don’t talk about him, but I think when we’re lining up in a couple of years, I think everybody will say, ‘Wow, tell me about Malik’s improvement.’"
Offensive Line Coach Dustin Fry on OL Myron Cunningham
"Myron is a great pickup for us, a great kid. He’s going to come in and compete right away. We told him, ‘This ain’t a come in and see how you can do. You come ready.’ He’s got that kind of mentality. As a technician, he likes to learn the game, he likes to watch other guys and studies the game. He has a great coach coming from Iowa Central. He’s one of those guys that is going to help us right away….He’s pretty. He has traps and almost has a six pack, and you’re like, ‘Man, he’s almost 300 pounds.’ We’ve got to fatten him up a little bit, but he’s going to be a special one, I think….(Iowa Central runs) a similar system, so he’s going to fit us really well. Competition brings the best out of anybody, and if anything he’s going to light that room up…because competition is coming."
Offensive Line Coach Dustin Fry on OL Beaux Limmer
"Beaux was our first commit on the O-line. You’ll find more and more that I love offensive linemen who could care less about social media. He wants to play football. That’s it. He doesn’t care about putting out all of his offers and this - he don’t care. He’s just going to play football and work hard. When you watch him, over and over he’s putting people on their back. All of these O-linemen that we’re bringing in, the biggest thing you see is that they are finishers and then they’re looking for someone else to go after….He knows he’s going to have to add some bulk, add some weight, but, man, he’s got such great feet and that mentality. When he adds 15 pounds of muscle, you’re going to have a special player right there."
Offensive Line Coach Dustin Fry on OL Brady Latham
"Brady is a kid that we knew about in the spring. The crazy thing is that he was only 240 pounds, so I think he was a little under-recruited. He just blew up weight-wise and Coach (Barry) Lunney did a great job of going by there. He said, ‘Hey, man, I think this kid is going to be really good. We can wait a little bit, but he’s going to end up picking up a bunch of stuff.’ I’m not afraid to be a first-offer guy or to put my name out there to get a kid if I like them. Coach Lunney and I thought we needed to go ahead and offer this kid before he starts blowing up. I’m glad we did because there have been a lot of calls that he turned down since he committed to us. His dad played center at Oklahoma, so if we were going to be later, it probably wasn’t going to work out too well for us. He’s a great finisher. He’s the type that is going to get through a block and look for somebody to hit every time."
Offensive Line Coach Dustin Fry on OL Chibueze Nwanna
"We just call him ‘Boise.’ He really can scratch the back of his calves standing up; he’s that long. That’s what we really need. I have some kids with some length, but this is crazy length, this is NFL length. This is the type that he can put his arm out and guys can’t get to him, and that’s huge in this league because you know how long those defensive ends are. Chibueze is a great kid, a very quiet kid. He’s still raw, still has to grow and still has to get stronger, but with that frame he has and the type of kid he is and the type of work ethic he has, it’s only going to get better. I see him as one of those guys that he’s going to come in early, going to attack the weight room. He’s very smart and he understands football, and understands what he needs to do. He’s a trash talker, too. Coach Craddock and I saw him at his bowl game and he was talking trash. I was like, ‘Wow, Boise, I didn’t know you had that in you.’ We’re pretty excited about Boise. He’s a great kid from a great family and he’s going to do nothing but help us out this year….We knew we wanted to sign two or three, or so, high school offensive linemen, but we knew we had to have some guys come in with some experience, who were a little older that could come in and help us right away, and that’s what we got."
Offensive Line Coach Dustin Fry on OL Dylan Rathcke
"Dylan is just off his second state championship. He’s one of those kids that is a lean 290 pounds. He’s 6-5 and has a lot of frame to grow on and get stronger. Just like Brady, he’s a kid that is always looking to finish or somebody to hit late. He’s a hard worker. Great family, and that’s a theme you’re going to see with all these kids, that they will come in and fit our room really well."
Offensive Line Coach Dustin Fry on OL Ricky Stromberg
"It’s funny looking at the pictures from when he was here in February because we’ve known about Ricky for a long time. He was actually about 320, a little overweight, didn’t move as well and played tackle. I really liked him and thought he was a great kid. He had a just fantastic senior year. He got down to 280, moved inside to play center, play guard. He can play those interior spots really well. Like Brady, like Dylan, like Beaux, he’s another kid that is physical and looking for somebody to hit. Being a kid living this close, his brother went to Arkansas, and the picture he tweeted when he committed was so cool of him younger sitting outside the stadium. That’s what you’ve got to have. These kids care about the program and they want the program to be successful. He’s going to do everything he can. He is so fired up. I actually called him yesterday and he was with Brady working out. He and Brady are great friends. It worked out perfect. I was so happy that we got to take Ricky. He was so ecstatic on the phone and I was so ecstatic we got to take him. He’s going to come in and work and you’re not going to have to teach effort. You’re just going to have coach technique and how to."
Defensive Tackles Coach John Scott on DL Taurean Carter
"I’m super excited about this young man. I had an opportunity to go watch Taurean play this year and I’ll tell you what, he’s cat quick for a 300-pound guy. He runs very well. He has the potential to get even bigger. When you watch him against opponents, when he wants to move and run, and change direction - you see against a quarterback, he can run him down. In this league tackles have to be able to change direction and be disruptive. He fits what we do with our defense. We’re asking those three techniques to be explosive and get off the ball. This guy fits that bill. And he has the arm length to separate and get off blocks….When you watch him play on tape or watch him live, he plays with a lot of swag….One of his most impressive plays was when the quarterback broke and I watched him run 70 yards down the field, full speed and he almost caught the quarterback. It was a no-brainer for me. He can run."
Defensive Tackles Coach John Scott on DL Enoch Jackson
"This kid is really special, too. He has a rare combination of explosiveness and his short-space change of direction is outstanding. That kid can put his foot in the ground and change direction within a five-yard box as good as I’ve seen. You’re going to be able to do some different things with him as far as slanting him, and I can’t wait to see this kid in some of our stunts and twists and movements because he’s so fast. He has good power. He comes off that ball and he gets his hands on you….Very rarely do you see inside guys spin, but this guy can do it because of his center of gravity and quick twitch that he has, and great feet….With his feet and his quickness, you can do a lot of things with him."
Defensive Tackles Coach John Scott on DL Marcus Miller
"This kid, to be that big, has really good twitch. He can move to be that big. This will be a guy that will be able to run the ball well, but he’s a sneaky deceptive pass rush about him, too. He’s got quick feet and I think the sky is the limit to what he’ll be able to do. He’s a little raw right now but his athleticism, his big body, I think he’ll be great for what we’re doing….It means something to him for that young man to put on a Razorback jersey. He’s not just playing for his team or university, but he’s playing for his family. It means something to him. He’s always wanted to put on a Razorback jersey. For us that’s huge because he’s going to give his all every time he’s out."
Receivers Coach Justin Stepp on WR TQ Jackson
"When he came up here last February he may have been 6-1. He’s grown tremendously over the last year. He’s a very raw football player - raw in terms of route running and things like that - but he’s got excellent speed. Coach (Chad) Morris says all the time, ‘You either have it or you’re chasing it,’ and we were chasing it a little this year, so he brings a little bit of speed to our group. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. You like that when all you’ve got to do is get it in their hands and let them go. His yards after catch are incredible. He comes from a good program, an East Texas kid - an area that’s under-recruited. Coach (Jeff) Traylor did a great job with him developing that relationship and then getting in there and recruiting him. I’m fired up about him. I think he brings a dynamic element to our group. He’s great in special teams as a returner. He’s grown from 6-1 to 6-4 in a year, so I think he’s got a great frame to put on some more weight, and he has unlimited, untapped potential that’s going to be good for us….He’s got incredible ball skills and he has great balance. That’s one thing we’ve noticed on tape is that his balance is going to be really good….He’s a big-play guy and he takes a lot of pride in that every time he touches it he wants to make something happen. That’s what he’s going to bring to our group."
Receivers Coach Justin Stepp on WR Trey Knox
"He is a big kid. That’s what SEC receivers are supposed to look like. Trey actually came up here in late February, mid-March last year, and when he walked out the building I said, ‘You know what, we’ll never see that kid again.’ He had Ohio State, Auburn, Florida, Clemson - I mean he had school after school. But he and I developed a really good relationship and we talked almost every single day. Obviously his body size and length are exactly what we want at this position….He reminds me a lot of Mike Williams, who we had at Clemson. He plays 6-5. He plays to his size and doesn’t play small. I’m fired up about him."
Receivers Coach Justin Stepp on WR Shamar Nash
"Shamar was committed to Missouri and we got him up here on a visit. Actually he put me off three or four times, but we finally got him up here on a visit, and he absolutely falls in love with it. This kid is special and he’s about the right things. He’s been living like a college student the last six months down at IMG. He’s all about ball. He wants to watch film and wants to get better. He’s dynamic with the ball. He is 6-2 1/2, so he’s not short by any stretch of the imagination. He’s explosive and I think he’s going to bring a lot to our room in terms of leadership. That’s what he has that you can’t coach, unbelievable leadership qualities about him….He is for sure a competitive kid. You go down and watch a practice at IMG and I think every one of the receivers on their team is signing a major Division-I scholarship, so competition means a lot to him. He doesn’t mind blocking. He’s got two of the best running backs in the country on his team at IMG, so he’s used to blocking and used to get out there and being an unselfish player, which at this position is a little hard to find sometimes….It helps to have a kid that has been away from home, been living in a dorm room for six months. There are so many things that factor into how a kid is going to do once he gets here. How’s he going to handle being away from Mom and Dad? This joker has been doing for the past six months, so it’s going to be an easy transition for him."