Like It Is

Morris plain giddy about second year at UA

Arkansas coach Chad Morris spoke to the Little Rock Touchdown Club at the Statehouse Convention in downtown Little Rock on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019. He tries on a hat he received as a gift from country music singer Justin Moore.

Chad Morris is excited.

He’s excited about the new attitude of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.

He’s excited about the freshmen.

He’s excited about the walk-ons.

He’s excited about the leadership he sees.

He is excited about everything but being asked who will start at quarterback.

Prior to the Little Rock Touchdown Club’s kickoff luncheon Tuesday, Morris met with a handful of media members for 15 minutes. Of course, the first question was about the quarterback situation.

He didn’t groan, but he looked like he wanted to.

It is the job of a reporter to ask that question every day until an answer is given, and Morris gets that. He’s just got a lot on his mind right now as the season opener stands 10 days away.

It doesn’t matter that the opener is against Portland State of the FCS — although Morris admitted he has had a few thoughts about the second game, which is the SEC opener against Ole Miss in Oxford.

The naming of a starting quarterback could be a game-time decision.

Until he names a starter, Ben Hicks, Nick Starkel and John Stephen Jones are going to push each other for the job.

Pushing means improving.

Plus, Morris knows exactly what he is looking for, and a big part of the equation is leadership and how the team responds to a quarterback in good times and bad. Of course, decision-making under pressure also is important.

Apparently, all three have had good sessions, and all three have had a few that weren’t satisfactory.

The name of whoever is announced as the starting quarterback will not be carved in stone.

The quarterback who plays the most will be the one who can get the Razorbacks “in the end zone, hopefully the right end zone.”

Most of what Morris said in the news conference he repeated in front of more than 700 Hog-calling fans who packed the Wally Allen Ballroom on Tuesday.

He brought up “Scooter” and “Sosa,” saying it felt good to have the SEC’s leading tackler back (De’Jon “Scooter” Harris), and that McTelvin “Sosa” Agim was in the best shape of his life and showing true leadership.

He brought those two up a lot.

He said the linebacker position was looking good, and that Hayden Henry was having a great camp.

Morris also mentioned the running backs, where the Hogs are three deep, including returning starter Rakeem Boyd, “Who is bigger than he’s been in his life.” He mentioned them all prominently.

He talked about the receivers, where injuries have started to take a toll, defensive backs and the offensive line.

Last year, the Hogs had eight offensive linemen; this year, he brought 17 to camp.

He’s excited about that.

He said he expects to play several true freshmen.

Morris likes his staff, and the blending of experience with youth.

He’s really excited to develop a walk-on program at a school that produced Brandon Burlsworth.

Morris, who is probably a great poker player, gave nothing away when he said he was close to setting his two-deep after Saturday’s scrimmage.

He’s excited about the upcoming season.

He made no predictions or promises, other than Razorback Nation deserves a great football program.

What the crowd got was a Razorback luncheon that started with a Canaan Sandy-led Hog call, and there was no drop off in interest in what the second-year coach had to say.

Morris was presented with a guitar, signed by country music singer Justin Moore, and a cowboy hat that looked perfectly normal on a Texas-raised guy who likes pickup trucks and Corvettes.

Mostly, he’s excited.