FAYETTEVILLE — An interested observer recently described Arkansas defensive tackle pledge Solomon Wright of Vian, Okla., as someone who is “low to the ground and always ready to get down.”
That seems to be an accurate assessment of Wright (6-0, 270 pounds), the son of former Oklahoma State star and NFL linebacker Kenyatta Wright and one of the Sooner State's top 2021 prospects.
Solomon Wright is coming off a junior season in which he had 124 tackles, 14 sacks and 51 stops for lost yardage for head coach Gary Willis.
“Genetics are a wonderful thing,” Willis said. “His dad played in the (NFL) and he is just one of those special athletes. He can go….He usually doesn’t get blocked by one guy and spends a lot of time in the opposing backfield. His explosion off the line is something to see and he has great hands, too.”
Wright, a three-star prospect, according to ESPN, also scored touchdowns last season on a 53-yard fumble return, a 12-yard reception and a blocked punt.
“I have done this for 22 years and he is the best at that position that I have ever seen and definitely that I have coached, and I am talking Jenks, Union and Owasso over the years," Willis said. "He is good as anybody I have seen in Oklahoma in the last 20 years.”
Wright, who has 263 career tackles and 28 sacks the past two years, will get his senior season underway Friday when Vian visits Class 4A Gravette in Northwest Arkansas.
Gravette was 4-9 last season and made the playoffs after first-year head coach Kelby Bohannon took over a program that went 1-9 in 2018.
Bohannon inherited a roster of 22 players, but swelled to more than 50 players during the offseason. Quarterback Cy Hilger has 15 starts under his belt and passed for 1,588 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior.
“I met Kelby Bohannon a couple of years ago and I know his dad (Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame coach Johnny Bohannon) from when he was coaching at Eufala,” Willis said. “They are well coached, you can tell that on film with their alignment and how crisp they are at doing things.
“They throw the ball around, throw the deep ball well and it is going to take us going over and establishing our run game and getting pressure on the quarterback is going to be a big, big factor of us to slow that passing down.”
Vian scrimmaged Heritage Hall (Okla.) last week. Wright caused his usual havoc.
“We went to Heritage Hall the other night and they have some D-I kids that are getting looked at, but I felt like Solomon just dominated them,” Willis said. “They got him a couple times on double teams, but he was still in the backfield all night.”
Wright originally committed to Texas Tech on May 1 over offers from Oklahoma State, Missouri, Iowa State, Kansas, Memphis, North Texas and others.
But when Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman — an Oklahoma native — got the Razorbacks involved, Wright changed his destination.
Kenyatta Wright, a four-year starting linebacker for Oklahoma State who played for the NFL's Buffalo Bills and New York Jets from 2000-05, was on board with the switch.
“I talked to Coach Pittman earlier in the summer,” Willis said, "and he said, ‘Coach, I don’t know why they (the previous Arkansas staff) didn’t recruit him and I know he is committed to Tech, but I going to try and flip him if I can.’
“I told him that the kid and his family can make that decision. Solomon ended up loving the coaching staff and he wanted to play pretty close to home anyway and he will be an hour and a half from Mama now, and it is probably a good thing.”
Vian went 13-2 last season and made it to the Class 2A state championship game before falling 42-34 to Metro Christian.
The Wolverines are ranked as the preseason No. 1 team in Class 2A by the Tulsa World and have plans to get back to the title game this season.
“That’s the goal, but we have to have some pieces fall into place,” Willis said. "We do have the kids here in place to make another deep run with a little luck and staying healthy. Of course, with any 2A school, depth is always an issue, but we have got some good ones and return several starters off that team. We lost two of three off of that team, but we are finding replacements now. We are pretty solid and have the chance to be about the same level.”
Willis admits he is happy that game week is here after a strange last few months due to covid-19.
“It was very strange,” Willis said. “We are adapting and making the adjustments we need to like everybody else, but it has definitely been a weird summer and start to August. I think all of the coaches and players are excited about pushing forward.”