FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks had seemingly left the door open for playing another season with the Razorbacks when he said last week he planned to have more conversations with Coach Sam Pittman.
Franks has since accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl, to be held next month in Mobile, Ala., and he is expected to pursue his NFL aspirations rather than return to campus.
“I think Feleipe has come in here and done what he said he would do for the University of Arkansas,” Pittman said Monday. “I was so excited to see that he got the invite to the Senior Bowl. I believe that he belongs there. I believe that he’ll do really well there.”
Franks said last week his goal was to play a full season with the Razorbacks and he plans to complete that in Thursday’s Texas Bowl against TCU. He said he had spoken to Pittman several times about his future.
“He knows, and that’s one thing I love about him, he’s always been the type of person that it’s the best decision for you, best decision for me,” he said. “We’ll have that conversation again at some point, but as of right now, [a potential return] is in the talking. So I don’t know. We’ve been talking about it, but we’ll surely talk about it more when the time comes to make a decision.”
Pittman said being around NFL general managers, scouts and coaches at the Senior Bowl should help Franks.
“He came here to play well enough to be talked about in the NFL Draft, and now with the Senior Bowl, they’ll be able to see him live, see how strong his arm really is, and get to know him as a person,” Pittman said. “I think that will also up his draft stock, just getting to know him as a young man. I don’t anticipate him coming back.”
Pittman reiterated he likes where Arkansas stands at quarterback in 2021.
“We’ve got KJ and Malik and those guys for our future, and we feel we’re in good shape there at quarterback,” he said. “But Feleipe has done everything he can do for us, and I think he’ll have a really good game on Thursday as well.”
Bishop brings it
Coach Sam Pittman said sophomore cornerback LaDarrius Bishop had a big game in the season finale against Alabama.
“I thought he was probably our best defensive player during the game against Alabama,” Pittman said Monday. “That’s hard to do in your first start out there at corner. I think we found a home for him.”
Bishop had played mostly at nickel back behind Greg Brooks this season before replacing Hudson Clark in the starting 11 in the 52-3 loss to the Crimson Tide.
“Each week, he’s getting more and more confident with his game, to the point now where I think he truly believes he can be a great corner or great nickel, wherever he decides to play at,” safety Jalen Catalon said.
“He’s got elite speed, and he can make plays once he has confidence,” linebacker Bumper Pool said. “He started on special teams in the gunner position and he’s killed it. He’s taken that confidence from special teams and put it on the defensive side of the ball.”
T.J. love
Tailback Trelon Smith, who has been in the same position group with senior T.J. Hammonds for the last several weeks of the season, sounded ecstatic when hearing about Hammonds’ decision to return in 2021.
“Man, T.J. Hammonds has really impressed me,” Smith said. “I love T.J. Hammonds to death. He just wants to work.
“Just to get his opportunity and see him take full advantage of it, I was happy for him. Just to see him balling out on the field and having fun again, that means a lot. I’m glad to see T.J. back.”
Phillips tributes
Praise has continued to pour in for ex-Razorback All-American Loyd Phillips, who died Sunday.
“There’s such a loss at the passing of one of the greatest Arkansas athletes, Loyd Phillips,” U.S. Sen. John Boozman, a former Razorback football player, said in a statement. “More importantly, Loyd was as equally gifted as a school administrator who influenced countless young people in such a positive way.
“Loyd was my boyhood hero as a ferocious football player, and he remained a great example for us all through his work with youth.”
National Football Foundation Chairman Archie Manning also expressed his admiration.
“Nobody could close on a ball carrier quicker in the Southwest Conference in the 60s, and he was impossible to block,” Manning said in a statement. “His contributions helped place the Razorbacks at the top of the college rankings.”
Practice aces
Arkansas’ veteran players touted younger teammates Monday when asked about the Razorbacks’ less experienced talent that has been on display in bowl practices.
Cornerback Malik Chavis, quarterback KJ Jefferson, offensive linemen Jalen St. John and Marcus Henderson, linebackers Kelin Burrle and Jackson Woodard, and defensive back Jacorrei Turner all drew praise from their teammates.
“Malik Chavis has unbelievable size,” linebacker Bumper Pool said. “I think he’s going to do great things for us.”
Safety Jalen Catalon said Turner has been doing a great job of competing and helping improve the offense while working on the scout team.
“To see him progress each and every week to get better, that just shows his maturity at a very young age, just shows him progressing,” Catalon said. “I just can’t wait to see what he has in store for us down the road.”
Catalon also talked up Burrle and Woodard.
Pool said: “The offensive line is so well coached so those young guys, Chop [St. John], Henderson, I can go on and on. It’s an exciting group that I’m looking forward to a big offseason. KJ’s not a super young guy anymore, but his progression has been really cool to see in these bowl practices.”
Hog sendoff
The Razorback athletic department is inviting fans to come out and send off the team buses in style today as the team leaves for Houston.
The players are scheduled to board buses around 12:30 p.m. outside the Smith Center, and fans are invited to line both sides of Meadow Street — while wearing masks and taking covid-19 precautions — between the practice fields and John McDonnell Field.
The Razorbacks are flying to Houston today and will spend two nights in town, then fly home after Thursday’s Texas Bowl game against TCU.