FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas cornerbacks coach Sam Carter often tells LaDarrius Bishop he is the fastest player on any field.
That speed and athleticism is likely to be front and center Saturday in the Razorbacks’ season opener against Rice. Bishop, a former 4-star recruit, is listed as a starter at cornerback opposite veteran Montaric Brown, his cousin and former Ashdown High School teammate.
Arkansas’ Week 1 depth chart is not yet finalized. Second-year coach Sam Pittman said Monday that it will be nailed down following Wednesday’s practice.
But Bishop being listed with the first-team defense to begin the week indicates he won a training camp position battle with Hudson Clark, the former walk-on who took college football by storm after a three-interception game against Ole Miss last season.
“He's fast, he's long, he's the perfect size and speed for a corner,” Pittman said of Bishop. “I don't know how he beat him out, he just played well. What we did, to be honest with you, we quit moving him to left corner, right corner. We moved him all the time trying to find that place for him.
“We kept him at one spot over there on one side and it seemed to help him."
Bishop, a redshirt junior, played in all 10 games last season and made his fourth career start in Arkansas’ season finale against Alabama. Pittman and the Razorbacks’ staff were impressed with his play.
He made a season-high 7 tackles, including 4 solo stops and 1 for lost yardage. Defensive coordinator Barry Odom said part of what makes Bishop the player he is is his straight-line speed and short-area quickness.
“You look at his cover skills, he’s long,” Odom said. “He’s got really good change of direction and all the things that we’re looking for at that position.”
Safety Joe Foucha, a New Orleans native who was voted a team captain last weekend, came to Arkansas in the same recruiting class as Bishop. Foucha has witnessed the corner's growth firsthand.
According to Pro Football Focus, he had a season defensive grade of 71.7 and a tackling grade of 81.7 last season. The key for Bishop being a mainstay on the perimeter is coupling his maturity and talent.
“Him maturing in the defense and knowing the defense, I feel like that helped him a lot,” Foucha said. “It’s going to show going into the season — definitely going into the first game.”
Grant Morgan, another of the Razorbacks’ five captains, sees a night-and-day difference in Bishop’s assuredness in his ability compared to previous seasons.
Perhaps the highlight of Bishop’s career was his scoop-and-score in Arkansas’ 2019 victory over Colorado State. Teammates are certain he can add to his highlight reel this fall.
“Everyone has faith in him. He’s got faith in all of us, and he knows he's going to do his job,” Morgan said. “It's been really fun to see him and see his confidence just grow and kind of become that guy that we can rely on.
“It’s been a good journey to watch.”