FAYETTEVILLE — In two years as Arkansas’ coach, Bobby Petrino has already built one of the nation’s most impressive offenses.
Now it’s time to work on that defense.
The Razorbacks signed defensive tackle Byran Jones on Wednesday, part of a 25-player recruiting class coaches hope will add some depth on the defensive line. Jones led Junction City High School in southern Arkansas to back-to-back state championships, and he was also a two-time member of The Associated Press Arkansas Super Team.
“First and foremost, what we were looking for, were some defensive linemen,” Petrino said. “I thought that we identified guys that could really help us there.”
Arkansas returns almost every key player from an offense that averaged 36 points per game, including talented quarterback Ryan Mallett. But the Razorbacks are still waiting for their defense to come around after allowing 401 yards per game last season.
The class includes five defensive linemen. In addition to Jones, the Razorbacks also landed defensive tackle Calvin Barnett from Booker T. Washington H.S. in Tulsa, Okla. Barnett was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Game. He went to the same high school as Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee.
“We kind of have a nice in at Booker T. Washington,” Petrino said. “He was a guy that we competed hard for.”
Arkansas’ new defensive linemen should complement some of the team’s young defensive backs, such as Darius Winston, who signed with the Razorbacks last year.
“Your help always starts up front,” defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said. “You line up and take the field every Saturday, and you wonder why your guys don’t look like their guys. We’re starting to look like that.”
When Petrino arrived, he emphasized in-state recruiting, and the results were impressive. Arkansas products like Winston and wide receiver Joe Adams decided to stay close to home and play for the Razorbacks.
This year, the state’s most hyped prospect signed with Auburn. The Tigers signed Little Rock Christian’s Michael Dyer, the Arkansas career leader in rushing.
Petrino landed Jones, however, who did just about everything for his small school in Junction City.
“The fun thing about Byran is when you watched him play, he seemed to never come off the field. He played offensive tackle, he played defensive tackle, he played some defensive end, kicked extra points and field goals for them,” Petrino said. “When you look at all the guys that we signed, he would have to stand up there and say, ’Hey, I’m as good as anybody that we signed today.”’
Arkansas signed five in-state players, four of whom made the AP Super Team. Of course, some of the most eager recruits might come from elsewhere. The Razorbacks also landed Cam Feldt, an offensive lineman from Texas.
“We’ve had Cam committed for a couple years now. We offered him ... when he was a sophomore,” Petrino said. “He keeps coming back. He’s been on our campus probably as much as any player that we recruit.”
Overall, the Razorbacks’ class was ranked No. 48 in the country by Rivals.com, down quite a bit from last year’s No. 16 ranking. Petrino said it’s important for coaches to keep those rankings in perspective.
“It’s a must that you do your evaluation — that you don’t Internet recruit,” Petrino said. “I can’t tell you that there’s not a question always asked, ’Well, how many stars is he?’ ... But you have to get past that and evaluate your needs.”