FAYETTEVILLE -- After Keon Hatcher made his 94th career reception for the Arkansas Razorbacks, he got to try out his passing arm against TCU last week.
"I played quarterback my sophomore year in high school," Hatcher said. "I can throw the ball a little bit."
Hatcher's catching and passing helped Arkansas beat TCU 41-38 in double overtime last Saturday. His 16-yard touchdown reception from Austin Allen pulled the Razorbacks within 28-26 with 1:03 left in regulation, and his two-point pass to Allen on a double reverse tied it 28-28.
"A-plus-plus," Allen said when asked to grade Hatcher's pass.
Hatcher had an option to run on the play, but he was confident in Allen's receiving skills.
"I knew he was going to come down with the ball," Hatcher said. "I just had to get it there."
After missing the final 11 games last season because of a broken bone in his left foot, Hatcher quickly has regained his spot as one of the Razorbacks' go-to offensive players.
"Keon's playing really good football in both of the things we're asking him to do -- run routes and catch the football, but also in block protection for our running backs," Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said. "He's continued to earn more and more respect from his teammates, but more importantly when the NFL scouts come in here, they talk about him as well."
Hatcher, a fifth-year senior from Owasso, Okla., has 8 receptions for 108 yards and 1 touchdown for the (24 Razorbacks going into tonight's game against Texas State.
On Arkansas' game-winning drive in a 21-20 victory over Louisiana Tech in the season opener, Hatcher caught passes of 18 and 13 yards. On both catches, he broke tackles for extra yardage.
"You all saw it when he was getting pulled down by his hair and got 3 more yards," Razorbacks senior offensive tackle Dan Skipper said. "Then getting pulled down again and getting 3 more yards.
"That's just the type of guy he is all the time."
Grabbing a player by his hair isn't against the rules, but Hatcher didn't appreciate some of Louisiana Tech's players doing it.
"It's girlish, I feel like, pulling another man's hair," he said. "I didn't say anything to them. I wanted to, but I didn't."
Hatcher had his long hair taped up under his helmet against TCU so the Horned Frogs wouldn't be able to grab it.
"That was my idea," he said. "It felt fine."
Hatcher said his left foot and his mentality also are fine after what appeared to be his breakout season -- 13 catches for 198 yards in two games -- suddenly ended when he was injured against Toledo.
Being sidelined after such a promising start to the season wasn't easy.
"It can mess with your mind, but you've got to be strong mentally to know that you're going to come back and be better than you were before," Hatcher said. "That's where my head sat at."
Hatcher's roommate, tailback Jonathan Williams, missed last season after breaking his foot in an August scrimmage. He's now a rookie with the Buffalo Bills.
"J-Will's my brother," Hatcher said. "Blood couldn't make us any closer.
"Both of us being in that situation at the same time, I feel like God put us together for a reason. You see him doing his thing with the Bills, and we've got this thing rolling over here."
Drew Morgan (63 catches), Dominique Reed (28) and Jared Cornelius (24) became Arkansas' top wide receivers last season after Hatcher was injured. All three returned this season, but Hatcher hasn't had a problem fitting back in with the group.
"Last year, he was still with us," receivers coach Michael Smith said. "It wasn't like he disappeared from our program.
"The guys have so much respect for Keon as a leader and what he's accomplished as a football player here over his tenure. For him to fit back in, we had no issues and we didn't expect anything different."
Skipper said Hatcher played a key role with the receivers last season despite his injury.
"He always was there behind the scenes, mentoring those guys in the film room, encouraging them every day," Skipper said.
Hatcher said he never worried his return would create an awkward situation for the other receivers.
"This is a family," he said. "We all want to see each other be successful.
"I got hurt, they stepped up and did what they were supposed to do. I'm back, and now we're all doing it together."
Allen, in his first season as a starter, said he's worked hard to build a strong rapport with Hatcher.
"Keon's one of the best players in the SEC," Allen said. "It's good to have him out there."
On Hatcher's two-point pass, he got the ball on a flip from Morgan, who took a handoff from Allen.
Offensive coordinator Dan Enos said Hatcher was the choice as passer because he's left-handed and was rolling to his left.
"I wouldn't say Keon will be going to the [NFL scouting] combine with the quarterbacks," Enos said. "But he certainly can throw it well enough on that short pass."
Hatcher laughed when Enos' scouting report was repeated to him.
"I'm trying to get coach Enos to let me throw a couple more passes," he said. "I'd like to throw a deep one."
Sports on 09/17/2016