Bielema entertains with look at signees

Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema speaks on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, on the team's signing day results during the Northwest Arkansas Razorback Club Signing on the Hill event at the Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Springdale.
Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema speaks on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, on the team's signing day results during the Northwest Arkansas Razorback Club Signing on the Hill event at the Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Springdale.

SPRINGDALE -- Bret Bielema recognizes the entertainment potential of a roomful of die-hard Arkansas Razorbacks fans combined with a bounty of video clips featuring the football program's latest crop of signees.

Bielema spiced up his 37-minute lunchtime class discussion with a crowd of 400-plus fans in a banquet room at the Holiday Inn Convention Center on Thursday with a string of quips and witty asides.

Bielema, the fifth-year Arkansas coach, played up the abilities of the Razorbacks' 24-man signing class with a humorous touch, and he wrapped up the event with his take on the state of the program.

Speaking of four-star safety signee Montaric Brown of Ashdown, Bielema mentioned that his nickname was "Buster" Brown, "although he looks about 8 in this picture."

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He also spoke of top signees such as Jarques McClellion, Camren Curl, De'Vion Warren and others who stood strong with their commitments to Arkansas despite runs by other programs.

Bielema said McClellion "has enough personality for everyone in this room, and definitely has plenty of that south Florida swag."

Speaking of hybrid linebacker/safety Hayden Henry, the brother of former All-America tight end Hunter Henry of Little Rock, Bielema said, "This is the second of a line of Henrys, and we hope to have all three here."

He said receiver Koilan Jackson, the son of former All-American Keith Jackson of Little Rock, "could be the sleeper of the class." Bielema gave quarterback signee Daulton Hyatt a little jab over his Southern accent and for being named after a character played by Patrick Swayze in the movie Road House.

He called linebacker Derrick Munson, Arkansas' fourth recent signee from Archbishop Rummel High in Metairie, La., "a very, very angry young man, for all the right reasons."

As 6-9 offensive tackle Dalton Wagner polished off a violent pancake block on the video, Bielema quipped: "Poor little kid. Knowing Dalton, he probably went and picked him up."

As he began showing tape on Warren, a quarterback from Monroe, La., who will start as a receiver for the Hogs, he declared, "This one's a highlight tape from start to finish" and "just really electric with his feet."

Bielema also broke the news that he and wife, Jen, are expecting a baby girl this summer. He also answered audience questions about the possibility of a 10th football assistant coach, the Razorbacks' move to a 3-4 front on defense, the Hogs' red zone offense and the potential of adding another scholarship player to the class.

Later in the evening at an event at Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, Bielema spoke highly of central Arkansas signees Jarrod Barnes and David Porter.

Barnes, a 5-11 quarterback at Cabot, is expected to play receiver for the Razorbacks.

"I actually watched him play basketball, and you always hold your breath a little bit when you watch one of your recruits because sometimes they look more like a football player on the basketball floor," Bielema said. "But Jarrod was very, very smooth. He's got long arms and long limbs. The game I saw they actually had to rally back to win, and he was one of the main rally guys. He obviously has some skill sets that not a lot of others have."

Porter, a 6-3, 240-pound defensive end, decommitted from Colorado State in the last week when Arkansas made its offer. Porter was in on 105 tackles and made 10 sacks for Joe T. Robinson last season.

"Robinson has done an unbelievable job," Bielema said. "They have a lot of talent over there, not only last year and not only this year but they'll have more in the future. We're going to look at every guy who comes through there. I know the [Robinson] coaches were very high on him. But [Porter] needed to do some work, to be quite honest.

"For me as a head coach, what I've witnessed is guys that are in his boat you tell them, 'Hey, we would love to be recruiting you but you have to do this better.' A lot of times that's either academics or tests. He really lit it up his first semester, got his grades where they needed to be. What I love about him is that he's only scratched the surface of what he's going to be."

He concluded his remarks in Springdale by talking about the disappointment over second-half collapses against Missouri and Virginia Tech at the end of Arkansas' 7-6 season.

"I know the close to the season was not what all of us dreamed up, especially the coaches that live it on a daily basis," Bielema said. "You live it every day as a fan, which I greatly appreciate.

"The things that we've done and the measures we've made to correct the issues that we had in the past are the ones that I think will probably be the most exciting part to our spring and fall season.

"I couldn't be more excited to be where we are. We made a little stat yesterday that showed the difference between my first 20 games and my last 20. I know we've made progress. I know where we're going.

"I think the part that's probably more exciting than anything is -- as a head coach obviously you're always worried about where the state of mind of your team is. In a good way, the finish that we had, we have a very, very responsive group right now on our hands. They know what they had in their hands and let go. As coaches we know the same exact feeling. That motivating factor is probably one of the keys to our success that I think will be great for us moving forward."

Democrat-Gazette staff writer Tim Cooper contributed to this report

Sports on 02/03/2017

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