The Recruiting Guy

Hogs add walk-on QB to roster

NWA Democrat-Gazette/BEN GOFF @NWABENGOFF
Chad Morris, Arkansas head coach, speaks Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, during a press conference to introduce new assistant coaches at the Fred W. Smith Football Center in Fayetteville.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/BEN GOFF @NWABENGOFF Chad Morris, Arkansas head coach, speaks Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, during a press conference to introduce new assistant coaches at the Fred W. Smith Football Center in Fayetteville.

Former TCU quarterback signee Austin Aune has enrolled at Arkansas as a walk-on and will go through spring practice.

Aune never enrolled at TCU out of Argyle High School in Texas. He signed with the New York Yankees as a shortstop in 2012 and later moved to the outfield.

Aune (6-3, 215 pounds, 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash) will be a walk-on and have his education paid for by the Yankees. His velocity was clocked around 93 mph from the outfield.

He visited TCU and North Texas before deciding on the Hogs. His father, Greg Aune, said the SEC and the chance to play for Coach Chad Morris and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock was factors in his son choosing the Razorbacks.

“The allure of the SEC and the SEC West and Chad [Morris] and Coach [Joe] Craddock, and everybody being on the same page up there as far as the opportunity goes,” Greg Aune said.

As a senior in high school, Aune completed 224 of 402 passes for 3,411 yards and 33 touchdowns, with 9 interceptions. He also rushed 78 times for 541 yards and 9 touchdowns. Austin is looking forward to playing in Morris' offense.

"He likes their system," Greg Aune said. "It’s a fast-paced system, wide-open system. That’s what he played in high school. It’s a pass-oriented offense. He’s a read-run oriented guy, so that’s a lot of what those guys do.”

Greg Aune said his son's passion is football.

"He said, 'I love baseball; I love to play baseball. Baseball is fun for me to play, but I’m passionate about football. It’s something in my blood,'" Greg Aune said.

The Aunes made an unofficial visit to Fayetteville during the Dec. 15-17 weekend.

"I know when we walked into the stadium and he was on the 50-yard line looking up, and he had a big huge grin on his face," Greg Aune said.

Upcoming Events