OPINION

MIKE MASTERSON: Huskey for Hogs

First the disclaimer. I'm neither a football coach nor a sportswriter. Our state has plenty of both who are eminently qualified.

However, I do occasionally offer an opinion on athletics, particularly the rejoicings and heartbreaks involving our Razorback football program. I do so today, bearing my admitted shortcomings in mind, although I assure you with 99.8 percent confidence that I am right about this one.

Knowing that Razorback head Coach Chad Morris, along with his assistants, is particularly admirable in recruiting, I'm stepping out today to offer the suggestion they take careful note of a potential recruit here in my hometown of Harrison. Gabe Huskey is a young man who has continually proven himself to have all the ingredients necessary to become an exceptional player for the Hogs.

While not near the size of Harrison's revered All American walk-on lineman Brandon Burlsworth, Huskey, as a running back, receiver and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Northwest Arkansas Player of the Year in football, displays the late Burlsworth's grit, determination and never-quit spirit.

I watched the 17-year-old play one evening last year when he ran for what seemed like 1,000 yards in a midseason victory on a 12-1 Golden Goblin team I later would call the "2018 Public School State Champions." As he displayed with remarkable speed and agility skills in every game in his sophomore (1,862 yards rushing) and junior (2,150 yards) seasons, Huskey was practically unstoppable both as a runner and receiver.

Averaging over 2,000 rushing yards in two seasons doesn't include the dozens of touchdown passes he also caught during both years. Any player with those kinds of stunning stats is clearly something special.

I played golf with Joel Wells, Huskey's head coach, the other day. Our conversation naturally turned to the coming season and Huskey's potential in the SEC. Wells, who has coached 33 years including the past five in Harrison, has mentored many fine players.

He told me Huskey is perhaps the most productive player on every level he's ever coached. "He's also just a great kid and a joy to coach with a 3-point grade point average and unlimited potential playing in college."

Wells said Huskey, standing right at 6 feet tall and weighing about 180 pounds, already has run the 40 in 4.5 seconds and has an uncanny football IQ, with remarkable peripheral vision that enables him to continually bamfoozle and elude tacklers.

"Gabe has great feet and hands," he said. "He'd also make an outstanding defensive safety. But we value him so much on offense we don't want to risk him being injured. He could easily add 15 pounds or more in college and not lose a step."

Considering the autumn night I watched young Mr. Huskey do his thing, I'd agree. In fact, it seemed darn near magical watching him dodge, weave, shake, then accelerate, leaving even capable would-be tacklers groping in space.

Wells said in many ways Huskey mirrors former All-SEC Razorback wide receiver Drew Morgan from Greenwood. At 6 feet and about 185 pounds, Morgan was not the biggest receiver for the Hogs, yet was he ever outstanding. He completed his Arkansas football career ranked seventh on the school's all-time receptions, had 1,763 receiving yards, and ranked 13th in receiving touchdowns. He also made second-team All-SEC.

I realize that various states are loaded with plenty of young athletes with superb physical talents and skills. And I understand that sometimes, because a player lives in another state, he can seem more prized than local athletes. But I'm far from the only one in Arkansas who's convinced this homegrown young man with so much going for him would become a genuine asset for the Razorbacks.

The morning coffee group shared a rumor that other SEC teams also are showing interest in Huskey. "That truly would be a loss for the Razorbacks," said Wells. "I assure you, Gabe is the real deal in every way, so fast and elusive and tough as nails."

Since football IQ and mental toughness is every bit or often more important than physical ability in most contact sports, an impressive example of Huskey's grit came last year when he fell on his shoulder in a basketball game as the opposing team made a steal and both teams raced to the other end.

Left alone in pain, Huskey rose to his feet, holding his injured shoulder as the ball was re-stolen at the other end. His teammate heaved the ball the length of the court, and Gabe used his functioning arm and hand to catch and dunk it before calling timeout and walking matter-of-factly to the locker room for treatment.

"He has no quit in him," said Wells. "We look for Gabe to have a fantastic senior year."

Huskey also made All-State in his first two high school years. The least our beloved Razorbacks could do, in my view, anyway, is invite Huskey to Fayetteville and give the impressive young man a shot to excel as a Hog in his college career. Meanwhile, betcha he surpasses 100 touchdowns in his senior year.

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Mike Masterson is a longtime Arkansas journalist, was editor of three Arkansas dailies and headed the master's journalism program at Ohio State University. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.

Editorial on 08/11/2019

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