CONGRATS TO TRAVIS SWANSON
ARKANSAS’ 1st 2014 NFL DRAFT PICK
76th OVERALL to the Detroit Lions
And
CONGRATS TO CHRIS SMITH
ARKANSAS’ 2nd 2014 NFL DRAFT PICK
159th Overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Smith’s Bio is here
And
CONGRATS TO A-STATE’S RYAN CARRETHERS
Selected 165th Overall in the 2014 NFL DRAFT
By the San Diego Chargers
Carrethers’ Bio is here
And
Congrats to Kiero Small
Selected 227th in the 2014 NFL Draft
By the Seattle Seahawks
Small’s Bio is here
And
Congrats to Zach Hocker
Selected 228th Overall in the 2014 NFL Draft
By the Washington Redskins
Hocker’s Bio is here
One of the best Zach Hocker profiles you will ever read is here from Jim Harris.
Here is a little fun fact on Travis Swanson you may not have known. He was pretty good lacrosse player in high school credits the sport with helping him be a better football player. You can read the interview with Swanson on that at this link.
Here is what they are saying in Detroit about Swanson:
He started 50 consecutive games for the Razorbacks, which tied the school record.
“He’s got a lot of starts against really good competition,” Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said. “That usually bodes well for guys early, gives those guys confidence when they get here, so that’s definitely a factor.”
A heady player, Swanson was just the 11th player in school history to be a two-time captain.
In his last 24 games, Swanson had the highest blocking consistency grade for any active offensive lineman in college football (90 percent).
Dominic Raiola is coming off probably his best season as a professional in 2013, but he is 35 years old and the Lions need to start thinking about the future.
In the short term, NFL rules mandate that teams can only dress 46 players on game day. Before the drafting of Swanson, the Lions didn’t have a swing player who could play both center and guard.
“The biggest thing I will focus on is to learn as much as I can,” Swanson said in a conference call. “I want to contribute whether that’s at center or guard. I am just going to come into work every single day and I know if I do that each day then it will take care of itself.”
Also, in the video below, after Senior Day in Fayetteville – a loss to Auburn – Swanson discusses the game and his time as a Razorback. Good stuff. Also, we have Swanson’s bio and his draft projections below for your review, too.
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For the next several days we will monitor the 2014 NFL Draft and provide updates on this page profiling Arkansas football players who are drafted and sign as undrafted free agents. We share with you profiles, highlights, comments from the world of sports and respond to you comments here and on Twitter @SportingLifeArk, so check this page often. Bookmark it. Do what you do. We’ll keep at it on our end and enjoy the next several days.
This year’s draft starts with the Houston Texans and ends with the Seattle Seahawks in Round One. Most experts have Jadeveon Clowney going first overall. Speculation on where former Texas Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel winds up runs high, too, with some wondering if the ball slinging playboy could wind up a Cowboy.
Answering a question from our Mailbag last month, Jim Harris said he thought the Houston Texans should take Manziel in the top spot.
You can also listen to some draft thoughts from Jim here from his appearance on The Buzz earlier this week.
Ah, fun times. Like we said, we will keep an eye on things and hope to see back here throughout the spectacle that is the 2014 NFL Draft.
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So does the pick of Jadeveon Clowney by the Texans bolster rumors that former Razorback Ryan Mallett is on his way there?
The Texans are expected to draft Jadeveon Clowney with the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft but they’re creating a stir before the draft even begins, reportedly working on a Ryan Mallett trade with the Patriots.
Tom Curran of CSN New England reports the two sides are working on a deal and that it “may be done soon.”
Curran adds, however, that it’s “not a done deal but the machinations have begun.” He later added that, well, let’s all pump the brakes a bit.
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UPDATE May 9, 2014, 10:53 am:
A bit of an update on the possible Mallett-to-Texans talk this morning from NFL.com:
The Texans have a “lot of interest” in Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport confirmed Thursday on NFL Network’s “2014 NFL Draft Kickoff.”
…
O’Brien, the new Texans coach, was Mallett’s offensive coordinator during his rookie season in New England. Mallett has been mentioned in potential trade talks ever since — despite mediocre preseason results.
The Texans are expected to add at least one quarterback this week, and Rapoport said on NFL Network that he would not be surprised if Mallett was the guy. That would create a scenario where Mallett and Ryan Fitzpatrick would battle for the starting job.
Mallett would basically be the Texans‘ way of adding options at quarterback without commiting too much. The Texans could entertain a short-term contract extension for Mallett and then get back in the market for a rookie quarterback at this time next year.
We will keep an eye on this and update as needed.
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Here are a few profiles of Arkansas players who expected to go in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Travis Swanson
2013: Swanson was named one of six Rimington Trophy finalists. He also was a third-team Midseason All-American and first-team Midseason All-SEC performer by Phil Steele. Swanson was voted a team captain for the second consecutive season, becoming just the 11th Razorback in school history to serve as captain for back-to-back years. The offensive line has blocked for the first freshman in SEC history to begin his career with three straight 100-yard rushing games and as Alex Collins became the 10th true freshman in SEC history to rush for 1,000 yards. The offenssive line also allowed the Razorbacks to produce eight 100-yard rushing performances. Arkansas leads the SEC and is tied for 2nd in the NCAA allowing just 0.67 sacks per game, leads the conference and ranks seventh in the nation with one sack allowed every 37.63 pass attempts and has allowed one or fewer sacks in 10 games this season. In the season opener vs. Louisiana he recorded 16 knockdown blocks as Arkansas piled up 522 yards of total offense, 292 on the ground and 230 through the air. The next week vs. Samford he registered 10 knockdown blocks with a grade of 85 percent while paving the way for a 333-yard rushing effort, including 163 in the 4th quarter when Arkansas ran the ball on all 21 of its offensive plays. In the 24-3 win vs. Southern Miss, he graded at 82 percent with 10 knockdown blocks as the offense gained 258 yards rushing and put the game away with 13:07 time of possession in the 4th quarter. For his play at Rutgers, including four knockdown blocks, Swanson earned a grade of 89 percent. Against No. 10 Texas A&M, Swanson graded out at 90 percent with six knockdown blocks as the Razorbacks gained 483 yards of total offense, 201 rushing and 282 passing, and averaged 7.3 yards per play for the game while starting a true freshman at both guard positions. At No. 18 Florida, he earned a grade of 85 percent while anchoring the line as Arkansas rushed for 111 yards, the first team to top 100 yards on the ground in Gainesville since Sept. 22, 2012. Against No. 14 South Carolina, the offense averaged 6.7 yards per play while rushing for 218 yards and allowing 0 sacks, and he registered four knockdown blocks. He graded at 81 percent with five knockdown blocks at No. 1 Alabama as Arkansas became the first team since Texas A&M in 2012 to rush for 100 yards in Tuscaloosa, finishing the game with 165 yards on the ground. He registered 12 knockdown blocks with a grade of 81 percent vs. No. 8 Auburn, allowing the Razorbacks to rush for 222 yards and total 346 yards of offense while possessing the ball for 34:14, the team’s highest time of possession against a top-10 team since 2008. At Ole Miss, he earned a grade of 83 percent and recorded six knockdown blocks as the Razorbacks averaged 5.8 yards per rush and allowed no sacks on 32 pass attempts. Against Mississippi State, Arkansas rushed for 225 yards and allowed zero sacks. At No. 15 LSU, the Razorbacks averaged 5.7 yards per play, including 5.4 yards per rush, while allowing just one sack and scoring on all five Red Zone trips. Before the season, he was named a preseason All-American and preseason All-SEC performer as well as to watch lists for the Rimington Trophy, Outland Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award, Senior Bowl and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
2012: He was selected as a team captain, started all 12 games and was named second-team All-SEC by the Associated Press. The offensive line paved the way as 20 UA or SEC records were broken and Arkansas produced a 1,000-yard receiver in consecutive seasons for the first time in school history and a 3,000-yard passer for the fourth straight year. Quarterback Tyler Wilson led the SEC in passing, while Cobi Hamilton topped the conference in receptions per game and receiving yards per game. Hamilton’s season totals of 90 catches and 1,335 receiving yards broke school records and allowed him to break the UA record for career receptions with 175. In addition, the offensive line allowed 1.0 or fewer sacks in eight games in 2012 and ranked third in the SEC with an average of just 1.58 sacks allowed per game.
2011: He started all 13 games as part of an offensive line that allowed the offense to break 16 game or season school records and produce a 3,000-yard passer for the third straight season. Arkansas led the SEC in total offense, passing offense and scoring offense to become just the fifth different school, and first since 2001, to lead the conference in all three categories in a single season and became the sixth team in conference history, and second since 1992, to lead the SEC in passing offense for three straight seasons. The Razorbacks ranked 13th in the country with their average of 300.7 passing yards per game, 15th in the nation with an average of 36.8 points per game and 29th in the NCAA with an average of 438.1 yards of total offense per game. Quarterback Tyler Wilson broke nine UA records and led the SEC in passing and total offense while becoming the first Razorback to be a first-team All-SEC selection at quarterback. Wide receiver Jarius Wright also earned first-team All-SEC honors after he broke seven school records and led the conference in receiving yards per game with an average of 93.1 to rank 18th in the country and in receiving touchdowns with 12, a total that tied for seventh in the NCAA. The Razorback offense posted the second-best single-season total in school history for completions (299), passing yards (3,909), passing yards per game (300.7), first downs (279) and passing first downs (166) while totaling the third-highest total offense yardage total (5,695) and third-best total offense per play average (6.45).
2010: He started all 13 games for the Razorbacks at center as Arkansas was the only school in the SEC to start the same offensive line every game in 2010. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. The line allowed Arkansas to break 24 game or season school records on offense. He blocked for the first season in UA history with a 3,000-yard passer and a 1,000-yard rusher. Quarterback Ryan Mallett set the Arkansas single-season passing yards record with 3,869 and running back Knile Davis posted the fourth-highest single-season rushing yards total in program history with 1,322 yards. The Razorbacks were the only team in the country to boast a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and five 600-yard receivers. Arkansas finished the season first in the SEC and fourth in the NCAA in passing (333.7), becoming just the third team since 1992 to lead the conference in passing in consecutive seasons. The Razorbacks also ranked second in the SEC and ninth in the country in total offense (482.5) and second in the conference and 17th in the NCAA in scoring offense (36.5).
2009: He redshirted and worked out with the Arkansas scout team.
HIGH SCHOOL: Swanson was a first-team all-state selection by the writers and a second-team honoree by the coaches. He was rated as the No. 33 offensive guard by Scout.com and the No. 73 offensive guard by Rivals.com. He was named one of 10 finalists for the Greater Houston Area Offensive Player of the Year and was the only lineman among the finalists. He was coached by Dougald McDougald. He was also recruited by Arizona, Houston, Kansas and Texas Tech.
PERSONAL: Born, Jan. 30, 1991, he is the son of Todd and Gina Swanson. He is majoring in sociology. He was named to the Razorback Honor Roll for his work in the classroom in the fall of 2011.
Travis Swanson NFL Scouting Report:
Prepped in Texas. Redshirted in 2009. Started all 50 games at center 2010-13. First two-time captain in Razorback history.
STRENGTHS Functional base in pass protection. Can work his hips and seal and execute combo blocks. Aware and alert — good in-line reactions. Durable and battle-tested — started all 50 games of his career and has experience locking horns with NFL-caliber defensive tackles. Highly respected two-time captain. Intelligent vocal leader with outstanding football character.
WEAKNESSES Needs to bulk up his frame and get stronger. Limited push, power and explosion — too often content to stalemate. Does not play with a load in his hands. Tends to bend at the waist, lean and fall off blocks. Spends too much time on the ground. Struggles to sustain on the second level. Center only. Produced the fewest reps (20) of 225 pounds of any lineman at the combine.
DRAFT PROJECTION Rounds 3-4
BOTTOM LINE Experienced, dependable pivot who lacks starter-caliber power and athleticism. Lack of versatility hurts his chances, and he will have to survive on smarts, leadership and competitiveness.
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CONGRATS TO CHRIS SMITH
ARKANSAS’ 2nd 2014 NFL DRAFT PICK
159th Overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Chris Smith
2012: Smith started all 12 games and was named honorable-mention All-SEC after recording 52 tackles, 13.0 for loss with 9.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries, four pass breakups and one forced fumble. His tackles for loss total was the seventh-highest single-season output in school history.
His average of 0.79 sacks per game ranked fourth in the SEC and 25th in the NCAA, and his average of 1.08 tackles for loss per game tied for fifth in the conference. He recorded a career-high eight tackles, 1.5 for loss with 1.0 sack, two quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and one forced fumble in the 19-15 win vs. Tulsa.
He registered the forced fumble on a sack with less than one minute remaining in the game, clinching the victory. He was named SEC co-Defensive Lineman of the Week for his performance against the Golden Hurricane. He also was named SEC co-Defensive Lineman of the Week after opening the season with a then-career-high-tying six tackles, 1.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, and one quarterback hurry in a 49-24 victory vs. Jacksonville State.
He had three tackles, 1.0 for loss with 1.0 sack for a loss of 15 yards, and two quarterback hurries vs. ULM. He made four tackles vs. No. 1 Alabama and had one quarterback hurry vs. Rutgers. He registered five tackles, 1.0 for loss, and one quarterback hurry at Texas A&M. He made five tackles, 1.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks, and two quarterback hurries in the 24-7 win at Auburn and made one tackle and one pass breakup in the next week’s 49-7 victory vs. Kentucky. He had five tackles, 2.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, and one quarterback hurry vs. Ole Miss. He made four tackles, 2.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, at No. 12 South Carolina and had five tackles, 1.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks, and two quarterback hurries at Mississippi State. He ended the season with six tackles, 1.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks, and one pass breakup vs. No. 8 LSU.
Here is Chris Smith on Senior Day in 2013, talking about his game and what it meant to be a Razorback.
2011: He played in all 13 games with three starts and made 31 tackles, 6.0 for loss with 3.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one pass breakup. His tackles for loss total was the fourth-highest on the team. He made a career-high six tackles, including 1.0 for loss in his start at No. 3 Alabama. He made four tackles, including 1.0 for loss with 1.0 sack and one quarterback hurry in the first start of his career, a 38-28 victory vs. Troy. He made his third straight start in the come-from-behind 42-38 win vs. No. 14 Texas A&M and made one tackle. He recorded four tackles, including 1.5 for loss with 0.5 sack, in the season-opening 51-7 victory vs. Missouri State. The next week, he made two tackles and had one quarterback hurry in a 52-3 win vs. New Mexico. He recorded two tackles, 0.5 for loss, and one pass breakup in the 38-14 win vs. No. 14 Auburn. He also made two tackles in a 29-24 victory at Ole Miss. He made one tackle in the 31-28 win at Vanderbilt and in the 44-28 victory vs. No. 10 South Carolina. He made three tackles in a 49-7 win vs. Tennessee. He collected two tackles in the 44-17 victory vs. Mississippi State. At No. 1 LSU, he made one solo tackle. He ended his sophomore season with two tackles, including a career-high 2.0 for loss with a career-high 2.0 sacks, in the 29-16 win vs. No. 11 Kansas State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.
2010: He appeared in six games for the Razorbacks and finished the season with three tackles and one pass breakup. Smith made one tackle in his collegiate debut, Arkansas’ season-opening 44-3 win vs. Tennessee Tech. He also saw action the next week in the Razorbacks’ 31-7 win vs. ULM. He made one tackle in the 24-17 win vs. Texas A&M. He also saw action in the Razorbacks’ 41-20 victory at No. 18 South Carolina and in their 49-14 win vs. Vanderbilt. He recorded one tackle and one pass breakup in UA’s 58-21 victory vs. UTEP.
HIGH SCHOOL: Smith was considered one of the best defensive recruits in the state of North Carolina, helping West Rowan High School to back-to-back state titles and a 30-game winning streak. As a senior, he earned Associated Press all-state honors for the second straight year. Heading into the playoffs that season, he had collected 98 tackles, 16.5 sacks, 36 QB hurries, 11 pass breakups, four tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and one recovered fumble. In 2009, he helped his team to a 16-0 record and a Class 3A state championship earning MVP honors in the title game. He followed that up by being named the defensive MVP for the North Carolina team in the North Carolina-South Carolina all-star game and was invited to participate in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C. In the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl he had seven tackles and one sack. As a junior in 2008, Smith tallied 117 tackles, 25 sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and 44 QB hurries. In addition to repeating as all-conference and all-county selections, he was named to the Associated Press All-State Team. With Smith’s help on defense, West Rowan went 15-1 and defeated West Craven in the NCHSAA 3A State Championship. Over his last two seasons, Smith amassed more than 200 tackles and 48 sacks. Smith was ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the state of North Carolina by Rivals.com. He was coached in high school by Scott Young. He was also recruited by Arizona, Clemson, East Carolina, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Penn State, Wisconsin and South Carolina.
PERSONAL: Born Feb. 11, 1992, he is the son of William and Sherry Smith. He is enrolled in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.
Chris Smith NFL Scouting Report
STRENGTHS
Long arms. Very good take-off, burst and closing speed. Wins with quickness and effort. Plays hard with good urgency and runs to the ball. Good finishing speed and hustle in backside pursuit. Gradually improving strength. Likable personality with natural leadership traits. Has a 37-inch vertical jump.
WEAKNESSES
Lacks functional playing strength and can be controlled easily when big-bodied blockers get their hands on him (see Alabama). Struggles to split the double team. Not a nuanced pass rusher — reliant on upfield speed too much. Can do a better job diagnosing the run more quickly and shedding blocks.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Rounds 3-4
BOTTOM LINE
A weakside pass rusher who could most ideally project to the rush linebacker position in the pros for a 3-4 front, Smith graded more highly as a junior than he did as a senior, yet possesses the tools to earn a starting job in the pros in multiple schemes. Versatility is a plus.
Zach Hocker
2012: During the 2012 season, Hocker broke Arkansas career records for points scored, PATs made and PAT attempts. He scored 65 points, courtesy of a 32-of-32 mark on PATs and making 11-of-18 field goal attempts, in addition to kicking off 58 times for an average of 64.7 yards and 39 touchbacks. He averaged at least 64 yards per kickoff in 10 of 12 games. His kickoff average led the NCAA, and his touchback percentage of 67.27 ranked second in the SEC and sixth in the NCAA while his 39 total touchbacks were third in the conference and tied for 11th in the nation. He was recognized as an SEC Special Teams Player of the Week following the 49-7 win vs. Kentucky when he tied his career highs with seven made PATs and six touchbacks. He also recorded seven made PATs and six touchbacks in the season-opening 49-24 victory vs. Jacksonville State. He averaged 70.8 yards on five kickoffs with four touchbacks while adding one 37-yard field goal and 4-of-4 on PAT attempts vs. ULM. He recorded a touchback in his lone kickoff vs. No. 1 Alabama. He was 2-of-2 on field goals and 2-of-2 on PAT attempts in addition to registering five touchbacks on six kickoffs vs. Rutgers. He was 1-of-1 on PATs and 1-of-2 on field goals while adding two touchbacks on three kickoffs at Texas A&M. He was 3-of-3 on PATs and made one 27-yard field goal in addition to two touchbacks on five kickoffs in a 24-7 win at Auburn. He broke the UA record for career PATs made vs. Ole Miss, as part of a of 3-of-3 game. He also was 2-of-2 on field goals with four touchbacks on six kickoffs. He was 2-of-3 on field goals, including a season-long 46 yarder, 1-of-1 on PATs and registered four touchbacks on five kickoffs in the 19-15 victory vs. Tulsa. At No. 12 South Carolina, he broke the UA kick scoring record with eight points as he was 2-of-2 on field goals and 2-of-2 on PATs and added three touchbacks on four kickoffs. He was 2-of-2 on PATs and kicked off three times with one touchback at Mississippi State and added one touchback in the season finale vs. No. 8 LSU.
2011: He broke the Arkansas single-season record for points by a kicker with 118 as he made 21-of-27 field goal attempts and 55-of-57 PATs. He also kicked off 93 times for an average of 67.8 yards per kick with 40 touchbacks in his first season as a collegian handling kickoff duties in addition to placekicking. He led all SEC kickers and was second overall in the conference and 17th in the NCAA with his average of 9.1 points per game. He also tied for second in the SEC and for 11th in the NCAA with 1.6 made field goals per game. His 40 touchbacks were the most in the SEC and ranked second in the NCAA, and his touchback percentage of 43.01 was second in the conference and third in the country. His average kickoff distance of 67.8 yards also was second in the SEC and ranked fourth in the nation. His 21 made field goals and 27 field goal attempts both ranked second on the respective single-season lists at UA, while his 57 PAT kick attempts stood as the third-highest single-season total in school history and his 55 PAT makes ranked fourth on the single-season list. His 77.8 field goal percentage was the seventh-best single-season percentage in school history among kickers with at least 10 makes in a season. He scored a career-high 14 points, which tied for sixth on Arkansas’ single-game kick scoring list, vs. No. 10 South Carolina and vs. Mississippi State. Against the Gamecocks, he was 3-of-5 on field goal attempts and 5-of-5 on PATs while tying his career high with nine kickoffs that resulted in three touchbacks as UA won 44-28. He was 3-of-4 on field goals and 5-of-5 on PATs with nine kickoffs for a career-high-tying five touchbacks in the 44-17 victory vs. the Bulldogs. He opened the season with nine points on 6-of-7 PATs and 1-of-1 field goals with a career-high nine kickoffs and a career-high five touchbacks in a 51-7 win vs. Missouri State. He was 7-of-7 on PAT attempts and 1-of-2 on field goals while kicking off nine times and earning two touchbacks the next week in a 52-3 win vs. New Mexico. He was 5-of-5 on PAT attempts and 1-of-1 on field goals with two touchbacks on seven kickoffs in the 38-28 victory vs. Troy. At No. 3 Alabama, he was 2-of-2 on PATs and kicked off three times for an average of 70.0 yards per kick and two touchbacks. He was 4-of-4 on PATs and 2-of-2 on field goals with eight kickoffs resulting in two touchbacks in the 42-38 win vs. No. 14 Texas A&M. The next week, he was 5-of-5 on PATs and 1-of-2 on field goals with a career-high-tying five touchbacks on seven kickoffs in the 38-14 victory vs. No. 15 Auburn. He was 3-of-3 on PATs and 2-of-2 on field goals while kicking off six times with two touchbacks in a 29-24 win at Ole Miss. He was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week after he was 2-of-2 on PATs and 3-of-3 on field goals, including a season-long 50 yarder, and recorded two touchbacks on seven kickoffs in the 31-28 victory at Vanderbilt. He tied his career high with seven made PATs and added four touchbacks on eight kickoffs in a 49-7 win vs. Tennessee. At No. 1 LSU, he was 2-of-2 on PATs and 1-of-1 on field goals with two touchbacks on four kickoffs. He wrapped up the season by tying his career high for field goals with a 3-of-3 performance, tying the bowl record for made field goals, and adding two PATs and four touchbacks on seven kickoffs while helping Arkansas defeat No. 11 Kansas State 29-16 in the AT&T Cotton Bowl. He also made three tackles, one each vs. New Mexico, vs. South Carolina and at LSU, and recovered one fumble vs. South Carolina.
2010: He appeared in all 13 games for the Razorbacks and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team after scoring 104 points, 56-56 on PATs and 16-19 on field goals. Hocker’s 104 points scored were seventh in the SEC in 2010 and ranked as the fourth-highest single-season total in school history and the third most by a kicker. He was one of just two kickers in the SEC to be perfect on PAT kicks, and his 56 made PATs ranked second in the conference and tied for 12th in the NCAA and as the third-most in a season by a Razorback kicker. His .842 field goal percentage ranked third in the SEC and tied for 21st in the NCAA and was the third-best single-season percentage (min. 10 attempts) in school history. His long of 51 yards was an Arkansas freshman record and the longest by any UA kicker since 1988. It came as part of a 2-of-2 field goal performance with five PATs in the Razorbacks’ 41-20 win at No. 18 South Carolina. The Gamecock contest was in a run of seven consecutive games in which he made at least four PAT kicks, a streak that began at No. 7 Auburn and stretched through Arkansas’ 31-23 win vs. No. 6 LSU. He also started the season with three straight games of at least four PATs, making six in the season opener vs. Tennessee Tech and four each vs. ULM and at Georgia. He made a career-high three field goals on three attempts, with a long of 47, to go with one PAT made in the Allstate Sugar Bowl vs. No. 6 Ohio State. He was 2-of-2 on field goals vs. No. 1 Alabama and vs. Vanderbilt and connected on one field goal vs. ULM, at Georgia, vs. Texas A&M, vs. Ole Miss, vs. UTEP, at No. 22 Mississippi State and vs. No. 6 LSU.
HIGH SCHOOL: Hocker earned all-state honors in 2009 at Russellville High School under head coach Jeff Holt. As a senior, he was also named the Defensive Player of the Year by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He was ranked as the best kicker in the state of Arkansas by Scout.com. Hocker was selected to play in the Arkansas High School Coaches Association East-West Shrine game. As a senior, he helped Russellville to an 8-3-1 record and kicked a school-record 15 field goals. All but three of his 61 kickoffs reached the end zone for a touchback, resulting in opponents starting from their 20-yard line more than 95 percent of the time. He finished the season with a 45-yard average on 35 punt attempts. He averaged more than 45 yards in seven games and 14 of his punts were downed inside the 20. He kicked four field goals in a 26-26 tie at Fayetteville, including a school-record 52 yarder. As a junior, he averaged 38 yards per punt. He selected Arkansas over Hawaii, Arkansas State, Memphis and North Carolina.
PERSONAL: Born Aug. 23, 1991, he is the son of Roy and Sandy Hocker. He is enrolled in the Walton College of Business and majoring in business.
Zach Hocker NFL Scouting Report
STRENGTHS
Good leg speed. Consistently converted beyond 50 (3-4 as a senior) and has enough velocity to hang the ball on kickoffs. Well-grounded and humble.
WEAKNESSES
Thinly built and undersized. Does not possess a powerful leg. The ball does not explode off his foot (rise). Struggled to handle pressure early in his career.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Undrafted free agent
BOTTOM LINE
Soccer-style kicker whose leg strength and accuracy seemed to be weakening heading into his senior season, with diminished accuracy and range. Rebounded to make his senior season his best. Could warrant consideration in a camp.
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Robert Thomas
2012: Thomas played in all 12 games, earning starts vs. No. 1 Alabama and vs. Rutgers, and recorded 18 tackles, 5.0 for loss with 2.5 sacks, and five quarterback hurries. He had two tackles, 1.5 for loss, and one quarterback hurry in the season-opening 49-24 victory vs. Jacksonville State. He recorded a season-high five tackles, including a career-high 2.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, and one quarterback hurry vs. ULM. He registered a career-high two quarterback hurries in his start vs. Alabama and made four tackles in his start vs. Rutgers. He made one tackle at Texas A&M and recorded 1.0 sack for a 12-yard loss in the 24-7 win at Auburn. He made one tackle in a 49-7 weather-shortened victory vs. Kentucky and one stop vs. Ole Miss. He recorded one tackle and one quarterback hurry at Mississippi State. In the season finale vs. No. 8 LSU, he registered two tackles, including 0.5 sack.
2011: He played in 12 games, missing only the 38-14 win vs. No. 15 Auburn, and made five starts while recording 23 tackles, 2.5 for loss with 1.0 sack, and two quarterback hurries. He recorded a career-high six tackles, including 0.5 for loss, at No. 3 Alabama. He made two tackles, 0.5 for loss, in each of his first two games as a Razorback, the 51-7 season-opening win vs. Missouri State and the 52-3 victory vs. New Mexico. He recorded one tackle and a career-high two quarterback hurries the next week in a 38-28 win vs. Troy. He made one tackle in the come-from-behind 42-38 victory vs. No. 14 Texas A&M and returned to make one stop in the 29-24 win at Ole Miss. He collected two tackles, 1.0 for loss with 1.0 sack, in a 31-28 victory at Vanderbilt. He made three tackles in the 49-7 win vs. Tennessee and one tackle the next week in a 44-17 victory vs. Mississippi State. At No. 1 LSU, he registered three tackles. He wrapped up the season with one tackle in the 29-16 AT&T Cotton Bowl defeat of No. 11 Kansas State.
BEFORE ARKANSAS: Thomas joined the Razorbacks after a successful season at Coffeyville Community College in 2010. Thomas made 48 tackles, including 15 for loss, 4.5 sacks and two pass deflections for junior college coach Darian Dulin. During his senior year at Muskogee High School, Thomas had 89 tackles, 68 solo, 15 tackles for loss, five sacks, four quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two recovered fumbles and two blocked field goals. On offense, he carried the ball six times for 16 yards and one touchdown. He was listed as the No. 71 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 19 prospect in Oklahoma by Rivals.com. Thomas was ranked as the No. 101 defensive tackle in the country by Scout.com. He was named the Muskogee Phoenix Defensive Player of the Year and he was also selected by the District 6A-3 coaches as the lineman of the year. His high school coach was Matt Hennesy. He was also recruited by Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Kansas State. He enrolled at Arkansas in the spring of 2011.
PERSONAL: Born Feb. 18, 1991, he is the son of Roslynn Thomas and the grandson of Robert and Sonya Thomas.
Robert Thomas NFL Scouting Report
STRENGTHS
Has good body mass. Can keep blockers occupied, fight the double team and control gaps. Plays hard and competes. Is a respected team leader.
WEAKNESSES
Round-bodied. Struggles to play off or split the double team. Limited short-area range and closing burst. Gets stuck in place and struggles to disengage blocks. Lacks power to walk back blockers or generate a push.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Priority free agent
BOTTOM LINE
A heavy-bodied, short-range, effort player, Thomas did not finish the season after breaking a bone in his leg. Can fend for a role as a rotational wave backup in the pros. Practice-squad candidate.
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CONGRATS TO A-STATE’S RYAN CARRETHERS
Selected 165th Overall in the 2014 NFL DRAFT
By the San Diego Chargers
Ryan Carrethers
2012: Athlon’s second team and Phil Steele’s third team preseason All-Sun Belt Conference choice.
2011: Played in all 13 games, including the last six as a starter . . . Leading tackler on the team among interior defensive linemen . . . 21 of his 29 tackles came over ASU’s last six games, including a career-high 7 against Louisiana-Lafayette . . . Posted at least 3 tackles in 5 games . . . Recorded 3.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
2010: Competed in all 12 games in a reserve roll on the defensive line . . . Recorded six tackles, including four unassisted . . . Tallied a career-high three tackles versus Navy.
2009: Redshirted and participated on the scout team.
HIGH SCHOOL: Four-year varsity letterman . . . Posted 70 tackles and 10 sacks his senior season . . . Helped lead Brentwood Academy to three championship games . . . Named all-state and All-Williamson County in 2008 . . . Rivals.com Tennessee PostseasonTop 35 (No.33) 2009 among all players in the state . . . Also competed in wrestling at Brentwood.
PERSONAL: Born Feb. 26, 1991 . . . Son of Ryan and Alisha Carrethers.
Ryan Carrethers NFL Scouting Report
STRENGTHS
Big and thick with outstanding weight-room strength — maintains low body fat, squats a small house and bench-pressed 225 pounds 32 times at the combine. Has sheer mass and natural girth to dig in and hold his ground vs. double teams. Has a wrestling background and understands leverage. Has two-gap ability. Heavy tackler. Nice effort for a big man. Tough and durable. Solid personal and football character — is devoted to his craft and has a professional approach to the game.
WEAKNESSES
Lacks ideal height. Has short arms and small hands. Average initial quickness. Heavy-legged with limited range. Inconsistent contact balance at the point of attack — rooted out of the hole more often than he should be. Needs to improve hand use — quickness, placement and shed timing. Marginal pass-rush value. Stamina has to be monitored. Not a workout warrior — across the board was one of the worst combine performers, including a 7-foot, 2-inch broad jump and 8.29-second 3-cone drill, both combine worsts.
DRAFT PROJECTION
Rounds 5-6
BOTTOM LINE
Stoutly built, NFL-strong interior defender who was a literal and figurative anchor for the Red Wolves despite playing for four different head coaches. Could make a living occupying blocks and clogging run lanes as a two-down, rotational nose tackle in an odd front.
Congrats to Kiero Small
Selected 227th in the 2014 NFL Draft
By the Seattle Seahawks
Kiero Small
2012: He played in the season-opening 49-24 win vs. Jacksonville State, helping pave the way for Arkansas to rush for 164 yards and gain 564 yards of total offense. He suffered a season-ending injury in practice the next week and was granted a medical redshirt.
2011: Small saw action in all 13 games and started in the 38-14 win vs. No. 15 Auburn and the 31-28 victory at Vanderbilt. He rushed one time for a one-yard touchdown, caught one seven-yard pass and totaled 17 yards on two kickoff returns. Small also served as the lead blocker for UA’s rushing attack, which ranked third in the SEC by averaging 4.53 yards per carry in conference games and tied for third with a total of 14 rushing touchdowns in SEC play. Running back Dennis Johnson was fourth in the SEC in yards-per-carry average and ranked seventh in the conference in average rushing yards per game. Small caught one pass for seven yards in the season-opening 51-7 win vs. Missouri State. He scored a one-yard rushing touchdown and returned two kickoffs for a total of 17 yards in the 44-17 victory vs. Mississippi State.
BEFORE ARKANSAS: A junior college All-American in 2010, Small played both fullback and linebacker for his Hartnell Community College football team. As a freshman in 2009, Small scored five rushing touchdowns and led the team in tackles with 109 stops en route to Hartnell claiming Coast Conference co-championship honors. In 2010, Small scored one rushing and one receiving touchdown and led the squad in tackles for the second straight season with 120 tackles, including 21 for loss. Small received All-America accolades from the California Community College Football Coaches Association in 2010 and All-California honors in 2009. He was named an All-Coast Conference performer at linebacker in both his seasons at Hartnell. Small’s junior college head coach was Matt Collins, and his high school head coach was Donald Davis. As a high school senior at Cardinal Gibbons in 2006, Small earned second-team all-state accolades from the Maryland Football Coaches Association. Small was also recruited by Cal and Oregon State.
PERSONAL: Born May 1, 1989, he is the son of Johnny Stith and Leslie Mackall. He is majoring in sociology.
