It’s spring break, and as more than 1 foot of snow melts on the campus of the University of Arkansas, we’re going to take the time preview three players or situations to watch on offense and three players or situations to watch on defense leading up to the kick off of spring practices March 30.
Hopefully the snow is all gone by that time.
I’ll be debuting one each day leading up to spring drills. These are the players and situations most intriguing to me as the Razorbacks enter a pivotal spring season. We start with No. 3 on my Three 2 Watch list on offense.
THREE 2 WATCH: OFFENSE
No. 3 CHRIS GRAGG
Position: Tight end
Height/Weight: 6-3, 236
Class: Sophomore
Chris Gragg, pictured here moments after catching a 25-yard pass on fourth down during Arkansas' game-winning drive against Louisiana-Monroe in 2008, is looking to battle back after a position change and injury sidelined him in 2009. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/RICK MCFARLAND)
The skinny
Chris Gragg looked primed for a successful Arkansas career his first season with the Razorbacks in 2008. His 25-yard reception on the “Cowboy Get it” play in Arkansas’ 28-27 victory against Louisiana-Monroe will always stick out for Gragg, but an ankle injury halted his sophomore campaign in August last year.
He came down with a 59-yard reception in an August scrimmage, but badly injured the ankle during the same scrimmage and was out for the 2009 season after surgery. Gragg, who lined up at receiver as a freshman, bulked up and moved to tight end where he figured to bolster a thin group led by one of the best tight ends in Arkansas history, D.J. Williams.
Gragg, who had a screw removed from his ankle late last year, is back in action, and participated in conditioning drills last week, including the 40-yard dash.
What 2 Watch
The Warren native has been overshadowed by former high school teammates and receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, but has the physical tools to break out after dealing with injury. Coach Bobby Petrino has been high on Gragg since his freshman season.Gragg always looked a bit out of place at receiver with his bulky upper body, and his move to tight end was a welcomed one last offseason. I don’t expect to see him overtaking D.J. Williams for the top spot on the depth chart, but his moves and knack of extending for catches can not be denied. Gragg also has speed to burn off the line of scrimmage. He ran a 4.52 last week in his 40-yard dash.
What 2 Expect
Gragg, listed behind Ben Cleveland on the depth chart, may put a stronghold on the No. 2 spot behind Williams. Cleveland, while inconsistent, has the ability to make big plays. Gragg, on the other hand, has the surest hands of the two and may separate himself further on the field — and on paper — heading into the offseason with a strong showing in scrimmages.
We’ve seen it before last pre-season before the injury, and he was consistent last spring.
What 2 Say
I think we can really use him in our offense, stretching the middle of the field and geting speed at that tight end position. The combination of D.J. Williams and Ben Cleveland and Chris Gragg should be a great combination for us. There’s a lot of different things we can do with those guys on the field. So, I expect him to have a good spring. We’ve got to keep him healthy. That’s the biggest thing.
— Coach Bobby Petrino
Coming up Tuesday, the No. 2 player/situation with Arkansas’ offense on my Three 2 Watch list.
VIDEO: Gragg discusses his “Cowboy Get It” catch in 2008
Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.
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That was a real good article on Chris Gragg, Brandon. Just please try and not give us anymore drama stories, derived from “reliable sources in Dallas” about basketball players transferring, ok?
Lovin’ me some Gragg.
Certainly should be fun to watch this team grow and materialize on the field as they get stronger, faster and learn the play-book.
With Gragg’s size and speed he is a matchup nightmare for most safeties. I expect to see him come up with a few big plays for us this year. I pray that we don’t have any major injuries as spring practice kicks off later today.
lol, i love Tony Romo! Unlike many who dislike himI actually pray that he has the best season of his career yet. This goes for Dwight Freeny and the rest of the cowboys aswell.