Hogs cornerback prospects have talent, need seasoning

BY TOM MURPHY

Posted on Saturday, August 23, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/235058/

FAYETTEVILLE — Lorenzo Ward’s cornerbacks have picked off plenty of passes and made impact plays wherever he has been.

In his first season at Arkansas, the cornerbacks provide a big story line. Ward has no returning starters, the position has undergone a fundamental shift in philosophy, and it has been smacked with adversity since a spring injury suffered by veteran Jerell Norton.

While sophomore Isaac Madison has appeared to secure the starting role at one cornerback spot, the other job is up for grabs between senior team captain Jamar Love and sophomore Ramon Broadway.

“It’ll probably come down to the final, last practice [Thursday ],” Ward said of the competition between Broadway and Love. “They’re real, real close.”

Though the defection this week of sophomore Darrell Glasper — a walk-on who had a strong spring — will impact the overall depth at corner, Ward will still have plenty of talent.

“It’s actually a good problem,” he said. “You’ve never got enough. The good thing is, when you’ve got a group of guys who are similar in talent and ability, they all push each other. When one pushes another, the entire group gets better.

“ If somebody gets injured, the next guy has to go in and play, so I try to prepare them all to play. The bottom line is you’re only one play away from playing.”

The Razorbacks were considered a gambling defense under previous coordinator Reggie Herring, with their cornerbacks drawing a hefty amount of manto-man coverage. Members of the new staff said they have instituted more zone looks, and the schemes aren’t exactly complicated: twodeep zone, three-deep zone or man-to-man.

“It’s like anything that comes with change, there’s going to be a little struggle,” Madison said. “Once you adapt to it, it gets pretty easy.

“ I just go out there and ball. Whatever comes at me, I’m going to try to go out there and attack.”

Madison is thought to have the best combination of cover skills — quickness, hip turn, closing speed, jumping ability — on the team.

“Madison’s done real, real well,” Ward said. “He’ll get lazy at times in his technique when he gets tired, but for the most part he does well. If he just continues to work hard and pushes himself when he gets tired, he can be a great player.”

Love came out of spring as the starter at boundary corner (the smaller side of the field ), but he’s allowed some big plays in fall camp and Broadway edged ahead of him earlier this week.

“It’s still not etched in stone,” defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said of Broadway’s move up. “If... we make those position changes, you’d like to think the guy that’s moved from a 1 to a 2 is going to bristle up and try to compete and come back and be a 1.

“ Love was a situation where we didn’t feel like we’d been playing up to his consistency and the expectations we feel like.... So we had to make that move to hopefully sit down there and burn a fire underneath his butt.”

Broadway calls the new scheme a “way better” defense.

“Going man-to-man all game was real tough for us,” Broadway said. “Now you back off, you read three steps and you can come up with so many more picks than we did last year.”

The second-string choice in the Love-Broadway competition will be the top reserve for a group that features Shedrick Johnson, Greg Gatson, Norton and intriguing freshman Tramain Thomas, who is likely on the fence for playing or redshirting in 2008.

Norton just returned to the field this week following hernia surgery during the first week of camp. His emergence, after getting only a couple of days’ work in spring drills before suffering a hamstring injury that also required surgery, could be of key significance to the secondary.

“He’ll be thrown right into the mix,” Ward said. “He’s been getting mental reps in the meetings and out on the field watching.”

Norton led Arkansas with five interceptions last season but has had little time on the field to impress the new staff.

“I’ve seen a few plays this spring that were impressive,” Ward said. “You know he’s got some playing experience, so I’ve got to see more of it.”