Sep 22, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Cobi Hamilton (11) signals first down after a reception during the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Rutgers defeated Arkansas 35-26. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, A.J. Green played the roll of Batman for the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 97 catches for 1,350 yards and 11 touchdowns, and also lead the team to the playoffs in which they went on to receive a first round departure via the Texans.

With the 29th pick of the 6th round in the 2013 NFL Draft (197th overall), the Bengals finally got their Robin: Arkansas wide receiver Cobi Hamilton.

Hamilton leaves Arkansas as the school’s all-time leader in receptions with 175, and is third all-time in receiving yards. He earned those honors despite being fourth on the depth chart for his first three seasons behind current Minnesota Vikings receivers Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, as well as the Carolina Panthers’ Joe Adams.

In his senior season, Hamilton finally had his chance at that number one spot. Although his team did not live up to their expectations (went 4-8 after beginning the season ranked in the top 20), Hamilton surpassed them as an individual player. In 12 games, he had 90 catches for a school record 1,335 yards and 5 touchdowns. That’s an average of 14.8 yards per catch and 111.2 yards per game.

If Hamilton could only produce half of those numbers next season in Cincinnati, that would already be more than any other Bengals receiver contributed a year ago (not including Green).

The current number 2 receiver in Cincinnati is Andrew Hawkins. Hawkins had 51 receptions for 533 yards and 4 touchdowns last season. After Hawkins, there was a bunch of guys that saw the field but couldn’t produce on a consistent basis. Brandon Tate had the third most receiving yards on the team amongst the wide-outs, but only had 211 and one touchdown. Armon Binns had 210 yards and a touchdown, while Mohamed Sanu had 154 yards and four quiet touchdowns.

Jermaine Gresham, a tight end, was second on the team in receiving yards with 737 and also had 5 touchdowns. With receivers unable to step-up, Gresham was forced to take on a much bigger role in the passing game. Perhaps that role was too big, as the Bengals ultimately couldn’t score enough points to advance in the playoffs.

Hamilton has all the tools and play-making abilities to be a legit threat to opposing defenses and the perfect compliment to A.J. Green. Although on paper he stands 6’2″ and weighs 212 pounds, Hamilton plays much bigger (see video at the bottom of the page for evidence). There will be some adjustments to be made as far as adapting to the professional game goes, but one skill Hamilton already has that will translate over immediately is a lack of fear. Many receivers in today’s game want to rack up stats and catch touchdown passes, but don’t want to have to get dirty while doing it (DeSean Jackson of the Philadelphia Eagles would be the first example that comes to mind). Hamilton would be the exact opposite. At times, he might even be too physical for his own good.

As you can see in the video posted below, Hamilton loves to catch passes coming across the middle. Contact does not scare him. Granted he wasn’t playing against Ray Lewis or James Harrison, but I think it’s safe to say that linebackers in the SEC aren’t exactly pushovers. He uses his size to create separation and break tackles, but he also has sneaky good speed. He ran a 4.56 in the 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine. That number doesn’t seem to do his game speed justice. His first choice is to beat you across the middle, but just when the defender starts thinking they have him figured out, he beats them on a seam route for six.

It’s obvious that outside of Green and Gresham, the Bengals need help in the receiving game. They used their first round pick on Tyler Eifert, the highly regarded tight end out of Notre Dame. The Bengals weren’t done there, as they drafted a pass-catching running back in Giovani Bernard with their second pick.

For a Bengals team that’s coming off a 10-6 record in the regular season and a trip to the playoffs, there is a lot to be excited for when looking at the pieces in place for the future. You’ve got a solid defense, excellent young draft picks, and one of the best receivers in football who happens to be only 24 years old. Now that you’ve added the counterpart in Hamilton, things have potential to get serious in Cincinnati.

Go ahead and get familiar with the name, because this fall, Cobi Hamilton is coming to an end-zone near you.

(Watch what he does to two LSU defenders at 2:20 mark)

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May 11, 2013; Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA; David Lingmerth tees off the 10th hole in the third round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass – Stadium Course. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fl. – In his 13^th career start, former University of Arkansas golfer David Lingmerth holds a 2 stroke lead at TPC Sawgrass going into the final day of The Players Championship.

Lingmerth, the 25-year-old Swedish rookie, came into the tournament as perhaps the biggest underdog. Not only had he missed the cut in 5 straight tournaments, but Lingmerth has also missed the cut in 8 of his first 12 starts.

After a near two hour rain delay, Lingmerth was able to capitalize on an 8-foot eagle putt on the 16^th hole, followed by a birdie on the 17^th to put him at 12 under par for the day. The third round was then suspended due to darkness.

Outside of Lingmerth, the leader board doesn’t lack any high profile players in the least. Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson are all currently tied for second at 10 under. These three guys are no strangers to TPC Sawgrass, as each of them have previously won The Players Championship.

Jeff Maggert, Casey Wittenberg and Ryan Palmer each sits at 9 under for the tournament which is currently tied for fifth.

When play resumes Sunday, ten golfers will finish up their third round before officially starting the final round.

The former Hog will look to build on his momentum from Saturday and hold on to capture his first PGA Tour victory.

Feb 24, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback E.J. Manuel (9), Syracuse Orange quarterback Ryan Nassib (10), Arizona Wildcats quarterback Mike Scott (12), West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith (13), Southern Utah Thunderbirds quarterback Brad Sorensen (14), Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback James Vandenberg (15), and Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Tyler Wilson (16) stand on the field as they listen to instructions for a passing drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Sep 15, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Brandon Mitchell (17) looks to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide last season in the fourth quarter at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

UPDATE: 5/20/13

According to ESPN’s Joe Schad, Brandon Mitchell will enroll at NC State.

“I like the culture, coaches, expectations within the program starting all the way at the top, and most importantly chemistry,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell will be able to play immediately and is expected to compete for a starting position.

—

Fayetteville, Ark. – During the past week, Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema has been conducting individual player interviews with each of his athletes to discuss their future on and off the field. The result of one of those meetings in particular could potentially be devastating to the Hogs next season.

Brandon Mitchell, the 6’4” dual-threat quarterback out of Amite, LA., was expected to be a substantial contributor for the Razorbacks in this upcoming season. Although redshirt sophomore Brandon Allen was named the starting quarterback for the spring game, Hog fans knew nothing was set in stone due to Mitchell’s elite athleticism and experience.

Apparently Mitchell felt otherwise. At the conclusion of his meeting with Bielema, Mitchell decided he was going to graduate from Arkansas this summer, then transfer to another school to play his final year of college football.

While Mitchell still hasn’t made a decision as to where he will transfer, he does know that he will be able to play immediately.

Early rumors say that Mitchell is likely to end up at UAB, Idaho, or Western Kentucky. These are all obvious choices, as each are coached by a former Arkansas offensive coach.

Former offensive coordinator Garrick McGee is now the head coach at UAB. Last year’s offensive coordinator Paul Petrino is now the head coach at Idaho. Bobby Petrino, the man who recruited Mitchell to come to Arkansas in the first place, is now the new head coach at Western Kentucky.

According to ESPN’s Joe Schad, Mitchell is also considering South Florida, NC State, Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State.

Whichever school Mitchell decides to play for next season is getting an exceptionally talented player. With senior quarterback Tyler Wilson running the show last season, the Arkansas coaching staff moved Mitchell to receiver just so they could have his play-making abilities on the field. He caught 17 passes for 272 yards in his first season to ever play the position.

Throughout his career at Arkansas, Mitchell appeared in 21 games with 3 starts. Overall, he is 25-43 passing for 332 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed the ball 23 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

Like Mitchell, Austin Flynn, Defonta Lowe and Keante Minor are also transferring. Flynn and Lowe are expected to be leaving due to academic reasons and trouble off the field, while Minor is leaving due to his placement on the depth-chart at receiver.

Mitchell’s departure leaves a huge question mark going forward: Who will be the Razorbacks’ backup quarterback?  

Apr 20, 2013; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorback head coach Bret Bielema walks on the field during the Red vs. White spring football game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports

Fayetteville, Ark. – University of Arkansas head football coach Bret Bielema recently acknowledged ongoing discussions with Texas Tech about a future gridiron match-up between the two former Southwest Conference members.

Should the game come to fruition with the Hogs taking the field against TTU, this would be the first pairing of the quasi former conference rivals since 1991, when the Razorbacks left the SWC for the SEC. Arkansas owns an all-time record of 28-7 against the Red Raiders perhaps making the games more intriguing for Texas Tech fans than for Razorback Nation.

Bielema commented on the possible game on an in-state sports talk show hosted by Bo Mattingly. Bielema commented on the holdup preventing the series from becoming official stating, “There has been a lot of hesitation since I’ve been here because we haven’t gotten the 2014 SEC schedule. Until that kind of gets finalized and ’15 gets finalized, we can’t move forward, but there are a lot of interesting possibilities out there — some things I know will excite our fan base in more than one way.”

The Red Raiders will look to recapture success found under former head coach Mike Leach (2000-2009) with the addition of new head coach Kliff Kingsburry. Leach took TTU to national prominence with a high-scoring offense capturing one improbable Big 12 title in 2008. Kingsburry was part of Texas A&M’s successful first-year campaign in the SEC as the team’s offensive coordinator seeing them beat eventual national champions Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

The addition of Texas Tech to the schedule will add a BCS level team to the schedule from a state the Hogs can use all of the recruiting exposure possible. Should the potential series take place Arkansas would add another visit to the state of Texas along with playing SEC West opponent Texas A&M in Dallas annually starting in 2015 going forward.

Mar 9, 2013; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks coach Chris Bucknam (left) is interviewed by Lewis Johnson after the Razorbacks won the mens team title in the 2013 NCAA Indoor Championships at the Randal Tyson Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsA

Fayetteville, Ark. – The final tune up meet for the University of Arkansas men and women’s track and field team was cancelled on Tuesday in anticipation of poor weather on Friday.

The Arkansas Twilight meet was the Hogs last chance to compete before entering the SEC Outdoor Championships May 9-12; to be held in Columbia, Missouri. After the SEC Outdoor Championships the Hogs will compete in the NCAA West Preliminary in Austin, Texas, May 23-25.

The NCAA Championships will be held in Eugene, Oregon, June 5-8 at Hayward Field.

The No. 3 ranked men’s Arkansas Razorback team finished a successful weekend at the Arkansas Invitational adding five Top 10 SEC event marks. The Hogs have 35 individual qualifiers in the SEC Top 10 of 17 different events during the outdoor season.

The Razorbacks avoid squaring off against Missouri State Bears pitcher Nick Petree (10), the 2012 Louisville Slugger Player of the Year, during Tuesday’s non-conference match up. Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Fayetteville, Ark. – The Arkansas Razorbacks return home for a one-game non-conference series against the Missouri State Bears on Tuesday at Baum Stadium.

The Bears (27-12, 11-4) look to end their five-game road trip in style with a chance to get a win against No. 14 Arkansas. Missouri State, winners of three of their last four games, took a series from Evansville over the weekend.

Arkansas (29-15, 13-7) has won four straight games including an abbreviated weekend series against the Georgia Bulldogs that saw the Razorbacks post a .050 ERA for the two-game set.

The Razorbacks have won their last eight meetings against the Bears with a 49-22 all-time series lead over the Missouri Valley Conference members.

The Hogs will start normal Sunday starter Randall Fant (3-1, 2.33 ERA) against the Bears but look for Fant to take an early exit from the game so he can pitch on Sunday against the Kentucky Wildcats.

Missouri State will counter with left-handed pitcher Matt Hall (4-1, 2.64 ERA). In Hall’s last start he earned a win over fellow SEC member Missouri throwing seven innings while striking out a career-high six batters in a 4-2 win.

Luckily Arkansas will not have to face 2012 Louisville Slugger Player of the Year junior pitcher Nick Petree (7-1, 1.52 ERA).

First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CST. The game can be seen live on RazorVision.

Game Notes

Arkansas leads in the nation in team ERA posting a 1.75 ERA in 44 games and 395.2 innings pitched. Missouri State has the nation’s No. 21 team ERA with a 2.88 ERA in 39 games with 353.1 innings pitched.

Arkansas Razorbacks catcher Jake Wise (19) looks to lead the SEC West second place Hogs over Missouri State and Kentucky this week. Credit: Matt Ryerson-USA TODAY Sports

The Arkansas Razorbacks swept the Georgia Bulldogs 2-0 last weekend and judging by the RPI rankings one would think the Hogs may have been the team that got swept.

The Hogs series was abbreviated to two games due to inclement weather on Sunday, and that may turn out to be a good thing. Two games against the Georgia Bulldogs dropped the Razorbacks from No. 45 in the RPI rankings to No. 60. Who knows what one an additional game would have done to their ranking?

In the weekly college baseball rankings the Hogs maintained their spot at No. 14 in the Baseball America Top 25 Poll, held at No. 16 in Collegiate Baseball, but moved up on spot in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll from No. 15 to No. 14.

The Razorbacks (29-15, 13-7) have picked up two games on the SEC West leading LSU Tigers (39-6, 16-5). The Hogs have won four in a row with LSU losing their last two.

Arkansas will host a hot Missouri State team on Tuesday. The Bears (27-12) are winners of six of their last seven games. Left-handed senior pitcher Randall Fant (3-1, 2.23) is scheduled to start the Hogs last non-conference game of the season at Baum Stadium; first pitch at 6:35 p.m. CST.

After the Hogs play their midweek game against Missouri State they go back on the road to face No. 23 Kentucky in Lexington.

Baseball America Top 25 Poll

Ranking/Team/Record/Previous Ranking

1 North Carolina 41-4 1

2 Vanderbilt 39-6 3

3 LSU 39-6 2

4 Cal State Fullerton 36-7 4

5 North Carolina State 34-11 6

6 Oregon State 34-8 7

7 Virginia 38-8 5

8 Arizona State 28-12 8

9 UCLA 27-13 9

10 Florida State 35-9 10

11 Oregon 33-10 13

12 Oklahoma 33-11 11

13 Louisville 33-10 12

14 Arkansas 29-15 14

15 South Carolina 33-12 15

16 Indiana 34-8 17

17 New Mexico 27-16 24

18 Clemson 30-14 25

19 Rice 28-14 19

20 South Alabama 34-12 NR

21 Florida 25-20 NR

22 Mississippi State 33-13 16

23 Kentucky 26-17 NR

24 Mississippi 31-14 18

25 Virginia Tech 27-18 NR

Collegiate Baseball Top 25 Rankings

Ranking/Team/Record/Previous Ranking

1 Vanderbilt 39-6 497 4

2 North Carolina 41-4 496 1

3 LSU 39-6 494 2

4 Cal State Fullerton 36-7 492 3

5 Oregon State 34-8 489 6

6 Oregon 33-10 488 8

7 NC State 34-11 485 9

8 Virginia 38-8 484 5

9 Florida State 35-9 481 10

10 Oklahoma 33-11 478 11

11 Louisville 33-10 474 12

12 UCLA 27-13 471 7

13 Arizona State 28-12-1 469 26

14 Clemson 30-14 466 13

15 South Carolina 33-12 464 15

16 Arkansas 29-15 462 16

17 Pittsburgh 32-10 459 23

18 New Mexico 27-16 455 28

19 Florida 25-20 451 19

20 South Florida 29-15 448 25

21 Indiana 34-8 445 NR

22 Stanford 23-15 443 14

23 Arizona 28-14 439 24

24 Cal Poly 28-13 438 18

25 South Alabama 34-12 436 NR

26 Ole Miss 31-14 434 20

27 Rice 28-14 429 27

28 Mississippi State 33-13 426 17

29 Campbell 37-8 423 29

30 Central Florida 25-19 419 NR

USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll

Ranking/Team/Record/Previous Ranking

1 North Carolina (20) 41-4 1

2 Vanderbilt (11) 39-6 4

3 LSU 39-6 2

4 Cal State Fullerton 36-7 3

5 Oregon State 34-8 6

6 Oregon 33-10 7

7 Virginia 38-8 5

8 Florida State 35-9 9

9 South Carolina 33-12 10

10 NC State 34-11 11

11 UCLA 27-13 8

12 Louisville 33-10 13

13 Oklahoma 33-11 14

14 Arkansas 29-15 15

15 Mississippi State 33-13 12

16 Arizona State 28-12-1 17

17 Indiana 34-8 18

18 Ole Miss 31-14 16

19 Oklahoma State 32-11 25

20 UC Irvine 28-12 21

21 Rice 28-14 20

22 Clemson 30-14 NR

23 Kentucky 26-17 24

24 Georgia Tech 28-16 19

25 Stanford 23-15 22

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Barrett Astin (17) picked up SEC Pitcher of the Week honors after throwing eight shutout innings against the Bulldogs on Friday. Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports

Fayetteville, Ark. – Junior right-handed pitcher Barrett Astin was named SEC Pitcher of the Week on Monday after his masterful performance against the Georgia Bulldogs on Friday, a game won 2-0 by the Hogs.

Astin threw eight innings of shutout ball striking out eight, all career-highs. Astin got his third win of the season against the Bulldogs after nine starts with four relief appearances. The Forrest City, Arkansas, native has a 2.02 ERA on the season, seventh best in the SEC.

Five Razorbacks have been awarded for their play during the SEC including pitchers Ryne Stanek, Trey Killian, and Colin Poche along with outfielder/infielder Tyler Spoon.