Arkansas Football: Inside Look at Incoming Freshman Cordale Boyd
By Ryan Wright
Fayetteville, Ark. – The success of any good football team typically starts with the productivity and abilities of their offensive and defensive lines. The arrival of Cordale Boyd from Memphis Ridgeway High School should help bolster the Razorbacks’ offensive line for years to come adding to the success of the Hogs’ play on the field.
Boyd, 6’3”, 290 pounds, was the anchor at offensive tackle for an immensely talented Ridgeway team that averaged 39 points per game during the 2011 season.
College football recruiting pundits may know the names of running backs Sheldon Dawson (projected wide receiver in college), a Georgia recruit, and Jaylen Walton, a Mississippi signee. Both Ridgeway players benefited from the tenacity of Boyd’s blocking throughout their high school careers.
Boyd was one of five Roadrunners listed as the top 25 players in the state of Tennessee for 2011- Dawson, Walton, quarterback Jamil Golden, and defensive end Brandon Lewis.
Fortunately for the Razorbacks not only did they nab Boyd but they also signed Lewis (6’5”, 225 pounds).
Arkansas head coach John L. Smith was able to bring the majority of the 2012 recruiting class to campus on June 3. Boyd was one of the many incoming freshmen that arrived on campus early to start classroom work and receive the benefits of working out in Arkansas weight room before fall practices begin in August.
Although Boyd played offensive tackle for the Roadrunners he is expected to move to guard for the Razorbacks. He should benefit from being around one of the best linemen in college football with All-SEC Guard Alvin Bailey returning for his junior season.
At the end of the 2012 college football season Arkansas will lose guard Tyler Deacon and offensive tackle Jason Peacock to graduation. The possibility of Bailey leaving early for the NFL should he secure another All-SEC season is not out of the question.
The maturation and development of Boyd, 2012 incoming freshman Jeremy Ward, and 2011 signee Mitch Smothers could be extremely important for the Arkansas coaching staff in 2012 if Arkansas hopes to be successful in 2013.
Boyd had offers from Auburn, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Duke, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas State among other offers but stuck with his verbal commitment to the Hogs from April of 2011.
Inside the Numbers
Boyd was rated as the 35th best offensive guard in the 2012 recruiting class by Rivals.com and the 20th best recruit in Tennessee.
The Roadrunners finished their 2011 season 9-4 with a loss to Henry County High School (Paris, TN) in third round of playoffs.
Boyd was named to the 2011 Liberty Bowl All-Star game.
Ridgeway won the District 15-AAA title in 2011.
Recruiting Tennessee in 2012
College football coaches from around the country will flock to the Memphis area throughout the high school football season in 2012. Of the top 25 players in the state of Tennessee 16 are from the Memphis area:
State Ranking/Position/Recruit/High School
No. 4 DE Jason Carr, White Station
No. 5 RB Mark Dodson Jr., Whitehaven
No. 7 DE Frank Herron, Central
No. 11 DB Darrius Simms, Whitehaven
No. 12 WR Latevius Rayford, Central
No. 13 LB Marcus Robinson, Memphis East
No. 15 WR Gerald Perry, Whitehaven
No. 16 OL Vincent Hunter, Whitehaven
No. 17 ATH Donald Gray Jr., White Station
No. 18 DT Herbert Moore, Memphis East
No. 19 OL Christian Morris, Memphis East
No. 20 LB Ford Howell, Memphis University School
No. 21 DT Demarius Peppers, Fairley
No. 22 OL Bobby Billingsley, Memphis East
No. 23 LB Adam Collins, Whitehaven
No. 24 WR Justin Hunt, Whitehaven
Arkansas Razorback Recruits 2012
OG Cordale Boyd, 3-star, 6’3”, 290 pounds, Memphis, TN
OG Jeremy Ward, 3-star, 6’4”, 275 pounds, Pottsville, AR
WR D’Arthur Cowan, 3-star, 6’1’, 175 pounds, Olive Branch, MS
WR Keon Hatcher, 4-star, 6’1”, 195 pounds, Owasso, OK
WR Eric Hawkins, 3-star, 6’5”, 220, Longview, TX
WR #Demetrius Wilson, 3-star, 6’2”, 170 pounds, Glendale, AZ
WR McKale McKay, 3-star, 6’6”, 192 pounds, Louisville, KY
RB Nathan Holmes, 3-star, 6’1”, 180 pounds, Port Arthur, TX
RB Donovan Roberts, 3-star, 6’0”, 200 pounds, Norman, OK
RB Jonathan Williams, 4-star, 5’11”, 205 pounds, Allen, TX
TE/DE Jeremy Sprinkle, 3-star, 6’6”, 215, White Hall, AR
TE *Demetrius Dean, 3-star, 6’3”, 250 pounds, Fayetteville, AR
CB Ray Buchanan Jr., 3-star, 5’10”, 170 pounds, Suwanee, GA
CB Jared Collins, 3-star, 5’11”, 170 pounds, Tulsa, OK
FS Will Hines, 3-star, 6’1”, 175 pounds, Waco, TX
SS Defonta Lowe, 3-star, 6’2”, 180 pounds, Bearden, AR
LB A.J. Turner, 3-star, 6’3”, 200 pounds, Lepanto, AR
LB Vin Ascolese, 3-star, 6’2”, 215 pounds, New Bergen, NJ
LB Otha Peters, 4-star, 6’1”, 220 pounds, Covington, LA
DE Brandon Lewis, 3-star, 6’5”, 220 pounds, Memphis, TN
DE JaMichael Winston, 3-star, 6’6”, 230 pounds, Prichard, AL
DE Darius Philon, 3-star, 6’1”, 282 pounds, Prichard, AL
DE Deatrich Wise Jr., 4-star, 6’5”, 220 pounds, Carrolton, TX
DE Taiwan Johnson, 3-star, 6’3”, 240 pounds, Manvel, TX
DE *#Austin Flynn, 3-star, 6’4”, 250 pounds, Los Angeles Harbor CC
*Early enrollee at University of Arkansas
# Denotes junior college player
Position by position breakdown of Arkansas 2012 verbal commitments:
Offensive line: two
Running backs: three
Wide receivers: five
Quarterbacks: none
Tight ends: two
Defensive line: six
Linebackers: three
Safeties: two
Cornerbacks: two
Kickers: none