Arkansas Football: Inside Look at Incoming Freshman Will Hines
By Ryan Wright
Fayetteville, Ark. – Speed, speed, and more speed, that is a common thread found among the defensive backs recruited by the Arkansas Razorbacks for their 2012 recruiting class and Waco, Texas cornerback Will Hines fits the coaching staff’s ideal perfectly.
Hines, 6’1”, 175 pounds, and his 4.47 speed in the forty-yard dash drew fear from his competitors and college football recruiters to the University of Baylor’s backyard to see him in action.
During his senior campaign opposing quarterbacks rarely tested the speed or ball hawking skills of Hines. The opposition kept going to the other side of the field allowing fellow Lions cornerback Adrian Norwood, a junior in 2011, the opportunity to end the season with eight interceptions.
At the end of 2011 the 3-star corner recorded 38 tackles (eight solo) with only one interception; not overwhelming numbers for a recruit sought after by teams like Michigan, Baylor, Texas Tech, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Arkansas and the team he was once committed to, Missouri.
Hines ability to impact the game was not limited to the defensive side of the field. Lions head coach Danny Ramsey handed the ball off to his star corner twice resulting in one rushing touchdown and had Hines returning kickoffs until teams began kicking away from the speedster. Hines had six kickoff returns for 137 total return yards with a long of 58.
The Road to Arkansas
By early July of 2011 Hines was a verbal commitment of the Missouri Tigers. After Hines visited the Arkansas campus the weekend of January 13, his commitment to the Tigers was in doubt. Less than a week later (Jan. 19) Arkansas had flipped one of the top cornerbacks in the nation.
Hines reported to Arkansas’ campus June 3.
Inside the Numbers
Hines was a three sport athlete in high school playing football, basketball, and track.
Despite Adrian Norwood’s standout junior campaign he is not listed as a top recruit in the state of Texas or by his position entering the 2012 high school football season.
Rivals.com listed Hines as the 32nd best cornerback in the nation while Scout.com listed him as the 42nd best corner.
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