Interview: Arkansas Class of 2017 ATH DeShawn Gulledge Big Part of All-Purpose Back/Athlete Revolution

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

The game of football at the high school level has been changing for years slowly forcing a change at the collegiate level and, with resistance, now slowly at the NFL level. As the offenses become more complex, even within familiar formations, the evolution of production is working to include speed burners, no matter the size, out of the backfield and in the slot. At the high school level that talent can play both at running back and at receiver but at the collegiate level, at least for now, the heavy workload with handoffs has been kept at bay preferring to get that athlete in space to work against a linebacker, defensive end, and/or a safety on the inside.

College coaches looking for that threat anywhere on the field, a one-cut and go kind of prospect, is becoming more readily available with high school coaches opening up to the possibilities of playing difference makers in roles other than just wide receiver or worse, banishing these talents to playing just cornerback.

The state of Arkansas has several playmakers that fit the mold in the 2017 recruiting class with one of them being Bald Knob High School’s De’Shawn Gulledge.

Gulledge is listed at 5’10”, 176 pounds. The height and weight in the “old days” would put him automatically as an inside receiver having to brave crossing routes against linebackers lying in wait. But Bulldogs head coach Randy Johnston is using Gulledge in multiple roles featuring him in the passing game with 38 receptions for 526 yards and 10 scores in 2015. He also gave him 67 carries with Gulledge turning those opportunities into 1,062 yards of offense and another 15 touchdowns. The low number of carries and high output should not go unnoticed, that is a 15.85 yard per carry average.

Not all colleges know how to fully utilize someone like Gulledge but a few are interested in trying to figure it out. The Arkansas native has growing interests from Arkansas State, Navy, Penn, Columbia, Southeast Missouri, UCLA, and in-state powerhouse Arkansas.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Gulledge to go over his junior campaign, his upcoming camp schedule, and received a recruiting update.

Interview

De’Shawn, you had a great season coming out of the backfield and in the passing attack. Chances are most schools will recruit you to play the slot. With that in mind, when you are lining up anywhere on the outside what makes you a dangerous threat as a receiver?

“I just try to do whatever I can to benefit my teammates. I try to push myself at all times. I’m pushing myself to be better with my routes, my knowledge of the game, catching the ball, knowing where I need to be, and knowing how to react when we are down. I train a lot at Salt County with JJ Meadors (Arkansas Razorbacks). He helps me a lot.”

The 2015 season was not your first year as a starter was it?

“No.”

When did you break the varsity squad as a starter?

“I moved up at the end of my freshman season. The last 3-4 games I was a starter.”

You have a lot of speed. Your game speed shows on film. What is the fastest 40-yard dash time you’ve put up?

“I ran a 4.42 hand-held at an Arkansas Razorbacks camp. I think that caught their eye.”

With your offseason workouts, what goals do you have? What are you working on improving in your game before your senior season?

“I’m trying to improve myself and the team so we can be better for the season. My personal bench press is 295, I want to get to 315. On squats I’m at 400, I want to get up to 450. I can’t do power clean because of my wrist. My dead lift is 415, I want to get up to 470-475.”

You missed two games last season due to an injury, is that why you can’t do power cleans?

“Yes. During spring ball I broke my wrist. I missed the first two games of the season last year but still had solid numbers on my stat line.”

Did you attend camps with your cast on last summer?

“Yes. When I went up to Arkansas with a cast on, they thought that I’d have trouble catching the ball, it did not bother me. The Arkansas coaches thought it was great that I was able to perform the way that I did with a cast on my arm, especially my attitude about getting on the field and playing.”

What are your team goals for the 2016 season?

“This year as a team I want us to get further into the playoffs. Individually, I want 2,000 yards rushing. Our coach wants me to be around 3,000 all-purpose. I’ll be playing defense a little bit more this season. I want 35 total touchdowns. I had 25 this year and was out two games. If we go deep into the playoffs and I get those two games back I think I can do it.”

With all the players you expect to come back, will the Bulldogs have a deep run into the playoffs this year?

“Yes sir. Our line graduated, but we have a great group of guys coming up. Younger but physical guys. They are aggressive and mean. All of our skill guys back. Another one of our running backs is coming back, Dominque Hart. He is very explosive and very good.”

You mentioned that you will play more defense next season. Which position will you be playing on the other side of the ball?

“Coach wants me to play safety and corner. The way he wants me to play it, he wants me to be athletic and make big plays. That’s what I will try to do and I’ll do what I’ve got to do.”

What was your best game last season, against who, and why was that your best game?

“The best game my junior year was against Mayflower. My performance in that game made the news. I scored all our touchdowns, all five. One was a pick-six, I had two rushing and two receiving. I was really on that game. I think that was my best game last year.”

I’d say so. Five touchdowns in three different ways is impressive.

“Thank you.”

Which schools are showing interest in your right now?

“Arkansas, Arkansas State, and Navy. I have a bunch of Ivy League school like Penn and Columbia showing interest. Southeast Missouri is showing interest. Last year I started talking to UCLA’s defensive backs coach, Coach (Demetrice) Martin. I talk to him on Twitter a lot. A lot of people talk to my coaches but I don’t know much about that. The top two schools showing interest are Arkansas and Arkansas State.”

When you’ve talked to the different college coaches, what are they telling you they like about your game?

“Coach (Michael) Smith, Arkansas’ wide receivers coach, I talk to him a lot. He told me to keep working, and don’t take a day off. They send me a lot of letters. I went to three Arkansas games last year. They all treat me like I belong there. When I got Player of the Week, Coach Smith sent me a congratulations on Twitter. He tells me my time is coming.

“At Arkansas State, Coach Anthony Tucker just left for Maryland, he was the recruiting coordinator for our area. He really liked me. He told me I had a good shot of coming up there.”

What camps are you planning on attending this offseason?

“I’m going to a camp in Benton. Kobi Hamilton (Arkansas Razorbacks/Cincinnati Bengals) runs it. My next big one is the Nike SPARQ. That is on March 12, in Dallas.”

Did you go to any exposure camps last summer?

“I want to a Nike camp. It went well but the only thing that did not go well was the 40-yard dash. The machine that I was running on was not registering my time. I ran the 40 nine times because it wasn’t registering. By the time it finally worked, and after I was tired, I think I ran a 4.7.”

That’s not fair. At that point they should have someone with a hand-held making sure they get your time down. Are you making any unofficial visits or attending any college camps this summer?

“I’m planning on going to Memphis, LSU, Missouri, Arkansas State, Arkansas – I’m going all around. I want to visit Mississippi State and Tennessee too.”

You mentioned you took three unofficial visits to Arkansas last year, did you go to any other schools on unofficial visits?

“I went to Arkansas three times and Arkansas State twice.”

How did the Arkansas trip go for you?

“Going to Arkansas was amazing. I got to see some of my friends who are up there. It was awesome. I loved the way the coaches treat the players. Everyone was hard working and motivated. It was a really awesome place and really competitive.”

What about your visit to Arkansas State? How did that go?

“The coaches were awesome. It was different there. The Arkansas State coaches were laid back, excited about everything they did. I like their offense, they spread it out, wide open. I like their defense too. They have the Championship Takeaway Belt. I liked that. Whoever gets the most takeaways gets to wear the belt on the sidelines.”

WWE style, I have not heard about that but like it a lot. Let’s wrap up on a high note. What individual honors did you earn as a sophomore?

“I was All-Conference and All-Arkansas Prep.”

What about after your junior season?

“I was All-State at wide receiver, I made the All-Junior Team, and I was listed as a Top 50 Recruit for 2017 in Arkansas. I was invited to the U.S. Army All-American Combine with Adidas as well.”

Impressive again De’Shawn. Thanks for your time today and good luck with the camps coming up. I hope the machines register your 40 times correctly this time around.

“Thank you.”

Photo credit: 247sports.com; De’Shawn running the 40-yard dash.

Photo credit: Gulledge family; De’Shawn at Arkansas.

Photo credit: twitter.com; De’Shawn at the U.S. Army Combine.