Firing of Arkansas Head Coach Chad Morris has Eight Recruits Looking Elsewhere
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
After a 4-18 run in two seasons in Fayetteville, which included an 0-14 record against SEC competition, the Arkansas Razorbacks went a different direction at the helm of the football team opting to turn head coach Chad Morris loose on Sunday. The effect of his firing prompted eight Class of 2020 recruits to de-commit from the program leaving a class dismantled for now until a new coach is hired.
Going into Arkansas’ Nov. 9 game against Western Kentucky at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the Hogs had 14 players committed to their 2020 class. The 45-19 loss to the Hilltoppers was enough alone for three-star Marshall High School (TX) receiver Savion Williams (6-4.5, 200) to start looking elsewhere. That same day, two more Texas three-star standouts, Westlake receiver Mason Mangum (5-11, 171) and North Shore running back John Gentry (5-10, 186) followed suit de-committing from the program.
With the news rippling about Morris’ departure, the floodgates opened up from Monday through Wednesday with more three-star Texas recruits opening up their options: Crockett tight end Allen Horace (6-4, 250), Carthage athlete Kelvontay Dixon (6-0, 180), and McKinney North tight end Brandon Frazier (6-7, 247). Another painful loss to the class was four-star Memphis Central receiver Darin Turner (6-2.5, 206).
One not so surprising deflection was four-star Highland Park (Dallas) quarterback Chandler Morris, Chad Morris’ son. Morris has 13 reported offers from Auburn, Boise State, Clemson, Colorado, Colorado State, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, North Texas, Oklahoma, SMU, and Virginia Tech; it will be interesting to see where he may go now, or if he follows his dad to the next job, assuming that is announced before National Signing Day.
Arkansas’ 2020 class now has a fixed group of six three-star commits ranked last in the SEC, 116th nationally. Whoever the new head coach may be, and the rumor mill is throwing credible names out there like Gus Malzahn (Auburn), Mike Norvell (Memphis, Mike Leach (Washington State), Willie Fritz (Tulane), Lane Kiffin (FAU), and Billy Napier (Louisiana) among others, he will have a lot of work ahead, but perhaps a soft path to regain some of the eight commits who were unsure of the direction of the program going forward.
Arkansas 2020 Recruiting Class
DE Blayne Toll – Hazen High School (AR)
LB Jashaud Stewart – Jonesboro (AR)
LB Catrell Wallace – Bryant (AR)
LB Drew Francis – Knoxville West (TN)
CB Mike Harris – Central (AL)
DE Tyrece Edwards – Knoxville West (TN)
Photo credit: twitter.com; Darin Turner at Arkansas (July 2019)