Tretola, Williams bound for Senior Bowl

NWA Democrat-Gazette/Ben Goff ALL-STAR TREATMENT: Arkansas left guard Sebastian Tretola, here celebrating the Razorbacks' Oct. 24 victory over Auburn, and running back Jonathan Williams have accepted Senior Bowl invitations, it was announced Tuesday in Mobile, Ala., site of the Jan. 30 all-star game.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/Ben Goff ALL-STAR TREATMENT: Arkansas left guard Sebastian Tretola, here celebrating the Razorbacks' Oct. 24 victory over Auburn, and running back Jonathan Williams have accepted Senior Bowl invitations, it was announced Tuesday in Mobile, Ala., site of the Jan. 30 all-star game.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Along with senior offensive guard and Razorback teammate Sebastian Tretola, senior running back Jonathan Williams has accepted an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl, it was announced Tuesday in Mobile, Ala.

Tuesday's announcement confirms Williams will not exercise his redshirt option, which would have allowed him to return to the Razorbacks in 2016.

Williams, who nearly turned pro after rushing 1,190 yards as a junior in 2014, broke his foot during an August preseason scrimmage. He has missed the entire 2015 season, which for the 6-5 Razorbacks has only Friday's 1:30 p.m. Southeastern game with Missouri at Reynolds Razorback Stadium and then a bowl game remaining.

The Jan. 30 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. coached by NFL staffs, is an all-star game amounting to a pre-NFL combine audition for the spring's NFL draft.

Junior tight end Hunter Henry, who caught two of quarterback Brandon Allen's Razorback-record seven touchdown passes in Saturday night's 51-50 home SEC loss to Mississippi State, is one of three finalists for the Mackey Award, it was announced Tuesday.

The Mackey Award, won by Arkansas' D.J. Williams in 2010, is voted annually to the nation's outstanding tight end in honor of the late John Mackey, the former College Hall of Fame/Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end at Syracuse University and with the Baltimore Colts.

Henry, Clemson junior Jordan Leggett and Stanford junior Austin Hooper are the three Mackey Award finalists.

As a receiving tight end, Henry has a healthy yardage edge though trailing in touchdowns. Henry has 44 catches for 619 yards and three touchdowns and a nationally acclaimed lateral to running back Alex Collins in overtime achieving a first down en route to defeating Ole Miss 53-52 in overtime.

Leggett has caught 27 for 345 yards and six touchdowns while Hooper has caught 26 passes for 379 yards and five touchdowns.

Henry is Arkansas complemented by another excellent junior tight end, Jeremy Sprinkle. Sprinkle (23 catches for 308 yards and five touchdowns), so versatile he plays on all the special teams and also as a fullback and H-back, caught three touchdown passes against Mississippi State.

Wide receivers Drew Morgan and Jared Cornelius each caught an Allen TD pass against Mississippi State.

Junior wideout Dominique Reed ended his streak of six games with at least one touchdown each but still had two receptions, one for 52 yards.

"One thing we have been able to do and we need to continue to do it is you have got explosive plays from Drew Morgan, from Jared Cornelius from Dominique Reed, from Hunter Henry and Jeremy Sprinkle," Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos said. "We are not afraid of throwing the ball to any of those guys in any situation. We feel very confident in those guys."

Keon Hatcher, the Razorbacks' senior receiver sidelined by a broken foot since the season's second game, intends to use the hardship option available to him and return to Arkansas as a senior in 2016, coach Bret Bielema said Monday.

Sports on 11/25/2015

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