Cross, Enlow stand out on Hogs' receiver corps

NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. Wampler HEAD HOG: Razorback head coach Chad Morris watches his squad run drills with no pads at practice Wednesday. The team has another contact practice session set for today leading into Saturday's scrimmage.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/J.T. Wampler HEAD HOG: Razorback head coach Chad Morris watches his squad run drills with no pads at practice Wednesday. The team has another contact practice session set for today leading into Saturday's scrimmage.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Gary Cross and Tobias Enlow did not start this August preseason mentioned much among Arkansas' receivers, but they bear prominence now.

During Arkansas' closed practices, the two periodically have run first-team in the mostly three-receiver spread offense sets of new head coach Chad Morris. Arkansas junior first-team receiver La'Michael Pettway, of Nashville, confirmed their inclusion.

"It varies," Pettway said after Wednesday's practice of a six-man first receivers group he says includes seniors Jared Cornelius, Jonathan Nance, himself, sophomore De'Vion Warren and Cross and Enlow.

Now a senior, Fordyce native Cross transferred to Arkansas last year from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. He lettered playing 10 games, mostly on special teams, with one tackle and three kick returns and caught one pass.

North Little Rock High School grad Enlow, now a third-year sophomore, has no stats for his two years with Arkansas. He redshirted in 2016 and practiced scout team again in 2017.

Pettway said when he missed a recent practice with an injured groin muscle that Enlow capitalized and worked into the rotation.

"Tobias stepped up and made a lot of plays, and it paid off for him in the scrimmage," Pettway said. "He stepped up, and Gary stepped up. When their number is called, they both perform."

Cross, among the fastest Razorbacks, now seems up to speed mentally. He arrived from Hutchinson only at the August preseason start of former coach Bret Bielema's final campaign in 2017 then had to adjust last spring to Morris' offense.

"I tell you one thing, Gary Cross is fast," offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said after Saturday's scrimmage. "He's gotten by some DBs in fall camp thus far. Actually, learning the plays was kind of his biggest thing in the spring. He just didn't know what to do. But man, he's really come a long way. Tobias is doing a great job as well. Two really good guys that are competing for a job."

Cross, media available after Wednesday's closed practice, said it makes an enormous difference knowing where his speed is supposed to take him as opposed to running unfamiliar routes last spring.

"I really got into my playbook, learned what the offense is doing," Cross said. "I've been playing fast, and coach has seen it. That's how I've been running with the ones."

Third-year sophomore Cole Kelley, still in an apparent dead-heat competition with fourth-year junior Ty Storey, of Charleston, for the starting quarterback job, was asked about Cross and Enlow after Wednesday's practice.

"Tobias has been going with the ones a lot," Kelley said. "Gary Cross is a freak athlete, man. His testing numbers are like something I've never really seen. And now he's starting to put it together with how he plays. He's having a great camp."

Pettway, who did scrimmage last week after missing time with the groin injury and has practiced all this week, was asked about the progress of fifth-year senior Cornelius, among Arkansas' best receivers in 2015 and 2016. Cornelius was granted a hardship season for 2018 after missing last season's final eight games with a torn Achilles tendon that also prevented him from contact practices last spring.

"When we go one and one, man, J-Red looks good," Pettway said. "I feel like he's almost 100 percent now. He's slimmed down, and he's running real good. He looks like the old J-Red to me."

Wednesday's practice, coming off last Saturday's scrimmage, a hard practice Monday and a hard practice in Tuesday's rain, was tapered to no contact with another contact session scheduled today leading into another scrimmage on Saturday.

"Today is more of a mental day," Arkansas senior starting right offensive guard Johnny Gibson, of Dumas, said. "We call it 'Class on the Grass.' We come out here and walk through some plays, go through different situations and then we go through our recovery, like yoga and stuff."

The injury-plagued offensive line especially needs all the reps it can get, both mentally and physically. True freshmen Noah Gatlin and Silas Robinson have stepped in as backups while redshirt freshmen Kirby Adcock, Dalton Wagner and Shane Clenin alternate as first- or second-teamer, and junior Austin Capps, of Star City, was moved last week from defensive tackle to offensive guard.

Wagner, playing both right and left tackle this preseason, didn't practice Wednesday because of an undisclosed injury, but starting senior right tackle Brian Wallace returned after a three-practice injury absence.

Reserve guard Jalen Merrick (reported headaches) continues to be withheld.

Senior tight end Jeremy Patton, injuring an ankle during Monday's practice, already is out of his walking boot and apparently aiming to return soon.

Sports on 08/16/2018

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