FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks hope to make a smooth transition to a group of largely untested receivers and incorporate a brand-new punt returner in 2012.
Enter Demetrius Wilson.
A junior college signee from Glendale (Ariz.) Community College, Wilson has had high expectations placed on his doorstep by the Razorbacks coaches.
“We’re counting on him a ton,” Arkansas receivers coach Kris Cinkovich said.
“What he has is great speed,” offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said. “He has great all-out speed, so you’re hoping he can make a guy miss and then take it the distance.
“That’s something you’ve got to get in live tackling before you know that for sure. But off his junior college tape and just off his track times, you know he has the speed to do it.”
Coach John L. Smith mentions Wilson, senior Dennis Johnson and freshman Nate Holmes as the most likely options at punt returner, where Joe Adams led the nation and earned All-America status with four touchdown returns last season.
“[Wilson] is going to have to take a lot,” Smith said.
Wilson didn’t enroll in June with the other newcomers, so his learning curve is steeper. The Glendale, Ariz., native reported in mid-July after finishing up course work.
“I had to take another math class and get that done,” Wilson said. “But now I’m here, I’m off-the-chart excited and ready to put in the work”
A two-time all-conference selection at Glendale, Wilson caught 51 passes for 927 yards and 10 touchdowns last year while leading the Gauchos to the Valley of the Sun Bowl. The year before, he had 29receptions for 733 yards (an average of 25.3 yards per catch) and 4 touchdowns in 6 games.
His family has shown a taste for top-level SEC competition. His sister, Kenyanna, was an eight-time All-America sprinter at LSU.
Wilson, who chose Arkansas over scholarship offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Tennessee and others, hasn’t been on campus long, but he knows the Razorbacks’ roster.
“We have a great opportunity this season,” Wilson said. “We’ve got the best quarterback in the country coming back, and Cobi Hamilton is a great team leader. The door is open for us to have a great season.”
Wilson reported in at a rangy 6-2, 180 pounds, but he said he wants to get stronger and get up to 195 pounds before the season begins.
His plan for the threeweeks he had on campus prior to the start of fall practice was to improve his footwork, establish chemistry with teammates and attack the playbook.
“They expect me to have great hands and speed, be a hard worker and a team player,” Wilson said.
Arkansas’ coaches were eager to hear about Wilson’s skill set from the strength and conditioning coaches, who monitored summer workouts.
“Demetrius Wilson runs just as well as we anticipated, and according to the quarterbacks, he catches the ball really well,” Cinkovich said in mid-July. “He’s got to overcome that junior college learning curve. We don’t want to wait four or five games for it to kick in. He’s put some time in ahead of [summer workouts].
“He needs to come in here ready to play, take a job and be a guy.”
Wilson at a glance CLASS Junior HEIGHT 6-3 WEIGHT 180 pounds POSITION Receiver, kick returner HOMETOWN Glendale, Ariz.
LAST STOP Glendale Community College NOTEWORTHY In two junior college seasons, Wilson caught 14 touchdown passes among his 80 receptions for 1,760 yards. He was named all-conference twice. Caught 51 passes for 927 yards and 10 touchdowns his second season at Glendale under Coach Mickey Bell. ... As a senior at Millenium High in Glendale, Ariz., Wilson caught 26 passes for 688 yards and 8 touchdowns. ... His sister, Kenyanna, was an eight-time All-America sprinter at LSU.
Sports, Pages 21 on 08/02/2012