FAYETTEVILLE — This 2012 Arkansas Razorbacks receiving corps stands above its 2011 predecessor.

What?

Impossible, you say?

The 2011 Razorbacks sent receivers Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright to the NFL.

How can this 2012 receiving contingent stand above the 2011 crew?

Well, literally it does. Returning senior leaders Cobi Hamilton, 6-3, and tight end Chris Gragg, 6-4, play with a taller cast.

Childs, the star-crossed Warren native sidelined again with the Minnesota Vikings, this time by two torn patellar tendons, is 6-3 but wasn’t himself last season until late. Early through the middle of last season, Childs was still recovering from the torn patellar tendon he sustained in 2010.

Adams, 5-11, and Wright, 5-10, come up short of Brandon Mitchell, the 6-4, 235-pound junior who was moved this summer from receiver to quarterback, and freshmen Mekale McKay, 6-6, and Keon Hatcher, 6-2.

That’s not including Demetrius Wilson, the 6-3 junior-college transfer originally counted upon as the newcomer most likely to succeed early though it seems he goes into today’s scrimmage playing catch up to McKay, Hatcher and maybe even 6-3 freshman D’Arthur Cowan.

Of course, now it seems folly to say 2011 first-team All-SEC receivers Adams, an All-America punt returner, and Wright (66 catches for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns last year) come up short in anything.

But Tyler Wilson, the All-SEC quarterback who broke records throwing to last year’s receivers and is on every quarterback award preseason watch list this season, said it’s no tall tale citing the current assets.

“Yeah, when you have got 6-4 Chris Gragg, 6-3 Cobi, 6-4 Brandon Mitchell all breaking the huddle and a large portion of what we are doing, you feel good as a quarterback knowing you have got those kind of targets out there,” Wilson said. “They are not going to be intimidated by anybody because they are going to be bigger than everybody.”

Mitchell and McKay make even their 6-3 All-SEC quarterback look up. Both leap like the prep basketball stars they were.

Last winter, Mitchell helped Mike Anderson’s basketball team not as the customary 6-4 guard but as a rugged power forward. One of Arkansas’ few quarterbacks since two-platoon football regularly to play special teams, Mitchell is a tough hombre.

“Well, he’s 235 pounds, so you can run the boundary and do a number of things blocking wise with him,” Wilson said. “When he catches, guys bounce off of him. When some of those [defensive backs] we line up against are facing a 6-4, 235-pound receiver, good luck.”

Play-calling offensive coordinator Paul Petrino’s eyes reflect the mismatches he foresees with Mitchell at receiver.

“Yeah, if contact happens the little corner falls down,” Petrino said.

Also, whenever the Hogs start cranking up the running game with Doak Walker Award candidate Knile Davis, Mitchell could play a big part.

“He makes our outside running game a lot better because he is going to hold point out there,” Petrino said. “It’s almost like playing with two tight ends sometimes, which is great because that’s some of the stuff Knile does the best.”

Sports, Pages 20 on 08/11/2012