FAYETTEVILLE — POSITION GLANCE QUARTERBACKS RETURNING STARTER Tyler Wilson KEY LOSSES None PROJECTED STARTER Wilson IN THE MIX Redshirt freshman Brandon Allen, RS junior Brandon Mitchell, RS sophomore Brian Buehner SUDDEN IMPACT Wilson will take practically all the significant snaps, but Arkansas coaches are confident Allen could produce with the starting unit.
PLUSES Knowledge of schemes, experience, toughness, arm strength, passing on the run MINUSES Some decision-making, inexperience behind Wilson SUMMARY Wilson has the talent and desire to make 2012 a memorable season. If the Razorbacks mount a respectable running game and protect him well, his numbers could rival Ryan Mallett’s school-record 3,869 yards (2010). Allen and Mitchell give the Razorbacks solid options for moving the offense if Wilson is out.
Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson enters the 2012 season with four years immersed in a system and as the school’s first All-SEC first-team selection after setting several school records.
A potential Heisman Trophy candidate, along with teammate Knile Davis, Wilson passed up a shot at being chosen early in the NFL Draft to return for his senior year.
There is potential and promise behind the Greenwood native on the Razorbacks’ depth chart, but also some uncertainty.
Redshirt freshman Brandon Allen, a Fayetteville High School standout and the son of Arkansas assistant coach Bobby Allen, passed for more than 10,000 yards in his high school career and led his team to the Class 7A state championship game while throwing 38 touchdown passes and no regular-season interceptions in 2010.
Yet the 6-3, 212-pound Allen has yet to take a snap in a college game.
An indication of how the offensive staff feels about Allen and his future was made clear at the opening of camp. As junior quarterback Brandon Mitchell’s value as a slot receiver rose, his snapsin team drills declined sharply, the message being that Allen was fully capable of handling the No. 2 quarterback duties.
“Because of that, Brandon Allen has gotten so many more reps,” offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said. “Because of that, it’s a win-win situation right now.”
Allen said his progress has been significant while taking somewhere close to 40 percent of the practice repetitions.
“It’s helped a lot, especially just being on the field a lot more than I’m used to,” Allen said. “I’m getting the reps in the live practices and things like that and it’s helped me so far.”
Wilson said he has seen a ton of growth in his understudy.
“He’s more confident. He knows where to go with the football. His completion percentage is right there with mine right now,” Wilson said last week. “I think I trumped him today, but I think overall we’re pretty close, so he’s made a lot of growth.
“I expect him to be a bigtime player here in the future.”
Petrino said Allen’s steady progress provided a comfort zone in having Mitchell, who continues to prep for practices in the quarterback meeting room and warm up with the passers, in another group for large chunks of practice.
“Yeah, I feel good,” Petrino said. “I’ve felt good about all three of those guys anyway.”
Allen believes mental preparation has been a key emphasis since camp opened.
“I obviously need to get more in the playbook and get more of those reps on the field so I can be even more confident with it,” hesaid. “Really, being prepared for practice and bringing enthusiasm to the field are important.”
Allen and the second-team offense are looking to bounce back in tonight’s scrimmage after a rough outing last Saturday. Allen completed 27 of 48 passes for 276 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception in the scrimmage, but he was “sacked” 11 times.
“We’re fine,” Allen said. “A couple of assignment errors. It’s no big deal at all. They got it corrected and they’ll be good to go.”
Petrino called the second offense disappointing.
“They just didn’t help out Brandon Allen,” he said. “Like the first three plays, every one of them was right on the money - drop, drop, drop. They can’t do that to the second O-line.”
Wilson compared the seasoning Allen is receiving to the tremendous amount of practice and mental snaps he got before bursting onto the scene at Auburn in 2010, when he threw for 332 yards and four touchdowns after starter Ryan Mallett went down with an injury.
“I know it helped me when I was in that situation,” Wilson said. “The more reps I got, the more comfortable I got. No question.
“But I think it’s also the fact that he’s in his second year. He knows what to expect. He knows how to come to practice. He knows how to prepare every day. I think all of that factors in.”
Sports, Pages 15 on 08/18/2012