COMMENTARY

When Recruiting, Lunney Should Be “Arkansas” Guy

Northwest Arkansas has plenty that people in other states want, whether it’s drumsticks from Tyson Foods or a few minutes with Walmart’s top brass.

The region also has a way of producing a handful of college football prospects on an annual basis, and the goal of coaches at Arkansas, Arkansas State and Central Arkansas is to make sure that talent isn’t exported elsewhere.

Not long ago, it appeared as if Gus Malzahn, with his well-known ties to Northwest Arkansas, might be able to persuade some local recruits to play for him at Arkansas State.

The Red Wolves had shown under Malzahn they were going to be aggressive in recruiting Benton and Washington counties. They weren’t afraid to offer players who were already being targeted by Arkansas.

But now Malzahn is back at Auburn, the former Springdale High coach could have a hard time talking recruits into leaving the Ozarks for the plains.

That’s where Barry Lunney Jr. enters the picture.

New Arkansas coach Bret Bielema recently hired Lunney to be his tight ends coach and fill one of the final spots on his staff. While Lunney wants to shed the perception he’s the “Arkansas guy” on the staff, that’s exactly what he is.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

After all, if the Razorbacks want to have a monopoly on all of the big-time talent in Northwest Arkansas, it needs an Arkansas guy to steer the recruits to Fayetteville.

Tim Horton held that responsibility before agreeing to join Malzahn at Auburn. Lunney comes onto the job with relationships with area coaches already established.

He built those connections during his eight seasons as his father’s offensive coordinator at Bentonville.

National Signing Day is 10 days away, and the three biggest recruits coming out of Northwest Arkansas this year — Fayetteville quarterback Austin Allen, linebacker Brooks Ellis and safety Alex Brignoni — committed to the Razorbacks before Lunney’s hiring.

But his institutional knowledge of the area is already being used.

Bentonville tight end Jack Kraus received a scholarship offer from Arkansas last week. Lunney knows the junior well since, well, he called plays for Kraus during the Tigers’ run to a Class 7A state runner-up finish this past season.

If Kraus decides to sign with the Razorbacks, his position coach will be none other than Lunney.

Bentonville has produced its share of NCAA Division I talent since Barry Lunney Sr. turned the struggling program into a state power. He did it with his son’s help, and now that Lunney is at Arkansas, it would be hard to imagine another big-name recruit from Bentonville going anywhere else.

It would also be foolish to think Lunney won’t benefit on the recruiting trail from his time working for his father. There aren’t many high school football coaches more respected in Arkansas than his father.

Malzahn will no doubt still use his contacts to try to steal away some of the area’s top recruits. He helped give Springdale Har-Ber coach Chris Wood and Shiloh Christian coach Josh Floyd their big breaks, and with Horton on his staff, Auburn could push Arkansas for some players.

That’s where Lunney could benefit from being the “Arkansas guy” on Bielema’s staff.

Lunney hasn’t just watched game footage of Har-Ber defensive lineman Josh Frazier, a four-star recruit who’s easily the top prospect to come out Northwest Arkansas next year, he came up with an offensive game plan to negate Frazier when Bentonville faced Har-Ber this past season.

The Tigers won 28-7.

If Frazier signs with the Razorbacks in 2014, it could be another win for Lunney.

Alex Abrams is assistant sports editor for NWA Media.

Upcoming Events