Razorbacks add Hawaiian punch

Fourteenth in a series profiling newcomers to the Arkansas football team.

FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas freshman Reeve Koehler, a sensation in Hawaii before he ever played in high school, modestly agrees strength was a strong suit of his at St. Louis High School in Honolulu.

Koehler’s offensive line coach at St. Louis, Leo Goeas, pumps the 6-3, 345-pound Koehler’s might a little more.

“He threw around 220 pounds [on the bench press] like it was nothing,” Goeas said. “Twenty times and more without a problem. He would pick guys up every now and thenat will, and he would body slam them if he wanted.”

Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman said Koehler combines smarts with strength.

“He’s unbelievably strong for a high school kid,” Pittman said. “He’s just massive. Once he gets his hands on you, it’s hard to get off of him.”

Koehler joins the new wave of offensive line talent at Arkansas, where the game plan under Coach Bret Bielema is to mash on opponents to establish the run. Koehler, who said he plans to drop down to 335 pounds by the start of the season, has been targeted to begin his career at center behind senior Travis Swanson, a Rimington Trophy candidate.

“Swanson is already like a top prospect for the NFL and he’s teaching me daily the little tricks of the trade, just little things I can pick up,” Koehler said.

Koehler is part of Arkansas’ highly touted class of offensive line newcomers that also includes freshmen Denver Kirkland and Dan Skipper.

“We have the potential to just dominate,” Koehler said.

Koehler also brought a mean streak to the field in high school.

“I used to have a real nasty style of play,” he said. “I was always angry on the field. I’m more tame off the field.”

Goeas remembers Koehler’s demeanor as not revealing his true intentions.

“He’s smiling and laughing, but he’s really engaged,” Goeas said. “He doesn’t have that mean face, and he’s out there pounding on people, literally pounding on them sometimes.”

Bielema cracked up reporters when talking over Koehler’s highlight tape on national signing day.

“Reeve is very, very thick,” Bielema said at one point. “As you can see, those britches look like they’re in pain.”

Koehler started turning heads in Hawaii as an eighth-grader when then-Hawaii Coach Greg McMakin noticed the 280-pounder at a camp. When Koehler and his family visited McMakin’s office in support of a friend who was pursuing a scholarship offer, McMakin offered Koehler before he had ever played a snap in high school.

Koehler, rated the No. 1 offensive guard prospect in Rivals.com’s first rankings last year, connected with Pittman, who was then at Tennessee, during the recruiting process and gave a commitment to the Volunteers, but that was before Coach Derek Dooley and his staff were fired. Koehler visited with Arkansas in January after Pittman and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney were hired.

Koehler’s high school teammate, linebacker Colton Goeas, who is the son of Leo Goeas, committed to Kansas and tried to convince Koehler to come with him, but Koehler’s heart was in Arkansas.

“I came out and I fell in love with the people and the area over here,” Koehler said.

Pittman recalled the connection with Koehler and his family after being fired at Tennessee.

“I called and said, ‘I’m going to find a good job, and when I do we’re going to offer you a scholarship,’ ” he said. “His dad, Rick, was incredible and said, ‘Wherever you go, I want my son to play for you.’ And that’s what happened. They were as loyal as the day is long, and I’m certainly glad of it, and Arkansas will be, too.”

Koehler said his strength lies in his Hawaiian roots.

“Most of our fathers work construction, and from the time we’re able to walk, we’re taught to help our fathers and lift everything, and by doing that we got strong,” Koehler said. “We kept getting stronger and stronger, and our work ethic was good.”

Skipper, one of Koehler’s roommates at Arkansas, said the two have formed a solid bond.

“He’s a lot of fun to be around,” Skipper said. “He’s just a big, fun guy and we do pretty much everything together.”

The quality of defensive linemen in the SEC will be a challenge, beginning with his own teammates, Koehler said.

“Here at Arkansas, there are two defensive tackles that every time we have one on ones, they wipe the floor with me,” Koehler said, admitting that Byran Jones and Robert Thomas have had the upper hand in player-run drills.”

Goeas said he picked up on Koehler’s core strength during drills in which he pushes and pulls on his linemen. He predicts Koehler will have great success at Arkansas, in part because of how he competes.

“He likes it when defensive linemen chirp,” Goeas said. “It gets him going, and there are lot of defensive linemen who chirp in the SEC. He’s going to like competing in the SEC.”