Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Its watch list season, and the honors are starting to come in for Bret Bielema’s guys.
Along with Deatrich Wise’s addition to the Bednarik Award watch list, sure-handed tight end Jeremy Sprinkle is on the watch list for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top tight end.
He’ll be stepping into some pretty big shoes following Hunter Henry’s departure to the NFL and the San Diego Chargers. But it’s not like Sprinkle hasn’t done this before. He finished the final seven games of last season with six scores. Those six touchdowns were good for ninth in the nation.
He’s made some big catches in his career, too. Sprinkle was on the receiving end of Brandon Allen’s hold-your-breath two-point conversion pass in the third overtime against Auburn, and also caught three touchdown passes in the shootout against Mississippi State.
Sprinkle has definitely earned this. He’s improved each of his first three seasons, and is now the go-to guy at tight end – and we everyone knows Bielema likes him some tight ends. And not every day do you see a school have a Mackey Award winner one season then have another nominated for the award the next, but Arkansas is creating a monster at the position.
The Razorbacks are, after all, the only program in the nation with multiple Mackey Award winners – D.J. Williams (2010), Hunter Henry (2015).
Oh, and Jeremy Sprinkle is open in the flat again. Shocker.