Chris Marshall may be the name to watch when Arkansas opens against North Alabama, and the Razorbacks seem ready to give him every chance to look the part.
In a receiver room with plenty of bodies, Marshall has started to separate himself as Arkansas’ top option. The Boise State transfer arrived with the kind of pedigree that brings attention from the start, coming in as a 5-star prospect out of high school. His college career has not always matched that hype, but the early returns in Fayetteville have been better.
Head coach Ryan Silverfield made it clear Monday that the key for Marshall is staying steady from snap to snap.
"Chris has to go out there and play consistent football," head coach Ryan Silverfield said Monday. "The challenge for Chris, and I’ve said this since the day he stepped on campus, is go out there and be you, play consistent, play under control. Because we know he’s as talented as anybody in the country, and everybody says, well it didn’t work out at his previous stops, but I believe Chris is in a really good spot.
"So ultimately, for him, it’s going out there and maybe he doesn’t have a single catch in the first quarter, but how does he stay in the game? How does he stay in rhythm to do what he needs to do?
I have great faith in him that he’s going to be it. He’s the guy... he’s going to be dialed in the whole time, he plays with great passion, great energy.
But we also hope he can make the plays that we’ve seen him make all offseason. Like I said all along, it’s one thing to watch a guy make a play on a Tuesday, or make a play in 7-on-7 in training camp.
But ultimately, can they do it when it’s real life?"
That kind of belief comes with a clear opportunity. Arkansas could have a field day against North Alabama on Saturday, especially after the Lions held Samford to 10 points but still surrendered an 86-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Henderson.
Marshall’s connection with quarterback KJ Jackson is one of the biggest reasons the Razorbacks are looking at a potential breakout performance. Jackson has the arm to push the ball downfield, and Marshall has already shown he can turn that into big numbers. His only 100-yard receiving game in college came against Eastern Washington last year, when he caught four passes for 132 yards.
The idea for Arkansas is simple: start building that chemistry right away and let it carry into the season.
"Chris Marshall did a tremendous job in the two scrimmages," Cramsey said Tuesday.
A strong opener would not just be a good day at the office for Marshall; it could be a preview of what is coming next. Arkansas saw something similar last season when O'Mega Blake opened with seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown in a 52-7 win over Alabama A&M before finishing as the team’s leading receiver with 58 receptions for 769 yards and five touchdowns.
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