With spring practice finished, getting the offense ready for the fall remains a priority for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
Head coach Alonzo Hampton said the coaching staff is heavily focused on recruiting.
“We’re going to add about 15-20 more pieces, and they’re going to be good pieces,” Hampton said. “We’ll continue to watch the film and get better from an offensive line standpoint, from a receiver standpoint, and the quarterback position has to be better, all the way around.”
Returning quarterback Mekhi Hagens and junior college transfer DJ Stevenson played in Saturday’s Black and Gold Game. UAPB started the spring with three quarterbacks but finished with two after Freddie Davis entered the transfer portal.
Hagens was one of three quarterbacks to play for the Golden Lions last year. The other two, Jalen Macon and Chancellor Edwards, entered the transfer portal after the season. Macon is now at Northern Illinois.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
In the spring game, Hagens completed, unofficially, 5 of 14 passes with an interception. He led one touchdown drive during which he had a big run, followed by a pass completed inside the 5-yard line to set up the touchdown one play later.
Hampton said Hagens is a talented runner, but the offense isn’t built around that.
“A lot of those times he’s running, he should throw the ball,” Hampton said. “You gotta be able to understand the offense, gotta understand what the defense is giving you, and then do it. To the naked eye, it looks like, ‘Oh man, that’s a great run.’ But it wasn’t even a called run. It was a called pass. Get the ball to the people that’s supposed to have the ball.”
Hagens completed 53 of 117 passes last season for 580 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 163 yards and four touchdowns on 65 carries.
In the spring game, Stevenson completed, unofficially, 17 of 31 passes for two touchdowns and an interception. He nearly had three touchdowns, but the receiver fumbled on the goal line.
Hampton said Stevenson has improved every practice.
“But you can’t throw the interception,” Hampton said. “He had some bad reads. You gotta know where the ball should go. This offense, the quarterback makes it go. We’re only going to be as good as the quarterback we have under the center, and that position has to be priority No. 1.”
Last year at Reedley College in California, Stevenson completed 131 of 226 passes for 1,729 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He rushed 107 times for 261 yards and five touchdowns.
Stevenson said adapting to Division I players’ speed had been an adjustment for him coming from Reedley. He also said he has learned more about reading a defense from Hampton and new offensive coordinator Tony Hull.
“It’s really nice to know whatever the defense shows you they’re going to do, and you just gotta pick up on little things that they do,” Stevenson said. “Shifting from cover two to cover three, whatever the case may be, sitting in double [linebacker] blitz. Just making sure you call the correct calls and audible out so you can get your offense in the right play.”
Pine Bluff High School senior Landon Holcomb will join the quarterback room in the fall after graduation. Hampton has made it clear since signing day he intends to also pursue another quarterback in the transfer portal.
Elsewhere on the offense, Hampton said three of the offensive linemen who took first-team snaps in the spring game are walk-ons, so recruiting linemen is a top priority.
At receiver, Cam Taylor and University of Arkansas at Monticello transfer JaVonnie Gibson scored touchdowns. Others, such as Daemon Dawkins and UAM transfer Kristian Gammage made some good plays. Still, Hampton said he wants more receivers and tight ends out of the portal.
At running back, Johness Davis and Dae’Trell Cooper each scored touchdowns in the spring game. BJ Curry made some plays as a receiver from the backfield, though he lost a fumble, and Tennessee Tech transfer OJ Ross broke tackles and powered his way to extra yards.
UAPB hosted several recruits at the spring game. Lindenwood transfer running back Chris Gannaway, a Bryant native, committed afterward. He appeared in two games and rushed four times for 29 yards. He also caught two passes for 26 yards.
The spring transfer window closes Tuesday.