Petrino hire could create new interest in Fayetteville QB Lindsey
With former Arkansas head football coach Bobby Petrino returning as the Razorbacks’ offensive coordinator next season, it could alter the focus of recruiting over the next few weeks.
The early national signing period for high school seniors is Dec. 20-22. The traditional National Signing Day is set for Feb. 7.
Arkansas coaches plan to visit the state’s top-rated player, Pine Bluff wide receiver Courtney Crutchfield, this weekend. The 4-Star prospect committed to Arkansas on April 23, over Power 5 schools Tennessee, Missouri, Auburn, Oklahoma, Iowa State, Kansas State, among others. But he re-opened his recruitment on Nov. 4.
Some also wonder if the Razorbacks will now show a renewed interest in Fayetteville senior quarterback Drake Lindsey, a deep-rooted Arkansas football legacy. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound, current-Minnesota commit has not received much interest from Arkansas thus far, although he has been one of the state’s top quarterbacks for the past two seasons.
A high 3-star prospect, Lindsey is rated the No. 5 player in the state and the No. 33 quarterback, nationally, according to 247Sports. After being shunned by his home state, he gave his verbal commitment to the Golden Gophers on May 12.
Lindsey is more of a pro-style quarterback, with stout size and a strong, accurate arm, whereas Arkansas has been running more of a dual-threat spread-attack offense over recent years. But now, with Petrino’s offense utilizing more of a pro-style scheme, Lindsey could be the prototype operator, much like Petrino’s earlier pupils at Arkansas, Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson.
Lindsey has one more high school game to play, as he leads the Bulldogs into Saturday’s 7A state championship game against Bentonville. He has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes this season for 3,563 yards and 51 touchdowns. And despite not playing in the second half of some blowout wins, he has still averaged over 300 yards and more than four touchdowns passes per game, while throwing just two interceptions in 327 pass attempts.
The Lindsey family has deep roots in the Razorbacks football program, dating back to the early 1960s, which has caused some local disappointment that he is not getting a chance to continue that legacy in Fayetteville.
Growing up a life-long Hog fan, he was disappointed, at first, when he didn’t get the attention of the Arkansas program.
“Maybe at the beginning, when I started getting offers, it hurt a little bit, but I just developed a different mindset and continued to move on and take my own path,” he said. “It’s definitely a blessing to have a family legacy here, but now I get to chart my own path.
“(Arkansas) just really didn’t have interest in me, and that’s not my decision to take part in. I mean, God has a plan for me, and I truly believe that. I feel like there’s a reason I’m going to Minnesota and there’s a reason for everything that happens. I can’t say much about it, other than they didn’t have interest in me and didn’t think I was good enough to play there, I guess.”
His grandfather, the late Jim Lindsey, was a Razorback legend as a running back for the 1964 National Championship team that went 11-0. The family patriarch and eventual real estate mogul, then played seven years for the Minnesota Vikings. His older brother, Elmer “B” Lindsey, was also a standout athlete, who signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and played six years in their farm system, before retiring to Forrest City to run the family farm.
Jim Lindsey passed his love of football on to his sons, including Drake’s father, John David, and his uncle, Lyndy, who both played for the Razorbacks. Lyndy’s son – and Drake’s cousin — Jack Lindsey, played quarterback for two years at Arkansas, while his other son, Link, is a triple jumper for the Hogs’ track and field team. Drake’s sister, Loren, is also a member of the Arkansas women’s basketball team.
“I think Arkansas did their due diligence, but I guess they just chose to go a different route,” said Fayetteville head coach Casey Dick, who also played quarterback for the Razorbacks, from 2005-08.
“I think he can go play wherever he wants. He’s a big kid with lots of arm talent. The mental side of him is unreal. But the biggest thing, especially at quarterback, is the level of consistency that he comes out and plays with, week in and week out, and the way he takes care of the football.”
Former Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt, who coached Dick, agrees. He’s seen Lindsey play twice this season and will be at War Memorial Stadium Saturday.
“I tease Casey sometimes saying, ‘You have a better quarterback playing for you than you were,'” Nutt said. “[Lindsey] could easily play in the SEC. He is almost 6-foot-6 and is looking over everybody, and he is so accurate. You have to give [Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck] a lot of credit. He looks real good making that early offer.”
As of Thursday afternoon, Lindsey had still not heard anything from the Razorback program, although all of his focus is now on the state title game.
“I’m not really worried about any of those things right now,” he said. “We’ve still got another game to play and that’s all I am thinking about.”
