Instant starter? Arkansas lands SMU graduate transfer QB Ben Hicks
It’s official, Chad Morris and Ben Hicks will join forces again for one last season.
Following a weekend recruiting visit to Fayetteville, Hicks announced he plans to finish his college career as a member of Morris’ Arkansas football program on Monday. Hicks, the all-time leading passer in SMU school history, is a graduate transfer and plans to enroll early at Arkansas.
Due to the fact Hicks is a graduate transfer, he will be eligible to play football immediately for the Razorbacks next season. If he does indeed enroll early in Fayetteville, he will be on campus in time for the start of spring football.
If you didn’t know, Morris recruited Hicks from high school to SMU. During Morris’ final two seasons with the SMU program, Hicks was his starting quarterback. The rising senior had his two best seasons under Morris and suffered his worst season last year playing for coach Sonny Dykes.
During his three-year career at SMU, Hicks threw for 9,081 yards, 71 touchdowns and 34 interceptions while completing 56.7 percent of his passes.
Hicks made the announcement official with the following post on Twitter:
Looking forward to playing my final season of college football in Fayetteville! @RazorbackFB
Excited to get to work!— Ben Hicks (@8Hicks) January 14, 2019
Arkansas fans may want to check out Hicks’ highlight reel from the 2017 season, when Morris was his head coach:
Great pickup, will be another coach on the field. He will give the young QB’s a chance to mature and learn the system also will help with the development of the WR’s
Definitely. The Razorbacks are finally looking to be a force to be reckoned with. Y’all snagged a diamond in the rough and are all the better for it. Looking forward to watching your regular season games next season. I have high hopes for Y’all and look forward to seeing the Razorbacks go back to winning once again. And when we meet you on the field in Little Rock for the final game of the regular season, I’m sure it’ll go down as an SEC classic. WPS and MIZ, see you there.
Thank you, sir.
Great pickup, this gives our younger guys a chance to mature a little bit.
Welcome to Arkansas! #WPS
Everybody is assuming that Morris is just handing the position to Hicks. That isn’t happening. Connor Noland has a much stronger arm than Hicks and based on what I’ve seen he has better wheels to boot. Experience is the only edge Hicks might have. Connor Noland is being erroneously judged on the small samples that were seen this year which were in less than ideal conditions.
Morris isn’t bringing Hicks in to paint. If he thought Noland was the answer he would be working to get him ready not seeking a grad transfer.
LSU didn’t bring in Joe Barrow because they thought their young QB’s were the answer they brought him in to play. I see Hicks much like Barrow, he won’t set the SEC on fire but he will make us better and he will make the younger QB’s better.
Good pick up for the Hogs.
Good deal, good luck young man, make the most of next year.
Real impressive highlight down 30 vs. Memphis, garbage time giant!
Joe Barrow didn’t even have that before his expllsive 2018 season where he threw for 1,500yrds on 53% passing, Guess what Corndog? Barrow made LSU better and Hicks will make Arkansas better.
Don’t mind him. Hicks looks like the qb and the teacher your team needs as it reclaims itself from the Bielema era. I believe great things are happening down in Fayetteville, looking forward to the next game in Little Rock, I already have my tickets reserved.
Hey…Arkansas has a coach who left a 14-22 record behind in the American Athletic Conference. Might as well grab his QB who guided that SMU juggernaut under Morris.
I wish Hicks well – but Morris found out the SEC West was not the AAC last season and I suspect his new/old QB will learn the same lesson this season.