These are the type of players you want to root for
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Roughly 72 miles south of Fayetteville, Greenwood High School has produced a handful of legendary Arkansas football players over the past 20 years, and one wide receiver is hoping to be the next great Greenwood Bulldog to play for the Razorbacks.
Grant Karnes is a class of 2025 multi-sport athlete who was once committed to play baseball on scholarship at Wichita State. He quickly backed off that pledge his junior year and put all of his focus on football.
Through his efforts, Karnes earned a preferred walk-on opportunity to play wide receiver at Arkansas. While second-year wide receivers coach Ronnie Fouch gave Karnes a shot, it still took time for the roster numbers to work out where Karnes could officially commit.
(Click here to understand why roster numbers had to work out for Karnes)
Head coach Sam Pittman called the 6-foot-1, 180-pound receiver Feb. 3 to tell Karnes that a spot came open. Karnes did not hesitate to commit, and he made the news official two days later on National Signing Day.
“It’s like a dream come true," Karnes told HawgBeat. "I was hoping everything would work out, obviously, and I got a call from Pittman on Monday and he told me there was a spot. It all worked out great.”
After decommitting from Wichita State baseball, Karnes said he put his focus on football and started attending camps. He camped with the Razorbacks on June 13, 2024, when Fouch extended the preferred walk-on offer.
“That was the best I’ve performed," Karnes said of the camp. "I did really good that day. We had a team camp the day before. It was a 7-on-7 or whatever, so it was a full 10 hours. Got back late and got up that morning and drove up to Fayetteville and worked my butt off and did really good at everything.
"On the one-on-ones, I think I went undefeated in that. I was right there with Fouch and he was telling me things to try. Obviously that went really good. Then we did some 7-on-7 and that went great as well. I think the ball came to me about every time I was out there.”
As a senior at Greenwood in the fall, Karnes caught 80 passes for 1,302 yards and 22 touchdowns to help the Bulldogs win the Class 6A state championship for the second year in a row. Karnes, who started four state title games, was a 6A All-State performer and the 6A-West Outstanding Wide Receiver of the Year in 2024. Karnes also contributed 13 kickoff returns for 371 yards and one score.
“Not many people get the opportunity to go D1 like that in one sport, especially two," Karnes said. "There were so many people that were like ‘That’s stupid. It’s not going to work out.’ I knew I was good at baseball, but I knew I was better at football. I knew getting into the recruiting late was going to be hard, but I knew I could get that. It was kind of a motivation, too, to prove them wrong.”
Another former Greenwood Bulldog proved doubters wrong not too long ago in former Razorback linebacker Grant Morgan, who won the 2021 Burlsworth Trophy as the nation's best player that started his career as a walk-on. Other Greenwood products to play for the Hogs that come to mind include Lucas Miller, Drew Morgan, Tyler Wilson and even Peyton Holt on the baseball diamond.
“They kind of helped give me that opportunity," Karnes said. "They went there and proved people from Greenwood can do it. I know I can go do it and I don’t have to just fully follow them.”
So, what's in the water down in Greenwood, Arkansas?
“I think it’s our work ethic," Karnes said. "I think if you go to any other high school and see how hard they work versus how hard we work, I know there’s a huge difference. From just the way we work out to discipline. If you’re hand’s on the white when you’re going to do something, you’re going to run. It’s got to be perfect, or we’re redoing it and running. Everyone can take a chewing, but if go to other schools and if they get ripped how we get ripped sometimes, they’d probably lose their mind and quit or something like that. Everyone here is used to it.”
Karnes said he won't be playing baseball this spring, as he will focus on football training ahead of enrolling at the UA after the spring semester. It won't be easy at all, but Karnes will try to get on the field as early as possible.
“My goal is just to get on the field my freshman year, whether it’s at receiver or any special teams," Karnes said. "I just want to get out there and play a little bit. I know as time goes, I’ll play more. Freshman season, I’d love to get out on special teams maybe.”
———
Roughly 72 miles south of Fayetteville, Greenwood High School has produced a handful of legendary Arkansas football players over the past 20 years, and one wide receiver is hoping to be the next great Greenwood Bulldog to play for the Razorbacks.
Grant Karnes is a class of 2025 multi-sport athlete who was once committed to play baseball on scholarship at Wichita State. He quickly backed off that pledge his junior year and put all of his focus on football.
Through his efforts, Karnes earned a preferred walk-on opportunity to play wide receiver at Arkansas. While second-year wide receivers coach Ronnie Fouch gave Karnes a shot, it still took time for the roster numbers to work out where Karnes could officially commit.
(Click here to understand why roster numbers had to work out for Karnes)
Head coach Sam Pittman called the 6-foot-1, 180-pound receiver Feb. 3 to tell Karnes that a spot came open. Karnes did not hesitate to commit, and he made the news official two days later on National Signing Day.
“It’s like a dream come true," Karnes told HawgBeat. "I was hoping everything would work out, obviously, and I got a call from Pittman on Monday and he told me there was a spot. It all worked out great.”
After decommitting from Wichita State baseball, Karnes said he put his focus on football and started attending camps. He camped with the Razorbacks on June 13, 2024, when Fouch extended the preferred walk-on offer.
“That was the best I’ve performed," Karnes said of the camp. "I did really good that day. We had a team camp the day before. It was a 7-on-7 or whatever, so it was a full 10 hours. Got back late and got up that morning and drove up to Fayetteville and worked my butt off and did really good at everything.
"On the one-on-ones, I think I went undefeated in that. I was right there with Fouch and he was telling me things to try. Obviously that went really good. Then we did some 7-on-7 and that went great as well. I think the ball came to me about every time I was out there.”
As a senior at Greenwood in the fall, Karnes caught 80 passes for 1,302 yards and 22 touchdowns to help the Bulldogs win the Class 6A state championship for the second year in a row. Karnes, who started four state title games, was a 6A All-State performer and the 6A-West Outstanding Wide Receiver of the Year in 2024. Karnes also contributed 13 kickoff returns for 371 yards and one score.
“Not many people get the opportunity to go D1 like that in one sport, especially two," Karnes said. "There were so many people that were like ‘That’s stupid. It’s not going to work out.’ I knew I was good at baseball, but I knew I was better at football. I knew getting into the recruiting late was going to be hard, but I knew I could get that. It was kind of a motivation, too, to prove them wrong.”
Another former Greenwood Bulldog proved doubters wrong not too long ago in former Razorback linebacker Grant Morgan, who won the 2021 Burlsworth Trophy as the nation's best player that started his career as a walk-on. Other Greenwood products to play for the Hogs that come to mind include Lucas Miller, Drew Morgan, Tyler Wilson and even Peyton Holt on the baseball diamond.
“They kind of helped give me that opportunity," Karnes said. "They went there and proved people from Greenwood can do it. I know I can go do it and I don’t have to just fully follow them.”
So, what's in the water down in Greenwood, Arkansas?
“I think it’s our work ethic," Karnes said. "I think if you go to any other high school and see how hard they work versus how hard we work, I know there’s a huge difference. From just the way we work out to discipline. If you’re hand’s on the white when you’re going to do something, you’re going to run. It’s got to be perfect, or we’re redoing it and running. Everyone can take a chewing, but if go to other schools and if they get ripped how we get ripped sometimes, they’d probably lose their mind and quit or something like that. Everyone here is used to it.”
Karnes said he won't be playing baseball this spring, as he will focus on football training ahead of enrolling at the UA after the spring semester. It won't be easy at all, but Karnes will try to get on the field as early as possible.
“My goal is just to get on the field my freshman year, whether it’s at receiver or any special teams," Karnes said. "I just want to get out there and play a little bit. I know as time goes, I’ll play more. Freshman season, I’d love to get out on special teams maybe.”
