Greenwood Coach Expects Karnes to Carry on Tradition of Walk-On Success with Hogs

Program keeps building young men made for difficulties of overcoming non-scholarship status at Arkansas

Arkansas preferred walk-on commit Grant Karnes hauls in a reception for the Greenwood Bulldogs. Karnes was the 6A Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time Arkansas All-State selection. / Kim Singer / Kim Singer Photo

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When the text popped up that Arkansas received another in-state commitment from a receiver this morning, a quick check-in with our lead recruiting writer revealed this would be a preferred walk-on, so the usual information that is already gathered on recruits who commit was sparse.

Rarely do walk-ons warrant a story at all, but that was before a picture of Grant Karnes, the latest to declare he will be a Hog, popped up on the screen. Across his chest was one word that changed perspective — Greenwood.

Arkansas adds Greenwood WR Grant Karnes as a Preferred Walk-On. #WPS https://t.co/AT4kGGGmsY

— Hawgs on the Hill (@HawgsontheHill) February 5, 2025

See, much like Bo Hembree and the Warren Lumberjacks are to wide receivers headed to Arkansas, Greeenwood is the ultimate walk-on factory for the Razorbacks. The Hogs are known for the greatest walk-on of all time, Harrison's Brandon Burlsworth, who tragically died shortly after being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts.

However, not far behind Burlsworth as far as college football success are Greenwood's Grant Morgan and his brother Drew Morgan. Both came to Arkansas without scholarships, and grew into dominant players, Grant as one of the best SEC linebackers ever and a Burlsworth Trophy winner, and Drew as an unstoppable underneath receiver.

There's a lot in Karnes to indicate he fits the Greenwood mold of hard-working young man who has it together and is built with the perseverance needed to stick it out as a walk-on and develop into something special. He began making noise as a freshman after being called up to varsity to start in the playoffs, even staying calm on a key 4th and 20 play in the state championship game against El Dorado to come up with the big catch to set up a touchdown.

By the following season, he became a recognizable name among Arkansas high school athletes with his breakout performance in a shootout against Fort Smith Northside. He posted nine catches, 227 yards and three touchdowns that game en route to nearly 1,300 yards receiving for the year.

However, it's what he did before hauling in the 39-yard winning touchdown pass on the game's final play to stun Northside, 56-53, that says more about what Arkansas is getting. Still only a sophomore, Karnes went to all-everything quarterback Kane Archer with a simple request that rarely comes from those so young.

"I wasn't really nervous or anything," Karnes told 5News after being named Athlete of the Week. "I told Kane to throw the ball to me. As soon as the ball was snapped, I took off and I figured it would be a jump ball in the end zone, but it was thrown short, so I was the first one to come forward. I caught it, Aiden Kennon shielded a guy and I got in the end zone. That was the craziest moment of football played."

In what was by far the least productive of his three consecutive All-State seasons at Greenwood, Karnes caught 72 passes for 990 yards and 13 touchdowns while also returning 11 kickoffs for 396 yards. However, it was the little things that helped Karnes continue to stand out.

"He's very, very consistent in his preparation, his attitude," Greenwood head coach Chris Young told Hootens Arkansas Football after Karnes was named Scholar Athlete of the Week. "He's the same whether he catches 10 balls and has three touchdowns or whether he has a great night blocking playing without the ball. Just a great example to our other players of how you should carry yourself."

By senior year, Karnes was back to his old habit of putting up massive receiving numbers. He finished with 1,302 yards and 18 touchdowns on 80 receptions. It was enough to lead Greenwood to a fourth consecutive state championship game where he claimed the rare accomplishment of starting in a title game in all four possible years of a high school career.

When all was said and done, Karnes had helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back championships for the first time since 2017-18 and was named the Farm Bureau 6A Offensive Player of the Year. Yet, that's not enough to fully meet the standard of what has come to be expected of Razorback walk-ons from Greenwood.

It's how they carry themselves off the field that provides the edge. Sure, the unending work ethic and never quit attitude that is a direct reflection of the hard-working people who support the Razorbacks is a key ingredient, but the other piece of that puzzle is respect.

They want to see respect for the coaches, teachers and mentors who helped mold and guide them. They also want to see respect for the academic opportunity that is there to earn a degree while trying to earn a scholarship with the football team.

As a Scholar Athlete with a 4.0 GPA, Karnes seems to be squared away on the academic side of things as he looks to earn a business degree. As for those who helped him accomplish so much in high school, he was also quick to honor them.

"Some of the main things is just. having great coaches that helped me on the field obviously on and off the field and great teachers that help you during school and everything," Karnes told Hootens. "Just hydrating, eating, doing the right things outside of school when no one's looking I would say."

One person Karnes doesn't have to convince about how everything will play out once he arrives at Arkansas is his coach. There's little doubt Young expects the Greenwood walk-on tradition to continue.

"He's special," Young said Wednesday morning. "He has qualities similar to Grant Morgan, Drew Morgan and Lucas Miller. I can guarantee he will have a positive impact on their program."

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• Kentucky needs to have perspective time to time

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