[Buckskin86]

Oden up and running

The pressure to win football games in the Southeastern Conference is perhaps unmatched, so if a coach has a 6-foot-8, 328-pound freshman offensive tackle with star potential hanging around, it?s probably a good idea to use him.

This perhaps is the thinking at Arkansas, where Anthony Oden (Dunbar) is carving out an identity for himself beyond simply being the brother of NBA 7-footer and former Ohio State standout Greg Oden.

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said Oden definitely will play today at Alabama in the Razorbacks? most important game to date. And judging by the recruiting fuss that was made over him, he should be seizing a permanent job before long.

Oden, who turns 20 in a few days, also drew interest from Indiana, Oregon State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Purdue, North Carolina State and Kansas. He spent last season at Hargrave Military Academy getting his academic game in shape and helping the football team go 10-1.

Oden?s local connection came about when his mother moved here to be closer to Greg, who played one season at OSU before the Portland Trail Blazers made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. Anthony spent his junior year at Dunbar before moving back to Indianapolis.

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