Jared Cornelius is making noise on the field and in the studio

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There’s always been a beat rattling around in Jared Cornelius’ head. Arkansas’ junior wide receiver might be trying to make a name for himself on the gridiron, but he’s already got one in the music world.

That name is DJ JRed, and he’s been producing, mixing, matching, mastering and spinning for the better part of the last decade. A local DJ at Teatro Scarpino in Fayetteville, Cornelius has an ever-growing rhythmic life away from football.

“That dude is talented,” said Northwest Arkansas hip-hop artist Bobby “BK” Kitchen. “Really, he’s probably one of the most talented people I’ve ever met. If he plays football anything like he makes music, he’ll be unbelievable.

“If he doesn’t make it in football, there’s no way he won’t make it in music.”

Cornelius’ grandmother used to filled her Shreveport, Louisiana, home every Saturday morning with the smooth, soulful sounds of R&B and funk. Frankie Beverly, Al Green and Earth, Wind & Fire blared as the family cleaned.

Jared Cornelius’ love of music surfaced early in his life. Courtesy of Sylvia Cornelius

His thirst for rhythm amplified in church, where he’d jam to the beat of the choir’s drum on his hymn book with sticks made from the paper fans. At two years old, a waddling Cornelius was asked to try his hand at the full set, in front of everyone. To the congregation’s surprise and delight, he kept up with each song, his mother Sylvia recalls, and eventually got a permanent gig playing alongside the regular drummer with his miniature set.

“I couldn’t stop in the middle of the service and get him off the drums,” Sylvia said with a laugh. “No one would get him.”

Cornelius now plays seven musical instruments. He learned drums, piano and organ all by ear, and learned the saxophone, trumpet and baritone while in middle school and high school concert band. Cornelius picked up bass …

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