Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Smooth start to spring
Razorbacks integrate newcomers into first practice.
FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks did not look like a team integrating 10 freshman early enrollees and a handful of other newcomers into their practice-day operations Tuesday.
There was very little klutzing around or lost time as the University of Arkansas hustled through the first day of spring drills under Coach Sam Pittman on the Razorback practice fields on a breezy, overcast day.
Senior linebacker Grant Morgan said strong leadership sparked the well-oiled machine aspect to the start of spring.
“Players are taking really good leadership, offense and defense, the coaches are telling us what to do and we just roll with it,” Morgan said. “It’s straight-up leadership.
“I don’t think we could have started any better. We had a really good practice, went really fast and did a lot of really good things.”
Morgan said Pittman called the team up after an inside-run period, congratulated the group and told them it was the best inside period he had seen without pads on.
“Coach Pittman, coming into this spring constantly speaks on tempo,” senior tailback Trelon Smith said. “He wants everything to be fast. Coming on the field or going off the field he wants us to be running. Coming into day one, that was big on our mind, just transitioning on and off the field today, that was huge and we did a great job of that.”
The Razorbacks were denied their 15 practices of spring last year, right at the advent of the covid-19 pandemic, so this workout held special meaning, even if it was in shoulder pads and shorts.
Media members were allowed to watch eight periods, which lasted nearly 50 minutes.
In the periods available to the media, there appeared to be very few overthrown or underthrown passes, and only a couple of dropped passes during the rapid-fire group periods.
Smith said second-team quarterback Malik Hornsby completed a long pass to Kendall Catalon deep into plus territory during the two-minute drill as one of the day’s top highlights. Josh Oglesby, who has rehabbed from foot surgery, finished off the drive with a touchdown on an outside-zone run, Smith added.
“There was a lot of big plays today,” Smith said. “I broke on a few plays. I saw Treylon Burks on the other side of the field making good catches in the one-on-one drills. The O-line busting their tail. Defense working.
“But I really just like what I’m seeing across the whole board. KJ Jefferson was looking good today as well. He looked comfortable in the backfield. I like what I’m seeing from him.”
Pittman bounced from group to group, lingering with the offensive line and assistant Brad Davis while shouting a few words of advice and encouragement before moving on to running backs and other positions.
The lively workout featured many players wearing helmets with more fully padded exteriors, another effort to minimize concussions.
The Razorbacks worked a lot of three-down fronts on defense during the media portion, with junior Isaiah Nichols at the nose, flanked by junior Zach Williams and redshirt sophomore Eric Gregory often with the first unit.
The first offensive line is a veteran group, and returning starters in center Ricky Stromberg, guards Ty Clary and Brady Latham, and right tackle Dalton Wagner got some run on the first unit with sophomore left tackle Marcus Henderson. Pittman said last season that Henderson’s future was at tackle although he worked at tight end due to need.