Tight ends glance

RETURNING STARTER Chris Gragg IN THE MIX Austin Tate, Brett Weir, Demetrius Dean and Brad Taylor.

SUDDEN IMPACT Dean, a 2011 signee, didn’t join the team until January, but he made progress in the spring and during fall camp has looked good as a receiver. He has soft hands and can run after the catch, but he has to continue to learn the offense so he can contribute in games.

POSITIVES Gragg, a fifth-year senior, came to Arkansas as a receiver and has developed into one of the nation’s best tight ends. He has retained his speed and receiver skills while growing into a tight end’s body and can be a matchup nightmare for defenses. Tate played in 25 games the previous two seasons and is a solid receiver and blocker.

NEGATIVES Depth is a question after the death of redshirt freshman Garrett Uekman last November, the dismissal of Andrew Peterson and an injury to freshman Jeremy Sprinkle. Peterson, who redshirted in 2011, was arrested on felony burglary charges in the spring. His dismissal was announced in late July. Sprinkle is sidelined after undergoing wrist surgery. Weir has missed the past few days heat-related reasons.

SUMMARY As long as Gragg stays healthy, Arkansas will have an All-SEC caliber tight end. Tate’s experience is a plus when the Razorbacks want to go to two-tight end sets, but they need some of the younger players to come along early to give them more options.