FAYETTEVILLE -- First-year Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos is making his voice heard on the practice fields.
Enos' guidance was a constant presence during Tuesday's practice, the Hogs' fourth of spring drills, whether he was calling out praise or making corrections.
During rapid-fire two-huddle work early in the day, Enos shouted, "Too slow over here! Let's go!" to the second huddle.
While special teams worked was taking place on one part of the grass field, Enos was guiding the quarterbacks through a footwork session that is a new drill for the program. In the drill, quarterbacks work up and back and around a configuration of dummies lying flat on the field with Enos giving directional commands and warning against lazy feet.
Linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves and running backs coach Jemal Singleton, Arkansas' two other new assistant coaches, also called out instructions and corrections as if they'd been with the team much longer.
"I couldn't be more impressed with watching our three new coaches on the field," Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said prior to spring break. "They coach their players, get the respect that they're obviously garnishing and earning with their players. It's pretty impressive to watch."
Top backs
Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins, Arkansas' 1,000-yard rushers last season, are going to be withheld from much of the live tackling periods as spring progresses, but it hasn't meant a light workload for them.
Both backs took on plenty of work and showed bursts throughout Tuesday's practice.
Williams took a screen pass over the right side to the end zone on a nontackling play, earning praise from Coach Bret Bielema and new position coach Jemal Singleton.
"There you go! Nice play, J-Will!" Singleton shouted.
Williams also took a pretty good shot in the midsection from defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr., during a thud period.
Collins had a couple of long runs, including a "scoring" play down the right sideline during team periods.
Coming back
The Tuesday practice, with temperatures hovering in the mid-70s with plenty of sunshine, had some small indications that it was the first day back after a 12-day layoff for spring break.
"You could tell we got tired a little early, and that's typical coming off spring break," defensive line coach Rory Segrest said. "You get away from it for a week, 10 days, and obviously your body doesn't function quite the same.
"I thought our intensity and focus was there at least. We had a few mental busts, but I thought for the most part it was good retention from last week."
Defensive lineman Taiwan Johnson called Tuesday's work a good practice.
" Everybody was hustling," Johnson said. "It was great to be back with the team after a week off. I felt like everybody was flying around."
Defensive gems
Defensive end Tevin Beanum, working against the first-team offensive line, burst through to post a no-contact "sack" against quarterback Brandon Allen in an early team period.
Defensive end Deatrich Wise finished strong with several good plays, including a pass breakup just out of the quarterback's hand after crashing into the backfield.
Free safety Josh Liddell had several pass breakups that exhibited his instincts at breaking well and closing on the ball.
Linebacker Brooks Ellis showed some of the pass coverage skills he flashed in the Texas Tech game, tracking backward to break up a pass down the right sideline.
Keon corrections
Senior receiver Keon Hatcher consistently coached up his fellow receivers during passing drills early in practice.
"Get your depth," Hatcher called out once. Later, after a missed connection between a quarterback and receiver, Hatcher chided a fellow receiver, "That's on you."
Hatcher made some of the day's top catches, including a contested grab on an in cut against cornerback D.J. Dean on a pass from Brandon Allen.
Day out
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema said Tuesday on Twitter that running back Juan Day had injured his "other" ACL on a routine play during practice and underwent knee surgery Monday. Day tore an ACL in his right knee during his senior season at North Little Rock High School and spent last year rehabbing from that surgery.
Take away
In one-on-one passing drills, reserve defensive back Ryder Lucas made one of the day's best plays. Lucas ran deep into the end zone with freshman receiver Jojo Robinson while tracking an impressive long pass from freshman quarterback Ty Storey.
Robinson appeared to be on the brink of hauling in the pass when Lucas reached in and yanked the ball away for an interception.
Worth noting
• Receiver Drew Morgan had the day's most comfortable touchdown, using a double move down the right side against Jared Collins the lured the cornerback into committing, which Morgan alone for a long-distance touchdown from Austin Allen.
• Offensive guard Sebastian Tretola wound up 20 yards downfield while following a swing pass to Alex Collins well into the secondary.
• Sophomore Henre Toliver took extensive reps at the nickel position Tuesday as the Razorbacks continued to add packages onto their base defensive look. Redshirt freshman Santos Ramirez, touted as a combination defensive back by the coaches, took the majority of his reps at safety.
• Junior college signee Jeremiah Ledbetter earned some first-team work at nose guard, while sophomore strong safety De'Andre Coley received periodic reps as a starter in place of Rohan Gaines.
• Sophomore Jared Cornelius, who spent the second half of last season as the lead punt returner, was back fielding punts again with the first unit.
• An array of former Razorbacks were on the sidelines checking out practice, including third-year Buffalo Bills tight end Chris Gragg and pro prospects Trey Flowers, Darius Philon and AJ Derby.
• The quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends had a drill in which they went 11 for 11 early in the workout.
Sports on 04/01/2015