Razorbacks Report

Williams runs plays, but not hit

Arkansas running back Jonathan Williams goes through drills Tuesday, March 31, 2015, in Fayetteville.

Jonathan Williams was running plays Saturday instead of watching them.

Arkansas' senior tailback, who has 2,321 career rushing yards, watched from the sideline when the Razorbacks scrimmaged the previous two weeks to save wear and tear, but he went to work in Saturday's non-tackling scrimmage.

"I wasn't going to make J-Will necessarily do it, because I told him coming into it that Saturdays were going to be his day to kind of gather himself," Coach Bret Bielema said. "But if you know anything about J-Will, he wasn't going to miss today."

Alex Collins, with 2,126 career rushing yards, didn't practice Saturday to rest his ankle injury.

"Alex, I think, should be back for us next week and involved in practice," Bielema said.

Safety Rohan Gaines and running back Kody Walker practiced in green noncontact jerseys. Kicker Cole Hedlund was sidelined by a strained quadriceps muscle.

Sprinkle rebounds

Tight end Jeremy Sprinkle has been a standout player this spring, but he had what Bret Bielema termed his worst practice on Saturday.

Bielema said Sprinkle showed up at 9:50 a.m. for a 10 a.m. meeting and "was sleep-walking" through the first half of practice.

"He dropped balls, he ran wrong routes," Bielema said. "I jumped him because he has been a skyrocket since his first day at spring ball and today he regressed."

Bielema said Sprinkle had a strong finish to practice.

"We got together for that fourth quarter and I said, 'I don't care if you have the best practice or your career or the worst practice of your career, it is about what you do this point forward,' " Bielema said. "He caught two balls and played extremely well. We had a nice moment there after practice and my guess is that will be the last meeting he walks into 10 minutes ahead of time."

Defense wins

The defense "won" all the two-minute work at the end of Saturday's practice. Quarterback Brandon Allen threw five consecutive incomplete passes during the period, though he had a 20-yard scramble in between. Allen bounced back to complete passes to Keon Hatcher, Jeremy Sprinkle and Jojo Robinson with one incompletion mixed in to drive the first unit to the 21, but the series ended on a "sack" by linebacker Khalia Hackett, with Tevin Beanum also in the backfield.

Bijhon Jackson had a one-hand touch "sack" on Rafe Peavey, then defensive back Ryder Lucas intercepted a Peavey pass to end one second-team two-minute session.

Austin Allen completed two passes to Alex Voelzke and one to Luke Rossi to move the second unit, but that sequence ended when defensive tackle Armon Watts broke through for a sack.

Virtually amazing

Athletic Director Jeff Long approved the purchase of virtual reality equipment the team plans to use to take extensive video in practice Tuesday and Thursday.

Bielema said he believes the technology "could be an amazing teaching tool" for the Arkansas coaches and players. Auburn and Vanderbilt are the only other SEC teams who have the technology.

Edwards update

Sophomore receiver Kendrick Edwards, who was suspended from team activities earlier this spring, will be allowed to take summer school classes as a probationary period, Bret Bielema said.

Bielema indicated Edwards will be able to rejoin the team for fall practice if he follows an approved plan of action.

Beliema said Edwards "has grown a tremendous amount in the last three or four weeks and has been unbelievable in the classroom."

Edwards is going through individual weight-lifting sessions with strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert, Bielema said, and hasn't missed or been late for any of their sessions.

Key plays

Defensive end JaMichael Winston broke through and disrupted an end-around by Keon Hatcher, one play after Hatcher made an sideline catch against safety Rohan Gaines.

Receiver Damon Mitchell, who has had a few drops in team periods, responded with a good day on Saturday. He caught pass from Rafe Peavey that would have been a touchdown. Later, he made a catch in traffic on a deep pass from Austin Allen on a play that had just been whistled dead as a defender approached Allen.

Jojo Robinson made an over-the-shoulder catch and got a foot down inbounds on a deep pass down the left sideline.

Red zone

The offense had two false starts in red zone drills early in practice, before rain forced the workout inside.

Adam McFain made a 27-yard field goal and Lane Sailing converted a 19-yard field goal to end the red zone series.

McFain went 3 of 4 earlier in the practice, missing from 49 yards; Sailing was 4 of 5, coming up short from 52 yards.

Ramsey on hold

Sophomore linebacker Randy Ramsey won't practice the rest of the spring so he can focus on academics, Bret Bielema said.

"If he does that, then we'll see where that goes," Bielema said. "But he's got to have some urgency in the classroom immediately."

Bielema said the coaches need to be able to count on players as they continue to mature within the program.

"We hope to have our biggest returns when they're sophomores, juniors and seniors and getting better," he said. "If we invest all this time in them and they're not going to be here, we should invest in some others. That's kind of the message we have."

Harris makes play

Linebacker Josh Harris continues to impress the coaches with his work on the second-team defense.

Harris intercepted an Austin Allen pass during Saturday's practice after having 11 tackles in scrimmages the previous two Saturdays.

"He's a very instinctive player," Bielema said. "I think he reads very, very well. I think he's going to be a dynamic player for us in special situations, maybe some critical downs. Maybe as a nickel backer, something along those lines.

"I also think he'll be a terror on special teams. He's very explosive football player. A guy that we'll definitely search to find roles for."

Looking back

The Razorbacks had a team meeting before Saturday's scrimmage during which they watched old practice video.

"I pulled out some clips from two and three years ago ... and compared it to what we're doing now and it was very entertaining to watch some of these guys that are playing for us now as well some players that are playing in the NFL," Bret Bielema said. "It showed where they were two or three years ago and where they are today. It was kind of my motivational tool to show them what practice can do for you."

Family time

Offensive line coach Sam Pittman missed Saturday's practice to attend the funeral of his brother-in-law, who died after a battle with cancer.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Sam and Jamie, his wife," Bret Bielema said.

Bielema said he and his wife Jen attended the visitation Friday.

Sports on 04/19/2015