Hog Calls

Wallace finds himself on good path

Arkansas lineman Brian Wallace runs drills during practice Aug. 13, 2014, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Bret Bielema benefits bringing a tradition of the bygone Bobby Petrino era into the Arkansas Razorbacks' future.

The only Petrino recruited offensive linemen earning All-SEC recognition, guard Alvin Bailey and center Travis Swanson, did so after redshirting yet never missing a game.

At least from their first-year rate, redshirt freshman Brian Wallace completes spring practice in today's 1 p.m. Red-White game at Reynolds Razorback Stadium exactly on the Bailey-Swanson path.

In their 2009 freshman year, both Bailey and Swanson redshirted, but unlike nearly all redshirts, never practiced on the scout-team emulating the opposition. Bailey and Swanson practiced second-team like top alternates preparing to play.

Home and road, they dressed out as prepared second teamers.

Redshirting 2009 prepped them to debut in 2010 starting every game. Bailey earned second-team All-SEC before playing consecutive Super Bowls for the Seattle Seahawks.

Swanson, soon beginning his second NFL year with the Detroit Lions, earned All-SEC and USA Today All-America as a Bielema fifth-year senior in 2013.

Wallace seems unlikely to start at right tackle this year backing up two-year starter Dan Skipper, but anticipate future honors for the touted 6-6, 316-pounder from Florissant, Mo.

"The last two weeks he has really come on," offensive line coach Sam Pittman said.

Pittman noted circumstances compelled him to start left tackle Kirkland and Skipper as true freshman guards in 2013 and dictated current first-team right guard Frank Ragnow play backup center while a true freshman last season. Their pressured precocity perhaps portrays Wallace falsely behind their pace.

"It's a little bit unfair at times because you look at Denver and Frank and Skipper, those guys were kind of forced in there," Pittman said. "I am not for sure they were ahead of Brian at this point in time. They were just forced to play. We have been able to hold old Brian a little bit and I think we have done the right thing."

Wallace wouldn't have played that much last season behind 2014 savvy senior right tackle Brey Cook but experienced practicing and traveling like he would play.

"I think it will help me next fall so that when we're on the road and I get on the field it won't be like, 'Whoa!" Wallace said.

It's a plan Pittman practiced previously.

"When we were at North Carolina we had a player named Jon Cooper [a NFL tackle with the Arizona Cardinals] who did the same thing," Pittman said. "Coop [while redshirting] took all the twos and traveled and he was the seventh pick in the draft. I am not trying to put that kind of pressure on Brian, but the bottom line is it helped him. You are coaching them every day but you are not wasting a year on them with 20 reps or whatever. In the past when that has happened, every one of them have been really good players."

Pittman believes Wallace will be one, too.

Sports on 04/25/2015