Razorbacks report

Players get ready to thud

Arkansas defensive end JaMichael Winston works through a drill during practice Saturday, April 18, 2015, at the university's practice facility in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Count JaMichael Winston among the Arkansas Razorbacks who are ready to put on more pads today.

"The game comes a lot easier with pads on," Winston said after Friday's second practice in 100-degree heat in helmets and shorts. "So that'll be fun. We'll see these high school guys that ... it's a different ballgame tomorrow."

The Razorbacks will add shoulder pads and thigh pads today, a get-up called half-pack, which will allow for "thud" contact between ball carriers and defenders.

"We're going to be hitting, but it's not to the ground," linebacker Brooks Ellis said. "It's not the same thing as full pads."

Cornerback Jared Collins said he's ready for pad work.

"I'm looking forward to that," Collins said. "I think we'll be able to press tomorrow and disrupt some receivers and disrupt some routes and just get physical."

Tackle swap

Bijhon Jackson has been splitting reps with starting defensive tackle Taiwan Johnson through the first two days. Jackson worked in the spring at noseguard with DeMarcus Hodge.

Freshman Hjalte Froholdt, who worked at tackle in the spring, has moved to second-team noseguard.

"He's coming along at that noseguard position," defensive end JaMichael Winston said. "He and DaMarcus have just bought in to what they're supposed to be doing.

"Coach [Rory Segrest] tells them every day, 'If you just lead with hands, you guys have the easiest position on the field.' They've just been doing it, carrying it over every day and just getting better."

Hot in the heat

The three defensive veterans in the media interview room Friday -- juniors Jared Collins, Brooks Ellis and JaMichael Winston -- had an upbeat take on the first two practice days.

"It was a little hot, but what can you do about it?" Ellis said. "We were out there getting after it ... running to the football. That's really all you can do on a day without pads. We were looking good, looking sharp and we've just got to clean it up tomorrow."

Ellis said Friday's practice was sharper for the defense than Thursday's work.

"Today was a lot better," he said. "Guys were a lot more prepared, fueled their bodies a lot better, a lot more effort going in and running to the football a lot better."

Santos for six?

Apparently the only takeaway in team periods through the first two days of practice has been an interception by redshirt freshman safety Santos Ramirez on Thursday.

Members of the media were allowed to view the opening four periods Thursday and did not have a viewing window Friday.

Based on the in-house coverage of Thursday's work, Ramirez picked off a pass over the deep middle and had a convoy of blockers leading the way on his interception return.

Freaky Bell

Freshman defensive end Jamario Bell has made a strong impression since his arrival from Junction City.

"That guy, he's a freak of nature," end JaMichael Winston said. "I was telling [Jeremiah] Ledbetter the other day, he led the drills and the runs in the summer time. He's so fast."

Winston said he had to rein Bell in a bit Friday.

"He's just been out there getting after the quarterback," Winston said. "I had to yell at him today to stay away from the quarterback when he got his reps in, because he was about to reach over there and grab him. He was on a roll."

Number please

The Arkansas quarterbacks had numbers added to their practice jerseys, a change from the last couple of seasons.

"We like them," quarterback Brandon Allen said. "I think we feel like we're more part of the team now that we have numbers on our jerseys."

In previous seasons under Coach Bret Bielema, the quarterbacks wore green "no contact" jerseys, but they did not have numerals, so identification of the players had to be based on wrist bands, undershirts, knee braces and other factors.

"It does kind of get tricky on film when a lot of us kind of wear the same gear and all generally kind of look the same," Allen said. "It all comes down to waiting to see how someone throws if it's from a far view. I have no idea why they added numbers."

It's urgent

Arkansas strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert, speaking during summer workouts, said the intensity level among the Razorbacks was strong.

"I think their urgency, for the most part, has been very high," Herbert said. "When it has lulled, they've been responsive. They understand the details will give them the ability to do the things they want to do.

"If they make mistakes at inopportune times, it's going to cost them games. If their sense of urgency is high, they're less likely to put themselves in a bad situation. They have to treat it with urgency because it comes and goes. You either take advantage of it or you don't."

Schedule chat

Coach Bret Bielema, speaking at a clinic in Rogers last week, noted the Razorbacks were No. 20 in the USA Today coaches poll, but were also the fifth-highest ranked team in the SEC West as he discussed Arkansas' schedule.

"We have a tremendous opportunity in front of us," Bielema said. "We open with nonconference games with UTEP, then in Little Rock for Toledo, then Texas Tech. Then, because of a computer that sits somewhere in Birmingham, Ala., we play three straight road games.

"So to get where I want to be, obviously we have to be great in Week 1, really good in 2 and great in Week 3. But we have to be exceptional in Week 4, ridiculous in Week 5 and insane in Week 6, because that's when we're at Alabama."

Sports on 08/08/2015