FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas has lost two assistant coaches the past two years who were Florida natives, Charlie Partridge and Randy Shannon, but the recruiting pipeline to the state has continued.
Arkansas signed five Florida-based players on national signing day Wednesday, raising the total of Florida players on its roster to 15.
Defensive coordinator Robb Smith said Arkansas continues to recruit Florida effectively because of Coach Bret Bielema.
"I think it starts with Coach B," Smith said. "He's done a great job throughout his career developing relationships there with high school coaches. When you go into a school in the state of Florida with a Razorback on your shirt, people take notice."
Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman said many high school prospects in the Sunshine State are looking for something different and are impressed by Arkansas when they visit.
"Before the kids get on campus, I think they think we're riding horses and have sheep and all that [on the way] to class, and by golly, we don't," Pittman said. "We've got a mall and a cinema and all kinds of stuff, and we have a safe community.
"Hopefully, they trust us and they figure out, 'Hey, these old boys are telling us the truth.' Once that happens, I think we can pull them out of Florida."
Smith signs
Details of Arkansas receivers coach Michael Smith's agreement are expected to be released this week.
Smith, who said he signed the contract on national signing day, was the ninth assistant football coach to agree to terms for the 2015 season, although running backs coach Joel Thomas is reportedly on the brink of leaving for a job with the New Orleans Saints.
Smith said he and Bielema had recent discussions about his contract.
"There were some things, but we talked them out, got it all worked out," Smith said.
Will of his own
Arkansas tight end signee Will Gragg of Dumas follows in his tight end brother Chris' footsteps with the Razorbacks, but Bret Bielema is convinced the newest Gragg on campus will go his own way.
"I think Will's named Will for a reason," Bielema said. "He's his own independent man. He's been very impressive since coming to campus. Grew up with a little bit of a spotlight on him because of his name and his brother, but he's been nothing but impressive to not only our coaches but our players since he arrived on campus."
Gragg is one of eight Arkansas players who enrolled for the spring semester and has been on campus since January.
Vernon's dad
New linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves said he has met all of his position players and that it didn't take them long to get to know his background.
"Nowadays with social media, everybody does their homework, so they've already been on the Internet figuring where I've been and who I've coached," said Hargreaves, who came to Arkansas from Houston and has coached at Miami and South Florida. "The first thing they all say, is, 'Oh, you're Vernon's dad.'"
Hargreaves son, Vernon III, is an All-SEC cornerback at Florida.
"I'm not even the coach now, I'm just Vernon's dad," Hargreaves said, laughing. "But I know they've looked at some of the guys we've had in the past and the success we've had, and hopefully I can help these guys become as good as they want to be."
Line moves
Offensive line coach Sam Pittman said his first order of business in the spring will be to identify his top tackles, and that starting guard Denver Kirkland would get a chance to move out and take one of those spots.
The Razorbacks return Kirkland and Sebastian Tretola at guard, center Mitch Smothers and left tackle Dan Skipper but must replace Brey Cook.
"We're going to find the tackles first, that's the key," Pittman said. "To move Denver out there might be a permanent move, but he's going to move out there one way or the other. He's going to move out there either as a backup or he's going to move out there to start.
"It all depends basically on Brian Wallace, how ready he is."
Pittman said nailing down a center would be the next priority, followed by settling on a right guard to play opposite Tretola.
Captain Greenlaw
Signee Dre Greenlaw of Fayetteville was a defensive captain and starter for Team USA in the U-19 International Bowl against Canada on Saturday at Maverick Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Greenlaw, a defensive back for the Bulldogs, could start out at safety or outside linebacker for Arkansas.
Twin visions
Offensive coordinator Dan Enos reiterated his shared offensive vision with Bret Bielema on signing day.
"We're going to be a physical football team," Enos said. "We're going to run the football. We're going to create balance and use our players. I think offensive coaches, one of our main jobs is to use our personnel, figure out who our best players are on our offense and find creative ways to get them the football. That's what we're going to do."
3-way player
Bret Bielema said highly regarded defensive line signee Hjalte Froholdt was recruited by an array of Razorback coaches.
"He kind of survived three different recruiting segues with us," Bielema said, noting that Froholdt's recruitment at Arkansas started in 2013. "Charlie Partridge recruited him for a little bit, then transition. I really hopped in there because he'd seen so much transition."
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Sports on 02/08/2015