Keeping them guessing: Anderson building confidence on Razorbacks O-line

Arkansas linemen Jake Raulerson (50) and Dan Skipper (70) participate in a drill during practice Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016, at the football practice field on the university campus in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Trying to keep up with who is playing where on Arkansas' offensive line can be dizzying.

"We show up every day and it's a new front," junior center Frank Ragnow said. "You've just got to deal with it."

Offensive line

RETURNING STARERS Dan Skipper, Frank Ragnow

KEY LOSSES Sebastian Tretola, Denver Kirkland, Mitch Smothers

WHO’S BACK Brian Wallace, Zach Rogers, Jalen Merrick, Colton Jackson, Johnny Gibson, Jake Hall

WHO’S NEW Jake Raulerson, Deion Malone, Paul Ramirez, Jake Heinrich

WALK-ONS Jackson Hannah, Cooper Sone, Tyler Hall, Dylan Hays

ANALYSIS Several spots on the first-team line have changed throughout camp as position coach Kurt Anderson, hired in January from the Buffalo Bills, has sought the best combination and replace three starters. The first unit protected Austin Allen pretty well in the first scrimmage and their run blocking was OK. There is good talent overall, but the lack of game experience is a concern.

The first-team line Thursday during the portion of practice open to members of the media had Dan Skipper at left tackle, Hjalte Froholdt at left guard, Ragnow at center and Jake Raulerson at right guard, with Colton Jackson and Jalen Merrick splitting reps at right tackle.

That was a slightly different alignment than last Saturday's scrimmage, which had Zach Rogers at right guard and Raulerson at right tackle, where Merrick also got some snaps.

Other starting combinations in camp have had Skipper, Jackson and Brian Wallace at right tackle. Raulerson and Rogers have worked at first-team center when Ragnow has gotten a few snaps at right guard.

Paul Ramirez -- a junior college transfer who is expected to miss several practices because of a knee injury -- also has taken reps at starting right guard, as have Merrick and Wallace.

If you've lost count, that's six players who have worked at first-team right guard.

Johnny Gibson and Deion Malone also have been on the two-deep throughout camp.

"You've got the roster, right?" offensive line coach Kurt Anderson said when asked about the first-team work. "Just put everybody in there."

The one constant among the starting spots has been Froholdt at left guard.

"I think they just want me to get real comfortable playing one position right now," said Froholdt, a sophomore who moved from defensive tackle to guard last spring. "Then they'll probably move me around, too, to see what else I can do."

Anderson said he's seen some youthful jitters at times, but believes the inexperienced linemen are starting to settle down. Moving players to different spots, sometimes not telling them where they're going to line up until they're going onto the practice field, Anderson said, is part of the challenge.

"You've got to put pressure on them and kind of create chaos and adversity," Anderson said. "You've got to wound them a little bit so they can heal, scar up and callous up for the long haul.

"I think they're starting to get to that point where they becoming resilient and that no matter what's thrown at them, they know they can come out the other side on top. You've just got to keep pushing them and have them keep battling for a starting spot."

The constant changing of lineups is in contrast to last season, when the same five linemen started at the same positions in all 13 games and there were four returning starters.

"Last year we had four established guys, and then myself being the young guy," Ragnow said. "Now I'm one of the established guys along with Dan, so it's a lot of young guys that are very excited to learn."

Skipper and Ragnow are the only returning starters, but both figure to be in different spots this season, with Skipper going from right to left tackle and Ragnow from right guard to center.

It's not a total rebuilding job for Anderson, hired in January from the Buffalo Bills, but it's a major renovation.

"Every guy in our room has gotten an opportunity," Anderson said. "No one in there can say that they didn't."

Skipper said the shuffling hasn't been a problem.

"I think it provides an interesting dynamic to the group, because you don't know who's going to be in where that day," he said. "It promotes everyone having to learn the offense and know their role to try and bring the best out of them, because inevitably at this rate, everyone's number will be called."

Raulerson, a redshirt junior, brings valuable experience and versatility as a graduate transfer from Texas. He played in 23 games for the Longhorns the previous two seasons with four starts at center and one at right tackle.

"It doesn't matter what you want to do," Raulerson said when asked if he has a preferred position. "It's whatever fits the team best.

"The coaches know where pieces need to be to make sure that the line is good as it can be. If that means me being at tackle right now, that's where I need to be. Or at right guard or center."

Rogers, a sophomore, played in three games as a backup center last season.

"Zach's a guy that doesn't get talked about that much, which is kind of annoying for a lot of us because he's one of the more respected guys in the room to be honest with you," Ragnow said. "He knows the playbook inside and out."

Froholdt said it's a good feeling playing between Skipper and Ragnow.

"It feels real nice having Dan on my left and Frank on my right," Froholdt said. "Two veterans in there that help take care of me."

Jackson has resurfaced as the starting right tackle after being a first-teamer last spring and early in camp on the left side.

"Colton was disappointed, obviously, when Skip went over to left tackle, but he's continued to battle," Anderson said. "He went out and had three or four consecutive days when he had some really good practices, which warranted putting him over on the right side to see if he can't take that spot."

Ragnow said he's confident Arkansas will have a cohesive line for the opener against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 3 despite the loss of All-American guard Sebastian Tretola, center Mitch Smothers and tackle Denver Kirkland from last season.

"With a lot of people, I think their concern is because we've got a lot of young faces," Ragnow said. "People were used to guys like Sebastian and Mitch and Denver, who had been here for a while.

"But we've got a lot of guys here that are young and eager to learn, combined with a coach that's a genius and is a very good teacher on the field. So I wouldn't worry one bit."

Sports on 08/19/2016