Razorbacks football report: Seniors bountiful for Hogs

Arkansas' Kody Walker (24) looks to dodge past Missouri's Ian Simon (21) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Samantha Baker)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema thinks his team's senior class might be the most diversified and comprehensive of any he's coached.

The senior group -- from which Dan Skipper, Kody Walker, Brooks Ellis and Deatrich Wise were selected as team captains last week -- also features a quartet of productive receivers, tight end Jeremy Sprinkle, a trio of defensive linemen, and key defensive backs Jared Collins and DJ Dean.

"One thing that is very apparent with this team is we have great senior leadership," Bielema said. "I don't think I've ever, going into my 11th year as a head coach, been blessed to literally have a senior at every position."

The only position group on the team without a senior would be quarterback, although redshirt junior Austin Allen signed with the class that included Ellis, Skipper and other fourth-year seniors.

Bielema held up Walker as a prime role model.

"We were at that Northwest Arkansas lunch the other day, and I think they've only had like eight of those, and Kody's been to six of them, so I thought that was an interesting perspective," Bielema told the Little Rock Touchdown Club last week.

"Kody has just been an awesome inspiration and a very, very good talent. He'll definitely play a lot of good football for us. He's been through seven surgeries since he's been at Arkansas and is truly an inspiration."

Bielema also touted the senior trio of Taiwan Johnson, JaMichael Winston and Wise on the defensive line.

"They're great role models, leaders and players, everything involved," Bielema said.

Skipper has made his presence felt throughout the program.

"Dan Skipper leads that meeting room," Bielema said. "Nobody questions a guy who's 6-10, 320. They just listen. I do, too.

Hogs Help

The Razorbacks as part of a relief campaign provided supplies to people in the Baton Rouge area who have been affected by flooding.

Coach Bret Bielema tweeted out a picture of he and his wife, Jen, with several cases of bottled water on their way to the loading spot in the parking lot at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Bielema wrote "For our SEC family in need" and included LSU Coach Les Miles' Twitter account on his post.

The Razorback football Twitter account posted several pictures of team members unloading a trailer of bottled water onto a truck. Arkansas captains Brooks Ellis, Kody Walker, Dan Skipper and Deatrich Wise posed for a picture while loading up a truck at Wal-Mart.

Receiver Jared Cornelius, a native of Shreveport, sent out a message asking for support for his home state on social media Friday, and quarterback Cole Kelley of Lafayette, La., reposted it.

Pounds for Reed

Senior receiver Dominique Reed thinks his high-running metabolism is the culprit, but he has not been able to put much weight on his 6-3, 175-pound frame, no matter how hard he tries.

The coaches would like to see a little more meat on him to fend off press coverage.

"Dominique Reed, I just wish I could just take a half pound from everybody on our team and give it to him, or just five from me would be great," Coach Bret Bielema joked at the Little Rock Touchdown Club last week. "He worked his tail off in the rehab room, and I think we'll get him back for the opener. He's as fast as fast gets."

Belize me

Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema was impressed linebacker Brooks Ellis, a pre-med major, took a study abroad course in Belize in May.

"I've been to Belize, but I wasn't studying medicine, I know that," Bielema told the Little Rock Touchdown Club last week to a round of laughter. "You always want your players to be a little more than you were."

Don't get comfy

Arkansas has a projected starting offensive line of tackles Dan Skipper and Colton Jackson, center Frank Ragnow, and guards Hjalte Froholdt and Jake Raulerson for the opener against Louisiana Tech.

First-year offensive line coach Kurt Anderson said competition for those jobs will continue.

"I want our offensive line guys ... to prepare like they're going to be the starter, and I don't want this competition to end, because it brings out the best in them," Anderson said. "One of the toughest things to coach offensive linemen-wise is to battle against complacency.

"You don't want them to feel settled in terms of, 'Oooh, relax, I'm the starter.' I want them to feel like this is it by default because some guys are banged up and when these guys come back, they're going to press you for your job."

Jalen Merrick, who was competing with Jackson at right tackle, resumed practice late last week after sitting with a concussion. Paul Ramirez, who has worked at guard and tackle, is doing individual work as he rehabs a knee injury.

"I want them looking to see the injury report, the depth chart and who's in full pads," Anderson said. "Look at it every single day and go, 'Oh, shoot, he's back. I've got to make sure I've prepared to the umpteenth degree because this guy's coming to take my spot.'

"That's only going to make us a better line and a better football team."

Hackett help

Junior Khalia Hackett has spent a couple of seasons contributing heavily on special teams but sparingly at linebacker, but that might change this season. Defensive coaches said Hackett is working at No. 1 strongside linebacker and also is cross-training in the middle behind Brooks Ellis and on the weak side behind Dre Greenlaw.

"They've got me running at all three," Hackett said. "I'm trying to learn every position.

"I'm really motivated to be that third guy to play, because I remember being on the sideline last year and Brooks and Dre just kept going play after play having to be the guys. I wanted to be the guy to come in and give them some leeway.

"I really should have been a factor last year, but that's in the past. I just have to focus on what I can do this year."

Wise Winston

Senior JaMichael Winston had a big scrimmage Aug. 20, racking up four in-the-neighborhood "sacks" during the 98-play workout at Reynolds Razorback Stadium and in the Walker Pavilion.

Winston, a six-game starter last season, worked with the starters in place of Deatrich Wise, who was in Texas for his grandfather's funeral.

"It felt good to be back in the mix. With our brother Deatrich out that day, we had to step up and make more plays and fill his void," Winston said.

Cajun calls

Quarterback Cole Kelley has been impressive in practice, but Bret Bielema joked that the freshman from Lafayette, La., can be a little tough to understand.

"It's not quite The Waterboy accent," said Bielema, referring to the football comedy movie starring Adam Sandler. "But you'd better have an understanding of where this conversation is going.

"That Lafayette language, I don't quite get that all the time. I asked for a couple of redos in the huddle, especially when he gets excited. Our guys start looking around. We might have to waiver with the NCAA to get an interpreter out there."

Redshirts here

Bret Bielema is putting the most positive twist he can, as is his custom, on the knee injuries suffered by freshman receiver Kofi Boateng and junior cornerback Britto Tutt during training camp.

Bielema, asked how Tutt tore his anterior cruciate ligament, said the injury occurred when Tutt was rolled up after landing while defending a deep pass in the end zone.

"The good news is him and Kofi both have redshirt years possible," he said. "Really probably a blessing in disguise for those two guys.

"Kofi obviously as a freshman, but Britto, we didn't know if we were going to play him or not coming in. We did want to have another set of corner legs. It's going to be kind of nice, because both of them have a lot of upper-body development, lower-body strengthening they need to do, so I think the good Lord works in a good way."

No catch

Bret Bielema said he took advantage of a great teaching moment late in the team's second scrimmage, after a sideline pass from Cole Kelley to tight end Jack Kraus in the Walker Pavilion.

The referees ruled incomplete on the play, where Kraus fell out of bounds with the ball, which brought instant complaints from the Razorbacks' offensive personnel.

Bielema said he asked Kraus whether he caught the pass and was told no.

"Nobody knows what happened better than Jack Kraus," said Bielema, pointing out Kraus' honest response could have saved him from burning his challenge flag at a critical moment in a game.

Walk-on nods

Arkansas players Anthony Antwine and Reid Miller were awarded scholarships by Coach Bret Bielema late Friday.

Antwine, a redshirt junior from Plano, Texas, has played in 25 games, mostly on special teams, but he is expected to take more snaps at tight end this fall. The criminal justice major has played tight end and receiver as a Razorback.

Reid Miller, a sophomore, has practiced as the fourth safety, behind Josh Liddell, Santos Ramirez and De’Andre Coley throughout camp and the lead-up to Saturday’s season opener against Louisiana Tech. Miller, from Hollidaysburg, Pa., played in 12 games last season.

Sports on 08/28/2016