FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas coach Bret Bielema loves his offensive and defensive linemen, and that’s why his program is hosting a camp just for the big guys Sunday.
It’s the first Trench Hogs camp with the Razorbacks hoping to land the program’s next great lineman.
Former linemen like Trey Flowers and Sebastian Tretola are scheduled to be on hand to work the camp for Bielema, who also had several of his offensive linemen drafted while he was at Wisconsin.
Four of Bielema’s former Badgers - Cleveland tackle Joe Thomas, Cleveland guard Kevin Zeitler, Dallas center Travis Fredrick, Buffalo center Ryan Groy and Detroit guard Ryan Wagner - have signed multi-million dollar deals in the NFL while Arkansas' Travis Swanson and Denver Kirkland are also playing in the NFL.
Thomas, Zeitler and Fredrick all spent time as the highest-paid players at their positions.
“I saw a stat, the highest paid left tackle, right guard and center in the NFL were three guys I’ve coached,” Bielema said.
Bielema stresses that his players are playing in the NFL and not just picking up a paycheck.
“I will show the number of offensive linemen that we have had drafted against their school and what they are doing in the NFL,” Bielema said while of recruiting against other schools. “Are they playing in games, are they starting, are they out of the league in two years? Our guys go and play.”
Bielema, whose program is hosting a specialists camp Saturday, credits players' NFL success to the fact he still employs a pro-style offense instead of the spread.
“I was taking to an NFL guy and he said there are normally 18 to 20 (offensive line) guys in the first three rounds, and this year there was just seven,” Bielema said.
“The de-emphasis on the run game and how linemen play the game offensively, it is really changing the pool that is going up to that next level, which we are going to continue and market because it helps us out down the road.”
Bielema has made it a point to be involved in satellite camps in the northern U.S., as he was Wednesday at Northern Illinois University.
He uses that part of the country to supplement in-state recruiting.
“There’s one common denominator: (the offensive linemen) are all from the North,” Bielema said. “That’s the reason I go to Chicago, I go to Detroit - to target offensive lineman just because I think they fit better into what we do.”
Frank Ragnow, the Razorbacks center, is expected to be a high draft pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
“Not only is he one of the best centers in college football, he may be the best offensive lineman I’ve ever recruited, and he’s out of Minnesota,” Bielema said.
Bielema became aware of the differences in recruiting offensive and defensive linemen when he arrived at Arkansas.
“It is something I noticed when I first got down here,” Bielema said. “At my previous stop, the hardest position to recruit year in and year out was the freaky defensive line guys. The guys who when they get off the bus you are just like ‘Oh, I know what he is.’
“Those guys are just more prevalent and I think there are more numbers of them in the South, geographically. I think that just jumps out.”