ARKANSAS SPRING FOOTBALL REPORT: Chavis wants best 11 on field

McTelvin Agim, Arkansas defensive lineman, warms up Thursday, March 1, 2018, during Arkansas spring football practice at the Fred W. Smith Football Center in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The move of McTelvin Agim from defensive end to nose guard last week is a delicate subject, as the quick-twitch junior has voiced a preference to play end, where he has strong pass-rushing skills.

Defensive coordinator John Chavis wanted to see what the 6-3, 280-pounder looked like on the inside next to T.J. Smith, who was also an end last season. Experimentation with defensive linemen and how they produce inside or out is nothing new, and it's similar to the search for Agim's ideal position done by the Bret Bielema coaching staff. On the current roster, Briston Guidry, Jake Hall and Jonathan Marshall have all worked inside and outside.

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Chavis said where Agim lines up will be based on matchups.

"We're just trying to see what he can do," Chavis said. "One of our biggest goals is to get our 11 best players on the field ... and there's no question he's one of our 11 best.

"We're not even there yet in terms of game planning and stuff like that. It'll basically depend a lot on matchups and what we feel like we have to stop and where he can be most effective."

Big stand

The top defensive line for Wednesday's scrimmage featured ends Randy Ramsey and Gabe Richardson, with Agim and Smith on the inside.

The defensive starters for the Arkansas Razorbacks won a spirited goal-line series against offensive starters in one of the highlights of Wednesday's lengthy scrimmage in the rain.

The sequence was engineered by quarterback Austin Aune, who had runs of 10 and 7 yards on the series after a pair of 3-yard runs by Devwah Whaley.

Tailback Chase Hayden had a breakaway gain around the left side on which safety Santos Ramirez was the last defender available to make the stop, and he brought down the sophomore running back at the 3-yard line after a 23-yard gain.

On first and goal, linebacker Dre Greenlaw broke through on a pitch at left end to Hayden and stopped him for a 1-yard loss. T.J. Smith crashed through on the next snap and stopped Hayden for a 2-yard loss.

The defense finished off the stand with solid coverage on a pass play on which Aune threw wide of a receiver in the end zone.

Be 'the guy'

Coach Chad Morris is always recruiting and motivating. Asked about all the visitors who have been to campus this spring, he mentioned the huge numbers of high school coaches who have attended workouts and the large number of top prospects who have come through. Then he addressed his current roster.

"As I shared with our players today, 'Don't be a guy, be THE guy,' and we've got an opportunity to sell to these recruits you can come here and be the guy," Morris said. "You can be the reason. Some guys like that and some guys don't. They don't want to go be the guy. They want to go where somebody else is the guy and they've already done it.

"We're going to get great players here. And then when you get them here you've got to develop them. I've been very pleased with how that's worked out."

In your head

Ryan Pulley wins some plays before the ball is snapped, claims quarterback Cole Kelley.

"I think what's overlooked -- and obviously he's physically gifted and the way he covers and can flip his hips is something special -- but I think the best part about him is his mind," said Kelley, who has thrown picks to the junior cornerback who is recovering from a pectoral injury. "He gets in people's heads. I think he's very intimidating for wideouts to go against."

Pulley gave receiver La'Michael Pettway an earful after the cornerback broke up a pass, straddling the fine line between pass interference and a good play, in Wednesday's scrimmage.

"Oh man, it was real fun," Pulley said. "We're just out there competing every day. The whole team actually."

5 to go

The Razorbacks will work out Tuesday and Thursday in advance of the Red-White game Saturday at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Those three practices will bring their spring total to 13, two shy of the maximum allowed by the NCAA.

Coach Chad Morris said the two practices after the Red-White game will largely be tailored to explaining workout plans for the players through the summer. Those practices are tentatively set for April 9 and 11.

"Those will really be a modified, light practice," Morris said. "So we really left it open to our high school coaches, if you want to come, you're gonna see about a 45-minute practice there, but that's kind of to fine-tune the details of summer work."

New nickels

Sophomore Derrick Munson had been running with the starters at strong-side linebacker early in the spring, but after the break the 5-11, 207-pounder was in the secondary as a nickel back. He works the position along with cornerbacks Chevin Calloway and Kevin Richardson, who is in limbo until he learns whether the NCAA will grant a sixth year of eligibility.

In the Razorbacks' package with six defensive backs, called "Mustang," Britto Tutt came in to play corner, while Munson and Calloway were both inside.

The nickel under coordinator John Chavis gets latitude to be a ballhawk at times.

"The way we have it, he just flies around," cornerback Ryan Pulley said. "He's free back there, so he can fly around and find the ball. See ball, get ball."

Calloway said the coaches like him at nickel.

"I've still got a lot of learning to do," Calloway said. "That scrimmage was only my second day of playing nickel. I think with more practice, I'll get better at it."

Going to Jared?

Senior receiver Jared Cornelius was upgraded to his white No. 1 jersey for the offense last week after being in the no-contact green jersey the first two weeks of spring, but he still had limitations in his recovery from Achilles surgery.

Cornelius was positioned as the return man on punts Wednesday, but he was held out of contact work.

The 5-11, 207-pounder, who had 32 receptions for 515 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2016, will add key experience for the Razorbacks' receivers this fall. Cornelius had five catches for 43 yards, including a touchdown, when he suffered a torn Achilles on the first play of the second half of a 50-43 overtime loss to Texas A&M last year.

"I can't wait to get Jared out there at really full speed to see what he can do," offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said. "I've heard a lot about him. I know you guys ask a lot about him, so I can't wait to get him fully healthy and see what he really does."

Getting chippy

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Coach Chad Morris said he didn't mind the flare-up between guard Jalen Merrick and defensive end Gabe Richardson, which led to a brief exchange of blows during Wednesday's scrimmage, as long as the team bond was in place at the end of the day. Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock echoed that sentiment on Thursday.

"That's just football, man," Craddock said. "We're just out there having a good time. Tempers are going to flare every once in a while, but we all know this is a brotherhood and as soon as you walk off the field, hey, we're back to being a team.

"We've got to get after each other. If we weren't out there being a little chippy, we'd have a problem. I'm glad those guys are kind of getting after each other on the field. There's no problem as long as you don't bring it into the locker room, and those guys didn't do that."

Hog logo

Chad Morris was asked Wednesday about building relationships with former Razorbacks, including current NFL players who have been on campus recently.

"Isn't it neat when you see all those guys come back?" Morris replied. "It's really special. I was visiting with Ryan Mallett yesterday. All these former players coming back here ... this is just my personality, but I want to welcome these guys back."

Among the many former Razorbacks who have been at practices this spring are Jarius Wright, Mallett, Hunter Henry, Brooks Ellis, Deatrich Wise Jr., Chris Gragg, Chris Smith, Mark Smith, Drew Morgan and Knile Davis.

"As I shared with our players today before we broke and went to the scrimmage, there has been many people that sweated and cried and cheered that wore that logo on your helmet before you," Morris said. "There's going to be many people after you. But what are you going to do while you wear that logo on your helmet? That's what's going to determine your legacy and our legacy as a team moving forward."

Injury report

A handful of Razorbacks were not cleared to go through last week's scrimmage, including new injuries to tight end Jeremy Patton (stinger) and receiver Brandon Martin (foot sprain), and defensive tackle Briston Guidry missed the workout. Defensive tackle Austin Capps (hernia) had still not been cleared for practice, though he upgraded to a yellow (no participation) jersey.

Linebacker Bumper Pool joined the ranks of players in green (no-contact) jerseys, which also included defensive backs Kevin Richardson and Reid Miller, and receivers Kofi Boateng and Koilan Jackson.

Extra points

• Chad Morris said Wednesday's scrimmage marked redshirt freshman quarterback Daulton Hyatt's best practice.

• Morris said the football program had welcomed roughly 850 high school coaches to campus during the course of spring. The list includes many local coaches as well as entire coaching staffs who have traveled from afar to take in the workouts.

• Razorbacks offensive and defensive coaches have a portion of their days set aside to chat with visiting coaches and staffs. "We just open our doors and say, 'Come on, we want to talk ball.' " Morris said.

Sports on 04/01/2018