Razorback Report

Morris: Captains can wait

Arkansas coach Chad Morris directs his players Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, during practice at the university practice field on campus in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Razorbacks Coach Chad Morris said he probably won't announce team captains until November.

For now, the Razorbacks have a leadership committee that consists of three seniors in safety Santos Ramirez, linebacker Dre Greenlaw and guard Hjalte Froholdt, and junior defensive lineman McTelvin Agim.

"Those are guys that are considered our leaders right now," Morris said. "I usually don't like to select true team captains until we get into the month of November. I want to see how they respond in August, September and October. Because we want to have a November to remember, and into the bowl game. So those guys will take over from there."

Morris said he'll rotate four captains for pregame coin tosses, starting with seniors.

The permanent team captains -- who will be voted on by the players -- will be acknowledged with a display in the Smith Football Operations Center, he added.

"I think it's a big deal to be captain of your team," Morris said. "We'll have some place on these walls for our elected captains."

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Morris said he might add players to the leadership committee as camp progresses.

Heat please

Chad Morris has talked on each of the first two days of camp about wanting hotter days because his team will need them.

"That's why it needs to be as hot as it possibly can be out here," Morris said Saturday, explaining that he wants the players to face some adversity. "I wish we'd have a heat wave because we need that."

The first two days of camp have been warm but not unbearable. The heat index is expected to rise this week into more normal August weather.

Good hands

The defensive backs are wearing boxing gloves in one-on-one drills to help them focus on their footwork and not use their hands to grab, but it didn't stop D'Vone McClure from making an interception in Friday's practice.

"I thought that was pretty amazing," safety Santos Ramirez said.

McClure, a sophomore who played receiver in 2016 after playing four years of minor league baseball, rejoined the team last spring and was moved to nickel back. He made the interception while covering Kolian Jackson.

"You look that thing in," McClure said. "Receiver turned defensive back. The paws still work. Yeah."

Gerald works

Defensive lineman Dorian Gerald, a transfer from College of the Canyons in Santa Clara, Calif., went through his first practice Saturday after missing Friday's workout to complete paperwork.

"I was glad we had Dorian out there," University of Arkansas Coach Chad Morris said. "It was good to see him getting in the flow of things. He had a lot on him, but I thought he moved around well."

Lunney's lingo

Tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. gave an honest description of learning the Chad Morris offensive system in the spring while working with a group of offensive coaches -- Morris, coordinator Joe Craddock, running backs coach Jeff Traylor, line coach Dustin Fry and receivers coach Justin Stepp -- who were well ahead of him on the schemes.

"It was a challenge, but an invigorating challenge," Lunney said. "The juices were flowing. I was so excited to be able to be retained and be a part of what's going on.

"To a large degree, I was like a step ahead of [the players]. Joe and those guys did a great job of teaching me. I took to it very quickly and so have our players. But it was fun. It was a bit nerve-wracking to a degree. I didn't want them to know that I was just a step ahead of them at times."

Sad day

Kevin Richardson's setbacks have been plenty the past few years. The former walk-on from Jacksonville missed all but the opener in 2016 after suffering a torn pectoral muscle, and he was held back from active participation in spring drills as he awaited NCAA legislation affecting his sixth year of eligibility.

Last Sunday, Richardson suffered a foot injury that required surgery while moving into a new residence. The team's top nickel back, a defensive captain in 2017 and the only defender to intercept Alabama's Jalen Hurts will be out several weeks and is likely to miss at least a couple of games.

"That was a sad day, man," senior safety Santos Ramirez said. "Kevin is one of our leaders and most talented on the team. Losing his experience at nickel, it's going to hurt us man, I'm not going to lie to you. But we've got some talent that can play the nickel position. They've just got to learn the scheme."

Derrick Munson and D'Vone McClure were the top two nickels during spring, and freshman Joe Foucha is now learning the spot.

Fun weighs

The Razorbacks had a weigh-in Thursday night before their first practice Friday.

Players were introduced as if they were boxers weighing in for a prize fight in Las Vegas. Some flexed their muscles and screamed with their shirts off as they were cheered on by teammates and coaches.

"It's all about creating energy, having fun with what we're doing," Chad Morris said. "We all know there's a lot of work involved to get to this point. There's also a lot of work as you go through the course of the season.

"At some point, you have to step back and have some fun with it and have some fun with our guys."

The weigh-in has become a tradition for Morris' teams.

"Everybody was excited for it," linebacker Dre Greenlaw said. "Everybody wanted to look good.

"The environment we had yesterday was perfect for the first day of camp. It got our energy going."

Defensive line coach Steve Caldwell also tore off his shirt.

"Hey, he actually did look good," Greenlaw said.

Randy Ross, the team's director of football operations, didn't take off his shirt, but Greenlaw said he's also in good shape.

"Coach Ross is kind of a buff older guy, too," Greenlaw said. "He probably can go out and step on the scales and be 200 pounds."

Hjalte Froholdt gave a scream and stuck out his tongue after he came off the scales.

"I was doing Conor McGregor there," Froholdt said.

Morris said the weigh-in also serves as motivation.

"When you're standing on the scale right up here in front of all your teammates, you can tell who's been working harder than others," Morris said. "We had a couple guys immediately after the weigh-in go straight to our nutritionist and go, 'Hey, can I have a little help? I need to gain some weight?' or 'I need to lose some weight.'

"That's called accountability. I was pleased."

Nose for the ball

Sophomore cornerback Chevin Calloway had an interception during drill work in each of the first two practices.

"It feels good," said Calloway, who is working as a starter opposite Ryan Pulley. "It just reminds me I can compete. I just need to continue to study film and keep that confidence each and every day."

Pulley, a junior, said he's been impressed by Calloway's quiet confidence.

"Chev really doesn't talk too much," Pulley said. "He just soaks in all the information and goes out there and grinds every day."

Quick turnaround

The Razorbacks practiced Saturday morning after completing their first practice Friday night.

"These guys were ready to practice this morning," Coach Chad Morris said. "It was a quick turn, so it was going to be kind of a test for them coming off a long practice yesterday.

"They had meetings early this morning, started at 8 o'clock. But those guys showed up with a lot of energy, a lot of excitement. I thought we had a really good day."

Morris said he thought the players ran through the whistle better Saturday than on Friday.

"We obviously can't tackle," he said. "We want to focus on finishing. We hold the whistle until the play gets out on the edge or across the middles or a run happens.

"I'm not apt to blow the whistle quick. I want to see guys tracking to the ball and see if they're taking great angles, see if our running backs are finishing, see our wide receivers are catching. Those are all big things that we look for in a tracking time."

Morris said the coaches stress the tempo of practices to the players.

"Is it tracking? Is it thud or is it live?" he said. "When we can all learn how to practice, that's when you really see your team grow and develop to be able to keep guys healthy and practice the right way."

Sports on 08/05/2018