FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas will put on full pads for the first time Wednesday, and senior tight end Jeremy Patton said it's time to go in full gear.
"Oh yeah, [full pads] is everything," Patton said. "It's like [tight ends] coach Lunney said, it's like we were out there running around in underwear the first couple of days.
"Actually getting pads on you get the feeling that it's football season. The grind and the hardships that come with it. The pain and aches that come with it. It's time to play some football."
The Razorbacks went through their third practice Monday with helmets and shoulder pads and will don the same gear today. Their first two practices were in helmets and shorts.
"We'll start getting into some of the thud technique," Coach Chad Morris said of the first two practices this week. "We'll get some live work on Wednesday and Thursday. It will be a lot of good on good.
"We'll be doing some live work, tackling to the ground. Friday we'll step back just a little bit and get ready for Saturday's scrimmage. That'll be the first big test, Saturday's scrimmage."
Center exchange
Sophomore Dylan Hays, projected as the starting center, wore a green no-contact jersey during Monday's practice.
"I'm good," Hays said. "Just getting through some stuff, but I'll be fine."
Redshirt freshman Shane Clenin worked at first-team center in Hays' absence, and sophomore Ty Clary -- whose primary position has been guard -- worked with the second team.
"We were having a little trouble with the wet ball," Hays said. "The first time we've done it since spring, so that's going to happen. But they were out there blocking very good and staying heavy through their blocks. I thought they did pretty good."
Tyler Hall worked at right guard with the second-team line when Clary moved to center.
Top catches
Among the best catches during the open portion of practice Monday were back-to-back grabs by tight ends Jeremy Patton and Austin Cantrell.
The catches came on out-turning patterns near the sideline, with both players making hands-only catches with extended arms while trying to stay in bounds.
On the ground
Coach Chad Morris decided to have a little fun with offensive tackle Dalton Wagner during a ball-security drill Monday that was videotaped by the football staff and posted on social media. Wagner had just wrapped his 6-9 frame around the football while on the ground when Morris hit the turf and tried to wrestle the ball free from Wagner, who spun around and kept it away from Morris' prying hands. Morris jumped up grinning moments later, hustling off to another part of practice.
Boyd's OK
Transfer running back Rakeem Boyd -- a featured performer on the latest edition of Last Chance U, a Netflix series that gives an inside look at his Independence (Kan.) Community College team last season -- had a good start to camp, Chad Morris said.
Boyd arrived late in the summer, about a week before camp, which raised conditioning issues.
"I thought Rakeem, I was expecting him to be gassed, with the pace of practice, but I thought he did well," Morris said. "I was impressed to see him maintain the tempo that we were running at, which tells me he's been doing some work. Coach [Jeff] Traylor got a good workout, too. He was running with Rakeem, trying to coach him up every play. You learn on the run right there."
It got hot
Cornerback Britto Tutt said the Razorbacks had a good first practice in shoulder pads Monday.
"I feel like we finished very well with the way the temperature changed," Tutt said. "It started off a little breezy, but then it got real hot.
"[The coaches] were probably looking for everyone to get tired, but everyone kept it going."
The temperature was 84 degrees when the Razorbacks started practice about 10:20 a.m., and it rose to 89 by the end of the workout about 12:45 p.m.
Lost year
Receiver Jarrod Barnes caught two passes for 30 yards while playing six snaps in the season opener last year, then didn't play again after that 49-7 victory over Florida A&M.
The 5-11, 183-pounder from Cabot, now a sophomore, said Monday he's aware of the new rule that will allow players to see action in four games at any point in a season and still get a redshirt year.
"I've heard about the new rule. I wish it had happened to me, but I can't go back in the past and change it," Barnes said. "It is what it is. You've just got to move on from it."
Barnes said he would try to get another season of eligibility after his lost freshman year.
First install
Quarterback Ty Storey said he's eager to use more advanced calls the team drilled on during the spring, but the pace of installation hasn't allowed it yet.
"About the playbook, I feel really good ... knowing all the checks and everything," Storey said after practice No. 2. "It's kind of funny because now we're going back to install one, so some of the stuff we learned in the spring it's like we can't yet call that because we're not there yet ... even though most of our guys know. We're trying to take it slow and make sure the details of the install one are correct."
Specialist style
Cornerbacks coach Mark Smith posted a video on social media Monday that showed the specialists in line for food at the Smith Center, with the highlight being their "hairstyles."
Freshman Matthew Phillips, a punter and kicker from Brentwood, Tenn., had a wide stripe of hair down the middle of his head with patches of an "8" and a "0" on the back to represent his jersey No. 80.
Another newcomer had a crosshatch style shaved into his hair with a small top-knot, and another had a "lizard" look, with an the outline of the reptile shaved in and the ridge of its back consisting of spiked hair held up by gel.
The real 1-5
Former Razorback quarterback Ryan Mallett has been at practices in Razorback gear, though Chad Morris did not say he has an official role with the team when asked about Mallett on Saturday.
Sophomore Cole Kelley wears the same No. 15 and apparently has the same confident manner as Mallett, whose 3,869 passing yards in 2010 are Arkansas' single-season record.
"Me and Mallett, we're pretty good friends," Kelley said to FM-99.5 on Saturday. "I think we're pretty similar. No, I'm the real 1-5 and he knows that, so it's all good."
Jugglers
The crew of punt returners participated in an interesting drill Monday.
Jared Cornelius, Deon Stewart and Jarrod Barnes would catch a punt thrown by a staff member, then hang on to the first ball while catching a second punt. Then the players would have two footballs in their arms while catching a third punt.
"That's the first time they've had me do it," Barnes said. "If you catch all those balls at one time, you can catch the one much easier."
Extra points
• The quarterbacks were back in black jerseys Monday after opening camp in off-white garb.
• The position changes were few for the Razorbacks since spring drills. Deion Malone returned to the offensive line after playing on the defensive front last year. Damani Carter, a linebacker last season, is now adding depth on the defensive front.
• Connor Limpert made his 38-yard field goal during the opening period of practice, while freshman kicker Matthew Phillips' 38-yard try went just to the left of the upright.
Sports on 08/07/2018