FAYETTEVILLE — Hjalte Froholdt is the unquestioned leader of the offensive line heading into Arkansas' preseason camp that opens Friday.
The only question regarding Froholdt is where he will play for the Razorbacks in 2018. A preseason All-SEC pick based on his past play at guard, Froholdt also is in the mix at center.
"He got some reps in at center last spring and did some good things," Arkansas coach Chad Morris said Monday. "Actually he was very, very well received there; very smart, just a great leader.
"Do I anticipate he could be a guy there at center? I think if we had a situation where he had to play at that center position, whether through injury or whatever, I believe without a doubt he could do that."
Offensive line coach Dustin Fry was quick to point out that Dylan Hays is the No. 1 center heading into the preseason. Fry said Hays was able to make calls quickly in the spring and showed intelligence at the position.
"Dylan is our starting center and it's his job to lose," Fry said.
Fry said he is looking for a center that can pace the Razorbacks' quick tempo. While many focus on the quarterback controlling the pace, the quickness begins with the snap.
"(The center) has to set our tone with the calls and everything," Fry said. "We kind of do some things that are a little different from what a pro-style huddle team would do. We have default calls, default fronts that just help quicken things a little bit. It's always important for him to get his hand on the ball because the defense knows if he's just standing there that he can't snap the ball. Get up, get your hand down, make the calls, get the defense set - but it's important for the center to be able to identify really quickly."
Fry said Froholdt had those qualities in the spring.
"I liked Hjalte in there," said Fry, who added, "My opinion on center is that you can never have enough guys that you're working there."
Froholdt will start the preseason at the guard spot to Hays' left and will cross train at center. There will be plenty of cross training on the line this summer because of low numbers on the line. Arkansas has 12 scholarship linemen going through preseason drills, three fewer than Morris said is desired.
John Scott Jr., a second-year defensive line coach who previously spent time in the NFL with the New York Jets, said cross training will benefit Froholdt, who could be the Razorbacks' highest draft pick next spring.
"I think it helps him a lot because in the NFL you can only take a certain amount of linemen (seven) into a game," Scott said. "When I was with the Jets, I remember Winston Johnson could play three different spots. Dakota Dozier was another guy that could play center, guard and tackle. I think the more you can do, the more you can help yourself."
Several coaches sang Froholdt's praises Monday prior to a golf outing with media. Strength coach Trumain Carroll called Froholdt "one of the best leaders I've had the opportunity to work with."
"He brings it every single day," Carroll said. "He demands so much from that group that it makes our job easy as coaches. When you have a guy like that leading that group and really demanding their best every single day, you don’t want to let that guy down.
"So that’s really raised the bar across the board for everybody in that offensive line room."
Fry had similar comments. He said Froholdt tries to mimic the leadership traits he learned from former teammates Frank Ragnow and Dan Skipper.
"I think the way he was brought up by those guys is the way he treats (the others)," Fry said. "It's tough love, but he knows that those freshmen are valuable so he's going to love them hard, but he's also going to coach them up and help them off the field and on the field. He sets the pulse every day in the meeting rooms. He's the voice of the offensive line and those guys look up to him."
Fry said that Froholdt's presence helps off the field. He noted that no offensive linemen have been on lists for players who missed study hall or tutoring sessions.
"I don't have O-linemen on those lists and I think one of the reasons why is Hjalte sits down with those guys and says, 'We don't show up on lists. We aren't missing class because we do what we need to do. We aren't on the grade reports,'" Fry said. "That's a senior leader. When it comes from the players and it doesn't have to come from me, that carries that much more weight. I really think those guys don't want to let him down...and when you've got a group like that, anything is possible. He's the best leader I've had up front."
In addition to leadership, Scott said he sees similarities between Froholdt and Ragnow, who was the first-round pick of the Detroit Lions earlier this year.
"I see the physicality," Scott said. "I think Fro has done a really good job of improving his hands. I thought that was one of the best things I saw Frank do. I said it last year when I first saw Frank, I said, 'Frank could go play for the Jets right now' because of how good his hands were. Fro has gotten a lot better with his hands. But the competitiveness, the physicality that Frank brought, Fro is doing all of that.
"He's nasty, but I would describe him as a leader, too. Even when the O-line and D-line are doing a drill and it's maybe not going quite the way we want it to go or we're missing intensity or physicality, Fro is one of the first to speak up and say, 'Hey, let's get this going,' and challenges guys. He definitely makes us better.
"Fro has got a grit and a toughness about him that I really like. He has a really highly competitive spirit. You see that in the drills; he's always trying to finish guys and trying to bury guys in pass protection. If he gets beat on a move, he wants to go immediately again to get it right. You look at him and you're like, 'This guy has the intangible things you look for.' This spring to me he looked a lot more comfortable on the O-line, but he was really trying to bring that physical element to his game. You could see him putting more into that, trying to be really nasty up front."
Whether that nastiness will be put to use at guard or center will be determined in the next couple of weeks.
"Our job is to find the best five and then make them fit," Morris said.