FAYETTEVILLE — Cole Kelley was first into the interview room Thursday night. He was just like the last few practices, much quicker than early in the spring when he said there was “a lot of thinking” as he tried to play fast in the new Chad Morris offense.
Kelley addressed a lot of things on this trip to the interview room, including an apology for an off-the-field alcohol related incident that brought on a suspension .
“I wanted to apologize after that,” he said. “But my lawyer advised me against it.”
So he did it Thursday night when asked about it by a reporter.
“It was a wake-up call,” said Kelley, the rising redshirt sophomore quarterback. “I messed up. Things are just now calming down from that.”
And, since he couldn't issue an apology then, he did Thursday night.
“I want to say how sorry I am to the Razorback Nation,” Kelley said. “I work every day to try to make it up to them.”
And, he said he's working every day to get the pace right in the Morris offense. He said he's also trying to get his weight in order.
“I didn't diet on spring break, but I guess I lost some weight without trying,” he said. “I came back a little lighter.”
There was no mention of the current weight. That's not nearly the focus now that it might be in the offseason. Right now, he's just trying to compete and learn the offense. Morris, the first-year UA coach, said he wasn't ready to pick a starting quarterback this spring. Ty Storey has held the first team spot to open most practices. That doesn't bother Kelley.
“It's like I'm used to,” he said. “Really, it's back to way it was last spring when Ty and I were competing for the backup job. I figured it would be just like this, us trying to make each other better every day. Me and Ty are going to push each other.”
On the speed of his play in getting the offense going, Kelley said it wasn't easy to start spring.
“It's hard because we are going really fast,” he said. “There is a lot of thinking to do.
“So it's real hard and it's taken me a while. You have to think through practice. I'm picking up the pace, though.
“I'd say it's getting to be very fun. I like this offense. I think I like it more than anything I've been in. It's a great way to get the run game going because there aren't going to be as many in the box.
“We've got an RPO (run pass option) game that if you see certain things, then here you go and it's going to be hard to stop. I think it's overlooked how much it helps the run game.”
The competition is good at quarterback, but it's the most intense at wide receiver where the list is deep with experience and talent. Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock wouldn't provide any real help at sorting out the depth chart there.
“Whew,” he said. “We've got a lot of guys still. We are just trying to see who can make plays. We've seen some who have made plays, but we want to see more.
“We are starting to get Jared Cornelius back (from an Achilles injury) but we haven't seen him (in contact). We have heard a lot about him, but he's still limited.
“As far as what we have there, some have made more plays than others. We've seen some things from (freshman) Michael Woods. He could be like (former Clemson wide receiver) Michael Williams, a first round type, if he keeps progressing.
“La'Michael Pettway has made some plays and has ability. He's got to keep going to get those 50-50 balls. Deon Stewart, De'Vion Warren and Jonathan Nance.”
Craddock didn't mention Jordan Jones, one of the regulars last season. Asked about the speedy Jones, Craddock said there haven't been enough flashes.
“He's got to show us more,” Craddock said. “There are glimpses, but he has to block on the perimeter better.”
Kelley was asked for some help in sorting out the wide receiver picture. He was reluctant.
“Oh, there are a bunch,” he said. “Obviously, Nance is one. Warren and Pettway have been good. Pettway is a freak. Brandon Martin has been down for a little bit, but he's done some good things. You've got Stewart and I don't want to leave out the freshman, Woods. He's a freak. Don't forget him.”
“We are having fun. It's been fun every single day. We are getting better and having fun, all of us. We are competing with the defense. They are bringing pressures.”
Defensive coordinator John Chavis said that's been the goal since day one of camp.
“We think we have some things that will create lost yardage plays,” he said. “That's the goal, do some things up front that the guys like and causes problems.
“I think we have some talent to do that. We are just trying to get our best 11 on the field right now.”
That means moving McTelvin Agim to nose guard in some looks and elevating Gabe Richardson to the end spot opposite Randy Ramsey. And, it may mean playing six defensive backs to try to get more speed on the field.
“That (3-2-6) look is something we've always had,” he said. “You want to get faster people coming off the edge. It's something you have to do against these offenses that we see now. We want to give them things that they can't account for or make them change what they are doing. You get some different angles that are hard to contain. We've had success with it.”
Basically, it's a look that makes the offense react instead of the other way around.
“I'm not saying that Sosa is staying at nose,” he said. “He might not. But we want to get our best 11 on the field and that may change week to week against different teams.”
Chavis said he's enjoyed the spring, getting to know his new players.
“I do think they are having fun, too,” he said. “We've got a long ways to go. We do have some talent, but the task is always to find more. So part of what we are doing is always going to be recruiting.”
The pace of practice isn't much different than what he experienced at Texas A&M in Kevin Sumlin's offense.
“It's similar,” Chavis said. “And, it's something we need to do because that's what we are going to see a lot now.
“I don't think anyone huddles on offense any more. We have not huddled on defense in my system in 15 years. The corners never come in. They have to be out wide to see what's going on on and off the field and how to adjust to it. So I don't have them come in.
“I remember a day when you worked to have this pretty huddle with everyone in the right spot. That was offense and defense. Those days are over.”
Chavis said it's a long process for picking his first team, but it sounded like his two inside linebackers are almost set. Dre Greenlaw and De'Jon “Scoota” Harris have been a constant on his first team.
“It sure looks like they will be the starters,” he said. “They were good players when I got here, very well coached. They are smart, competitive and can run. They want to compete each day.”
As far as the backups, Chavis would be hard pressed to name even one more.
“We have three or four who can get there,” he said. “I can tell you this, and I joke about it, but I get paid to develop and find them. So I've got to bring them along and I think there will be some more come around. We just aren't there yet.
“As far as the overall defense, I think we have a chance to be good enough to make tackles on the other side of the line. We have some talent, but we just have a ways to go. We just have to keep working, keep the same approach every day.
“We are putting them in stressful situations. We are working them and they are responding.
“I will say that our strength and conditioning coaches have done a great job of preparing them. We just have to keep doing everything one day at a time. We have some time. There are things they have to do every day, including academics. We have the right support system in place and we are doing a good job with them.
“I can tell you our guys are willing to work. But we haven't played any games yet.”