FAYETTEVILLE -- University of Arkansas defensive coordinator John Chavis raced down the sideline to get a chest bump from freshman safety Jalen Catalon early during Monday's morning practice.
The 62-year-old Chavis was so pumped up by Catalon's interception and touchdown return down the left sideline off redshirt freshman quarterback John Stephen Jones that he sprinted down the sideline, shouting all the way, during Catalon's runback.
Contrast that to Chavis' commentary from the previous Monday on Catalon, who has recovered from knee surgery, when Chavis was clearly trying to not overhype the newcomer.
"We'll see. We'll see," Chavis said. "He hasn't been on the field yet. I think he's had good rehab. I think he's ready to compete, and we'll kind of see where it goes from there."
Catalon's pick-six was one of three takeaways for the Razorbacks' defense during the team periods that opened practice No. 3 in shoulder pads and shorts on the Arkansas practice fields.
On the first day of awarding the "championship belt" of this training camp, the defense seized it with the takeaways, much like it did most of the spring.
"I told you nothing's going to change. We're going to try to win the belt every day," sophomore cornerback Jarques McClellion said. "We don't play this game for fun. We're trying to win. That's the whole point. Every play matters."
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Senior linebacker De'Jon Harris dropped into coverage on the second snap of the opening period and intercepted a Ben Hicks pass over the middle. Harris also looked to have room to return his takeaway.
"Three turnovers in the first team period," defensive end Gabe Richardson said. "Two pick-sixes and a forced fumble, and we continued to go with that, we stayed hungry and we got the belt."
In addition to the interceptions by Harris and Catalon, linebacker D'Vone McClure forced a fumble.
The Razorbacks will don full pads for the first time on Wednesday in practice No. 5.
Coach Chad Morris, who was not scheduled for a media session Monday, dropped into the interview room at the Smith Center to provide a quick update on offensive tackle Noah Gatlin, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Friday's camp opener.
"Our plans are for Noah to have surgery this week," Morris said. "He did tear his ACL, which is unfortunate. But that happens. It's football. You move on.
"He'll become a better person and a better player because of it. It's just some adversity that he'll have to go through. Hopefully we'll get that surgery done towards the end of the week and start his recovery and get him back hopefully for some of spring. Then obviously he's got plenty of years left ahead of us."
Sophomore Dalton Wagner continued to run with the first team at right tackle, while redshirt freshman Ryan Winkel and junior-college transfer Myron Cunningham took reps behind him. Cunningham is also competing with senior Colton Jackson at left tackle.
"With Gatlin gone, that takes some of our tackle depth down," Jackson said. "That forces some guys that probably didn't think they were actually going to get in the game or be that backup, reality is setting in that your number could be called any time.
"They've been working Winkel in there ahead of Myron, giving Dalton a break and moving everybody around."
Gatlin watched Monday's practice from the end zone bench seating outside the Walker Pavilion wearing a full-length compression sleeve on his right leg.
Monday's workout was held in the warmest conditions of camp, with temperatures pushing into the mid-80s after hovering in the mid- to high 70s the first couple of days.
Morris called Friday's installation as good a first day as he had seen in his time as a coach, and he seemed equally encouraged after Day 3 of installation on Monday.
"I'm real pleased with where we are right now," Morris said. "I thought today we had a little bit of sun on us, which is good. I thought our guys responded, getting a lot of reps. Tempo was good today. We've got to keep straining these guys. That's the key right now."
Junior wide receiver Jordan Jones returned to practice Monday after missing Saturday's practice to return to Smackover for the funeral of a family member.
"It was good," Jones said to describe Monday's work. "I didn't get to practice because I had to do another day without pads, so I just had to do a lot of the team stuff, but I didn't get to do any of the live stuff. It was good to be back out there."
Morris had hoped to be able to scrimmage on the new grass at Reynolds Razorback Stadium by Saturday, but the team's first work on the grass is more likely to come in a scrimmage Aug. 17. The laying of the new Tahoma 31 grass atop an Evergreen matrix system started Monday and is expected to be completed by Thursday.
The new grass needs about a week after it's in place to endure heavy-duty cleat traffic, Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek said.
Sports on 08/06/2019