FAYETTEVILLE — New practice times, more tackling, a more open-door policy and longer passing periods will highlight spring drills for the University of Arkansas under fifth-year Coach Sam Pittman.
The Razorbacks will hold three open scrimmages and the media will have longer viewing periods during the 15 practices of spring, which start Thursday.
Arkansas, coming off a 4-8 season, will hold five practices prior to Spring Break on Thursday and Friday this week, followed by Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday next week.
Most of the midweek practices will start at 8 a.m. as the Razorbacks experiment with shifting workouts to the morning to reduce the number of players who miss the ends of afternoon practices due to class schedules.
Pittman said he hoped to resolve the quarterback order before the end of spring drills, as returners in junior Jacolby Criswell and redshirt freshman Malachi Singleton battle with junior transfer Taylen Green, signee KJ Jackson and Austin Ledbetter, who came over from the baseball team.
“I think we can [sort the quarterback depth],” Pittman said in his pre-spring news conference on Tuesday. “With some of the things that we’re doing, 7-on-7 … it’s going to be a lengthier period, more reps.”
The Razorbacks held 12-minute 7-on-7 periods during practices with quarterbacks Feleipe Franks and KJ Jefferson leading the unit the last four years, but that time frame will be increased to 20 minutes to rep everyone involved.
“We have to, to see who can throw and catch,” Pittman said. “We need work in the secondary because we brought in three news guys in the secondary, too. We need to...make sure everybody gets the right amount of reps so we can get evaluations on the quarterbacks, the receivers, the safeties and the corners, so we’ve added that part of it.”
The Razorbacks brought back former head coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator. They also added offensive line coach Eric Mateos and receivers coach Ronnie Foutch to offensive staff returnees in running backs coach Jimmy Smith and tight ends coach Morgan Turner.
Special teams coordinator Scott Fountain and the defensive staff of coordinator Travis Williams, line coach Deke Adams and secondary coaches Marcus Woodson and Deron Wilson return intact.
Asked about the running back situation, Pittman volunteered that things will be more physical after praising the depth at the position, which starts with junior Rashod Dubinion, sophomore Isaiah Augustave and senior Dominique Johnson, supplemented by signee Braylen Russell and transfer Ja’Quinden Jackson.
“Another thing when you talk about spring ball, we’re going to tackle to the ground, we will more than two or three times,” Pittman said. “So we’ll see about the running backs, but obviously R-Dub and Isaiah, Ja’Quinden Jackson is a big, physical guy.
“I’m going to tell you guys, I love Braylen Russell. I think what he’s done — he came in, he’s big, but he’s big and vertical, 33 or something, very athletic guy. I think Dom-O is not using the knee brace as much. But we’re big at running back.”
The Razorbacks will be down a few players to open the drills, including offensive lineman Andrew Chamblee of Maumelle, who Pittman said “lost the love for the game” and will start being a regular student, and defensive end Jashaud Stewart, who was arrested in December on burglary charges and is no longer on the team.
Additionally, tight end Ty Washington (shoulder), offensive lineman Amaury Wiggins (knee) and offensive line signee Zuri Madison (knee) will be out for varying amounts of time.
Washington suffered a dislocated shoulder during the Razorbacks’ 39-36 overtime win at Florida in early November and will not be tackled to the ground.
Wiggins, who is in the mix at center, had some cartilage cleanup a few weeks ago and will probably not practice Thursday or Friday.
Madison was involved in a recent freak accident that might cost him the season, Pittman said.
“Zuri Madison had a scooter accident and he tore his ACL,” he said. “That was maybe two or three days ago. Maybe last week. He just hit curb and put his leg out straight and the ACL couldn’t handle that pressure. It’s a shame, because he’s really a talented guy.”
Pittman said he had previously been reluctant to expose the team’s schemes in open scrimmages but has evolved his opinion on that front.
“Whatever it is that makes us play better,” Pittman said when asked if the attention might help in the quarterback competition or other position battles.
“It’s just like … we’re so worried about people knowing this and that and the other about us — and I’m talking about our opponents, not our people in the state, but if our state knows it, our opponents know it. I think we’ve been worried for so many years about all that, and I have, too, but the bottom line is we’ve got to get ready to play Pine Bluff, and that started in January.
“By the time we play Oklahoma State, they’re going to know a lot about our team anyway because we just played a game. So it was more about us and do we believe that we can grow the love back for Arkansas, or grow the love back for the Razorbacks by opening it up and us benefiting from it as well.
“I don’t know what the answer will be in the fall, but I’m assuming that it’ll be much more lenient with access to the players and coaches … than what it has been in the past.”