By speaking of him in the past tense in Arkansas’ teleconference Monday, Houston Nutt and two Razorbacks teammates indicated Marcus Harrison has big hurdles to clear before he rejoins Arkansas’ football team.

Harrison currently is on indefinite suspension, including not practicing. The senior from Little Rock Mills definitely will not play in the season opener against Troy University at 6 p. m. Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Nutt said.

Police arrested Harrison last Friday night, initially on suspicion of speeding. That mushroomed into a felony drug charge as Fayetteville police reported to have found a pill of the drug ecstasy in his possession plus, they reported, possession of two marijuana cigars which is a misdemeanor.

Throw in that police also claim that Harrison was driving on a suspended license, and it’s not your typical traffic stop for speeding and failure to wear a seat belt.

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That someone of college age should find himself in such a predicament certainly isn’t the norm but hardly a shock either, police, judges and attorneys will vouch. But that this someone was Marcus Harrison is a kick in the stomach to these Razorbacks during the week of their season opener.

Not that Harrison will necessarily be missed as a player against Troy. Coming off major knee surgery last spring, Harrison’s status for Saturday’s game, was strictly up to him on whether his knee was ready or not, according to defensive coordinator Reggie Herring and defensive line coach Tracy Rocker.

They wanted him physically ready and comfortable for the game after the Sept. 15 SEC opener at Alabama.

Players and coaches knew he would be mentally ready. How could he not be ? Harrison worked so hard all summer to rehab ahead of schedule and stepped up to be the leader this defense needs with so many defensive veterans departed from last year plus would-be seniors Jamaal Anderson and Chris Houston gone a year early to the NFL.

Now this.

“ He was really looked up to, and really respected by the younger guys, ” Nutt said. “ He had done so much work to come back this far. ”

Nutt said he closed Friday’s team meeting with the reminder, “ It’s important to that everybody keep making the right decisions. ”

Then just hours later.... “ To have this be one of our seniors is very disappointing, ” Nutt said.

Nutt said the other seniors stepped up in Sunday’s meeting after the Razorbacks’ workout that was closed to the media and had been scheduled to be closed before Harrison’s arrest. But this is a leadership void not instantly filled. “ Before this happened, everybody looked up to Marcus Harrison, ” junior All-SEC center Jonathan Luigs said. “ I think he was going to be a very formidable leader for the defense and the team as a whole. But God kind of throws hurdles in the way and guys just have to step up and face the challenge. Right now we are just trying to take steps forward and put that behind us and go from there. ” One of Harrison’s senior defensive brethren, cornerback Matterral Richardson, said basically the same.

“ It was a big shock to me, and the team as well, ” Richardson said. “ It happened and we just have to move on and learn from our mistakes. ”

Senior Chris Wade, a firstteamer before a concussion idled him during a portion of preseason drills, is the starting left defensive end and was already either or pending Harrison’s knee.

True freshman Damario Ambrose of Mobile, Ala. moves up to backup left defensive end while junior Antwain Robinson, a starter all 13 games last year, backs up debuting sophomore starting right defensive end Adrian Davis.

With the Razorbacks using Monday as their NCAA mandated off day and launching game-week preparations today, Nutt asked about the status of injured Razorbacks Nathan Dick (hip flexor ), Jerrell Norton (sprained ankle ), DeMarcus Love (dislocated kneecap ) Marcus Monk and Ben Cleveland.

Starting cornerback Norton, backup quarterback Nathan Dick, and backup offensive guard Love should practice today, Nutt said. Nathan Dick, Nutt said, practiced Sunday and “ looked fine. ”

It’s long been known senior leading receiver Monk of Lepanto (rehabbing from Aug. 9 arthroscopic knee surgery ) and sophomore tight end Cleveland of Springdale (painfully injured nerve in his neck ) would miss Saturday’s game.

“ Marcus is doing everything they ask and more, ” Nutt said. “ But when he plays — he’s a little away from that. ”

Cleveland saw a specialist last Friday in Houston and will continue to undergo more tests and MRIs, Nutt said.

“ It’s a mysterious injury to pinpoint, ” Nutt said.