Arkansas receiver Crosby Tuck has come a long way since shattering an elbow that required surgery last September.

The pain and the injury is still fresh on his mind, though. After all, the Sept. 22 game against Kentucky featured a play that shattered a dream, as well as an elbow.

Tuck was Arkansas' best catch-threat at receiver three games into the season last year, catching three balls for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was often used in trick plays, catching touchdown passes from tailback Darren McFadden and Casey Dick.

Nearly a year later, surgery scars remain on the right arm and the Shiloh Christian alum still has a hard time bending it while washing the back of his head in the shower. But months of healing and lifting weights since late January has him back in the Razorbacks' receiver mix.

" I'm back to doing everything normal, but I don't think my elbow is ever going to be all the way right again, " Tuck said after the Hogs' first of two preseason practices Saturday.

Movement is still a tad limited, but doctors have told the medical redshirt freshman that another month of rehab and stretching should be bring him back up to full speed.

Sophomore tight end Ben Cleveland is in a similar position as Tuck, his former cross-town rival in high school. A pinched nerve sidelined Cleveland last year after a stellar freshman campaign in 2006. A foot injury in the spring slowed him, so he too is now fighting through some limitations to get back on the Hogs'depth chart.

" It's just real hard for me to drive off the ball and try and go, " Cleveland said. " But I can go out there and compete. That's all I've asked for. "

Cleveland, who labeled himself as 95-percent healthy Saturday morning, re-aggravated the foot injury earlier this week during practice. Athletic trainer Joe Sheehan provided the sophomore a new insole for his shoe after he sat out practice Tuesday because of the recurring injury.

" The insole relieved some of the pressure on my foot and that helped tremendously, " Cleveland said.

And it showed Sunday in Arkansas' 148-play intrasquad scrimmage. Cleveland had the most catches of the 15 receivers who caught balls, hauling in five throws for 70 yards and a touchdown. Cleveland and Tuck worked with the second-team offense Saturday, and both caught passes from sophomore quarterback Nathan Dick during pass skeleton drills near the end of the morning session of two-a-days.

Tuck had one grab for 7 yards in the scrimmage Sunday.

Cleveland is attempting to overtake the emerging star of the Hogs' passing game, D. J. Williams, and the run-blocking power of Andrew Davie in the depth chart. Both made names for themselves during the offseason and 2007, when Cleveland was limited.

" It got me mentally beat down and physically got me down, too, " Cleveland said. " It was just a little depressing because you see your name falling down the depth chart. With these injuries, it's just tough but you just have to keep fighting through it every day. "

Cleveland had 12 catches for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns in his freshman year at Arkansas. His 12 grabs in 2006 were the most by a Razorback tight end since 2003.

" Our tight ends are playmakers, " UA head coach Bobby Petrino said Tuesday at Arkansas Media Day. "... You know, it'd be fun to get Ben Cleveland back to full speed. "

Like Cleveland, Tuck finds himself starting all over again in the preseason practices after a three-game stretch that made him a go-to target for the Razorbacks' offense in 2007. Now a new coaching staff, a new offense and competition from an influx of freshman receivers face the medical redshirt freshman in 2008.

" Anything that happened last year doesn't really matter to anyone this year, " Tuck said. " Every spot was open and everyone was starting at a level playing ground. "

In the spring, Tuck caught two balls for 18 yards and 1 touchdown but wasn't listed on the Razorbacks' two-deep depth chart.

"... I'm getting a pretty fair shot, " Tuck said. " Anything that happened with injury isn't affecting anything right now out on the field. "