Chip Gregory is a man of change.

Since his junior year of high school, he's played at least eight positions on the football field. So it's easy to say that the sophomore is accustomed and almost comfortable to the idea of switching positions.

But when the rumors started in January of the eighth position change, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

After all, he was still getting used to playing linebacker on the collegiate level and a switch to running back seemed too sudden. With relative confidence, strength coaches were whispering to the redshirt sophomore that his one year of linebacker play was over and that he should start prepping for a switch to running back.

Sure enough, the official word came down from head coach Bobby Petrino, who was in search of a bigger tailback to wear down defenses late in games and in the red zone.

" At first, I was like, ' Man, another position ? ', " said Gregory. " But then I knew that if I did it in high school, I could do it up here. The only thing I could do was get ready and slow down the game, then it wouldn't be a problem. "

During his high school career at American Heritage Academy (Carrollton, Texas ), playing a variety of positions was the Gergory's forte. On defense he filled holes at cornerback, safety, defensive end and linebacker, while still mixing in 15 snaps a game at quarterback and various roles at running back, receiver and tight end on offense.

Despite the bevy of roles and playing time, Gregory flourished, his high school coach said. Gregory rushed for 503 yards on 35 run attempts his senior year and also caught 13 balls for 274 yards and 4 touchdowns.

" He liked that, " Gregory's high school coach, Bob Giesey said. " We used him like Johnny Rodgers was used at Nebraska. He started out at tight end, then receiver and we'd put him in motion to run the ball. Then I found out, ' Hey, he could turn the corner. ' He had blazing speed, so I put him at quarterback and ran the option. "

The comparisons to Nebraska's Heisman Trophy winner, Giesey said, was warranted during his high school days. The first time Gregory played at quarterback, he scored a touchdown on the first snap. In the state championship game against Cedar Hill (Texas ) Trinity Christian in 2005, he ran 45 yards on the first play at quarterback.

" I never went back to that play, " Giesey said, " but I should have. "

Flash forward two years, Gregory found himself in a much different situation. A coaching change and his rehab from a shoulder injury that led to little time as a backup at linebacker in 2007 left Gregory worried. But when Petrino was looking for a bigger running back to add to the Razorbacks' backfield in January, the attention turned to the big and fast linebackers on defense.

And there stood Gregory, one of the tallest of the bunch.

" I've coached five guys that have gone to the NFL in the last two years, " Arkansas running backs coach Tim Horton said. "... I don't think I've ever coached anyone as big or looks the way he does. "

Arkansas quarterbacks coach Garrick McGee was very familiar with Gregory's multifaceted offensive tools when the idea of finding a new fullback came up in conversation. McGee, while an assistant at Northwestern, recruited Gregory out of high school in 2006.

Soon after McGee and Petrino's arrival in Fayetteville, the move was made. Gregory prepared during winter workouts, but then succumbed to a high ankle sprain after the third practice of the spring. Limited throughout April, he never got a good look at his newest position. Ball security and pad level - the two most worrisome areas - weren't addressed by coaches as much they would have liked.

" I've got to lean my big shoulders quite a bit, " Gregory confirmed.

A healthier summer provided coaches the opportunity to work Gregory into the offense in the first week of fall camp, though. And the Allen, Texas native has impressed while he learns his role and fine-tunes his technique. The sophomore rushed 11 times for 64 yards in the Hogs' first scrimmage of the fall on Sunday, and also caught two passes for 26 yards and one touchdown.

" It was good to see him. I thought he really ran with a lot of toughness, " Petrino said. " His pad level is getting better, his ball security is getting better and that's a big back - that's a big man - and I think he'll go in and feel good about the way he performed today; that'll help his confidence. "

Gregory bounced outside the tackles on several runs during the scrimmage, cutting the corner for 4- to 5-yard gains.

" I thought Chip showed great improvement from the spring, " said offensive coordinator Paul Petrino. " He's big and you like to have a big guy that can run downhill. A couple of times he danced a little bit too much, but for the most part he got his pads down and ran downhill and held on to the ball. That was a pleasant surprise. "

The improvement, Gregory said, can be credited to good coaching and the help of first-team tailback Michael Smith, who stands 7 inches closer to the ground than his backfield mate.

" The guys are kind of helping me, " Gregory said. " Mike Smith has been a great leader and he's helping me get used to it. I mean, he played with Darren [McFadden ] and Felix [Jones ]. He knows what the best is, and he's just guiding me and helping me, and slowing down the game by letting me know what to expect on the field mentally. "

McFadden, who played a little bit of quarterback at Arkansas in his two Heisman Trophy runnerup years in 2006 and 2007, had success in different roles.

Maybe there's another position change in Gregory's future.

" He can actually play quarterback and he can throw the ball, too, " Giesey suggested. " He's like McFadden in a way and he can do so many things.

" But we'll see if he ever gets that tenacity [McFadden ] had. "

Gregory isn't even thinking about that. All eyes are set on Aug. 30, when Western Illinois comes to Razorback Stadium for the season opener.

" Oh, man, " Gregory said. " Every time I think about it, my heart starts pounding real hard. I can't wait for that first snap at running back. "