FAYETTEVILLE — He won't repeat as a 12-game starter, yet Arkansas is asking Wade Grayson in 2009 to be twice the player he was in 2008.
The starting weakside offensive guard played every game for last year's 5-7 Razorbacks and now, Grayson fast approaches becoming a one-man backline for the interior offensive line.
He's both the backup center to Seth Oxner and the backup weakside guard to Grant Cook.
"The balancing act of being able to practice both of them is probably the greatest challenge," said Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino. "I really like the way he's handled it because he's been positive."
It's a lot to ask of the junior from Harrison; particularly since he would be pressing Cook or maybe starting ahead of Cook at guard if Petrino and offensive line coach Mike Summers weren't simultaneously needing him ready, in a snap, at center.
"I know it's not easy for him to start the game on the sideline," Petrino said. "He's a great competitor. But he knows he's going to play a lot."
And Grayson certainly did in Game One. While he was an insurance plan for the center position, Grayson was needed quite a bit at guard.
Cook sprained an ankle during the 48-10 season-opening rout of Missouri State, Sept. 5 in Little Rock.
"There really wasn't anything ... different about that," Grayson said of subbing for Cook. "We were still running all the same things we did last year at that spot. So it was pretty easy to switch back and forth. I played a pretty big chunk of that game, about half of it, I would say."
But not all of it at guard. He also worked at center, the position he didn't move to until last spring with iron man Rimington Award winning center Jonathan Luigs graduated to the NFL.
"I got some time," Grayson said. "They put Zhamal Thomas back in there for Cook at guard so I got some reps at center as well."
Last spring, with Luigs gone, the plan was for Grayson to be the center.
On further review, however, Petrino and Summers liked that third-year sophomore Oxner weighed 315 to Grayson's 295 versus those bulky nose guards jamming the middle. They also liked that Monticello native Oxner had played center in high school compared to Grayson having no center experience during his Harrison Goblins days.
Oxner was named first-team during the summer and held his ground. Grayson began leading his double life as a center/guard, especially with the decision to redshirt promising true freshman guard Alvin Bailey.
"That's difficult to do," Summers said of Grayson's shuttle, "but he continues to battle at center and getting better at that and he's been a legitimate player for us at guard."
Which would Grayson rather play?
"Aw, if it came down to it, I would rather be back at guard, but I have worked so much at center, I can work that, too," Grayson said. "It really doesn't matter, just whatever needs help."
Arkansas lines have consistently been built on Arkansas kids willing to do what's best for Arkansas, as noted previously in this space in regards to Grayson and Oxner, who also did some past center-guard shuttling,
Petrino and Summers have learned to appreciate that in their second Arkansas season.
"Last week, he took a lot of reps at guard in practice, because Cook's ankle is a little bit tweaked still," Petrino said of Grayson's bye week schedule. "On Thursday I had to say, 'Uh, that's enough work at guard. You've got to work all day today at center."
Grayson said he's a better center now than he was as a first-teamer last spring. He's not only more experienced but bigger, too, finally holding weight against the heat of August two-a-days past and now carrying 305 pounds on his 6-4 frame.
Cook and Oxner are ready to start Arkansas' 6:45 p.m. ESPN nationally televised SEC opener against Georgia Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, but Grayson will "play a lot," Petrino and Summers assert.
He's heavily involved in the line's objectives against a stout Georgia defense to keep quarterbacks Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson sack-free as they were launching 41 passes against Missouri State, and establishing the running game they didn't emphasize against Missouri State.
"Yes, sir," Grayson responded if the Razorbacks' run-consciousness has been raised. "There's a whole lot more emphasis this week to run the ball and be more physical and everything like that and try to get a whole lot more running to open up our throwing game."