FAYETTEVILLE — The question to Bret Bielema after he stepped off the stage at media day Sunday concerned the newcomers who may have flashed the most in the first three days.
It's clear that he doesn't count McTelvin “Sosa” Agim as a newcomer any longer. And perhaps a senior transfer doesn't count so much as a newcomer, either.
Bielema's answer to my question was right to the point of something I've always thought was the strength of his program: the ability to develop defensive linemen and play tough defense with a front four. The fourth-year Arkansas head coach pointed at the latest three defensive linemen as the big takeaway of the start of fall camp.
“It's those three defensive linemen,” Bielema said, referencing Briston Guidry, Jonathan Marshall and Austin Capps. “They have flashed. They are all good players.”
Agim was part of perhaps the greatest defensive line signing class in Arkansas history last winter, but he came to campus in December for a few bowl practices, then enrolled in January. He was a regular in some of the specialty packages for Robb Smith's defense by the end of spring drills. He could start in the base defense with Tevin Beanum's situation still clouded.
“Sosa has done well,” said Smith, the Arkansas defensive coordinator. “There's been carry over from the spring. He continues to learn the little things in our defense. He's started camp well. He's well ahead of where most freshmen are as far as ability to play.”
However, the newcomer with the best chance to play a lot has to be Jake Raulerson, the graduate transfer from Texas. I got my first chance to talk with the Celina, Texas, native. It is clear that he's enjoying himself at Arkansas and teammates have taken to him.
“I should have mentioned him first when you asked about newcomers,” Bielema said. “He's done very well. He's older, so I didn't think of him as a newcomer when you asked. I was thinking of the freshmen.”
It's also clear that he has great pride in the University of Texas. It's his alma mater. He graduated in three years with a finance degree. He's seeking an MBA at Arkansas.
“I've got a degree from a great business school at Texas and I'm in a great business school at Arkansas,” he said. “You can't just have one degree anymore. To get ahead, you better have a masters, too. I couldn't be in a better place for that. A regular degree is not enough anymore.”
There has been some talk about his Texas stuff now in his bed room in the place he shares with senior tackle Dan Skipper. There is his Longhorns helmet. And there is also the blanket on his bed - a Texas flag. He said there is a Texas letterman's jacket in the closet.
“I'm not going to stop being a University of Texas alum,” he said. “But I'm going to be an Arkansas alum, too.”
It's still to be determined where Raulerson will play, but Bielema may covet him more at center. That's where Raulerson played the most at Texas. Raulerson has practiced at both guard and center over the first three days of camp.
“What I've seen is that he doesn't lose a step when he moves to center,” Bielema said. “I am leaning to playing him at center right now, but we are still looking at it.”
That means Frank Ragnow might move back to right guard, his position last season. He has been with the first team throughout the spring and for every snap of the first two days. But Bielema put Ragnow at guard late in Saturday's practice and liked it.
“Frank may play faster at guard,” Bielema said. “He may lose a step at center. I don't think Jake does.”
Ragnow and Raulerson both said it doesn't matter in the grand scheme, but Ragnow admitted he was starting to enjoy center.
“I'll play guard,” Ragnow said. “No issue there. But it was getting to the point I was liking it (at center).”
Raulerson said what you'd expect from a fifth-year player: he'll do whatever is best for the team.
I'll play guard, I'll play center," Raulerson said. "It doesn't matter. Frank is the same way. Both of us want to do what's best to help the Razorbacks win. I will say that I've played more at center in college as anywhere else, but I've played everywhere. But neither one of us care where we are going to play. He doesn't care and I don't care.”
Raulerson was doing his first interviews at Arkansas. Articulate and bright, there was a lot to like about the 6-foot-4, 301-pound lineman. It was explained that Skipper mentioned a quiet nature when he first moved into their house.
“I don't think I'm shy, but I was new and the best way to handle that is to speak only when you needed to ask a question,” he said. “I asked questions, but I wanted to show them I was more work than talk.
“Here is the way I think it's best, let the guys talk who have played here. That's Dan Skipper and Frank Ragnow on our offensive line and guys like Deatrich Wise on the defense. Austin Allen is the quarterback so he needs to talk. The rest of us need to listen and work.”
Ragnow has seen Raulerson open up more as the weeks have passed since his arrival in the summer.
“I don't think he's shy,” Ragnow said. “I do think he's smart to listen. And, he does listen. I think he's a good player. We are sure glad to have him.”
There hasn't been much talk about the 2014 Texas Bowl when the Hogs thumped the Longhorns 31-7. But there will be some of that. Taiwan Johnson smiled when the game was mentioned. He worked his way under Raulerson on the goal line, split the gap and forced a fumble that was recovered for an Arkansas touchdown.
“Yes, I scored on them,” Johnson said. “And I know that was him.”
Raulerson responded to my question, “Yes, it hasn't come up until now, from you. I did figure it would come up. I know it was Taiwan.”
Those two have knocked heads already in camp.
“He's a good player,” Raulerson said. “We've got an elite defensive line. I went against him at guard already. He plays extremely low. He's tough to block.”
Offensive line coach Kurt Anderson said there have been daily sessions with Raulerson.
“He's by my office before and after practice,” Anderson said. “It will start out with him wanting to ask two questions, then the next thing you know it's turned into 30 to 35 minutes.
“I like the kid. He's smart, can communicate. He has length and a burning desire to be great. He loves this game.
“Sometimes change can be a good thing. I think it is for him. It gives you a new outlook and puts gas in your tank. I think there is a lot of football ahead for him.
“I think there is versatility. He has great feet. He's trying to perfect his craft. I've seen that he'll stick his nose in there.”
Raulerson said it's a big difference between what he's been asked to do at Texas and what Arkansas does with its offensive linemen.
“Coach Anderson is great,” Raulerson said. “He's very detailed in his technique and the way he teaches. It's NFL stuff in terms of the calls.
“I'll give you a for instance, it can be a difference between three inches between one call and another call. That's detail.
“What I'd say is different from Texas, is the detail in what we are doing. At Texas, it was simpler.”
Anderson has been pleased with the detail that the line has shown early in camp. The group is much advanced from where they were in the spring. He's not surprised.
“I put it in the hands of Dan Skipper,” Anderson said. “It's always going to be a case of the team going as far as the seniors take you. I knew what we'd get from Dan this summer. He has played a lot of football for this university and it means a lot to him. He was going to get it done.”
Ragnow is a leader, too. He's pleased with what has happened over the past few months.
“I think we have developed,” he said. “It's going to keep getting better, too. I think we are going to have a fine offensive line.”
And then there was an explanation as to why.
“It's the thing about Coach B figuring out where to play us all up front,” Ragnow said. “He's done it over and over. He's shifted guys and got them in the right places. That's why I don't worry about where I'm going to play. It's up to him. He's the one who has developed into Offensive Line U. He'll figure it out and we will do what he wants us to do.”
There may be some more shuffling this week. But the goal is to get the offensive line set before Saturday's scrimmage. Then there will be an effort to keep things set up front until the first game.
“It's really a good time right now,” Bielema said. “We finished summer school work on Friday. We have two weeks with nothing but football, then the start of classes. It's a very unique time in college. About the only other time is maybe after finals before a bowl game. You have a week maybe before Christmas where it's only football.”
It's a key time to find out if some of the other newcomers can make the two deep. If they can, several are destined to play on special teams. How many is not clear.
“I think it's anywhere from five to 13 or 14,” Bielema said. “You want to get them on the field in special teams and they can help, but you don't want to waste a year. You look at a guy like Dwayne Eugene, who might could redshirt this year. We played him on special teams as a freshman, but not much else.
“You look at those three freshman tight ends, you are glad we redshirt them last year. And, they are all doing very well right now. They've come along.”
Bielema continues to push those three – Austin Cantrell, Will Gragg and C.J. O'Grady. He was on O'Grady in practice for a drop and a one-hand stab.
“He's 75 percent,” Bielema said on his catching. “He dropped one coming over the middle. And he made a one-hand stab at a routine play. I told him he could probably do that at Fayetteville High, but not here. It's gotta be two hands.”
Bielema praised Allen, the clear starter at quarterback. He said the completion percentage was higher in pass skeleton the first two days than in team. But it jumped in both areas on Saturday, the first day in pads.
“There was one time the first day when he turned to look for a guy in the flats and he wasn't there,” Bielema said. “He froze. He can't do that.”
It was a learning experience, but Allen has dazzled. He hooked up with Dominique Reed on three great plays on Saturday.
Wide receiver coach Michael Smith loves what he's getting from his wide receiver group. There are highlight reel plays daily. Drew Morgan continues to dazzle, according to Smith and Dan Enos, the playcaller.
“You see Drew now and remember where he was this time last year,” Enos said. “Drew was just trying to learn the offense. Now, there were two routes he ran yesterday that just were unbelievable. That's what we are seeing now.
“We've got a lot of weapons. We have a lot of experience. It's fun to watch. You know what, I bet there are going to be some guys who step up just like Drew did last year that we haven't heard about much. It might be one of those new tight ends.”
It also might be Jake Raulerson. He's probably the best newcomer of all, even if he does have a Texas Longhorns helmet sitting in the corner in his house.