FAYETTEVILLE — A defensive line that is expected to be a strong point of this year’s Arkansas football team has gotten even stronger in the last few days.
Junior defensive end Tevin Beanum (6-foot-4, 251 pounds) - who missed spring drills due to personal issues - finished up his second practice Thursday after becoming a part of the 105-man roster in camp a day earlier.
Beanum, who had 30 tackles last season with seven for lost yardage while starting eight of his team’s 13 games, was welcomed back with open arms by Razorbacks defensive line coach Rory Segrest.
“It was great to have Tevin back out there,” Segrest said. “He has really, just in the two days that he has been back in individual drills, that sort of thing because he has not been able to do anything else.
“He was here for us all summer and you could tell. He has just picked up where he left off and is looking good right now.”
Beanum needed to finish up some summer classes so he did not start practice with the rest of the team. He wasn't in pads during the practice and won't be able to don full pads until next week, but Segrest said that hasn't held him back.
“Oddly enough I think he is just jumping right in,” Segrest said. “Like I said, he was here all summer so he was able to work all the drill work. He was able to get all that work in on his own, strength and conditioning, and all that. He came back and he is in great shape.
“It is just a matter of getting him back in full pads and get some hitting, which is obviously one thing he hasn’t had since last year. We’ll see how he does and how he fares once he gets back in the pads. Otherwise he is in good shape.”
Beanum will not be participate in Saturday’s scrimmage that is open to the media, but Segrest didn’t rule him out of being on the field as a starter against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 3.
“We will see how it goes on Saturday,” Segrest said. “See how everything plays itself out. We have plenty of time before this first game so that depth chart will remain fluid until that first game comes around.”
He is expected to remain at the "R" position on the line.
“Right now, he is probably going to be that R for us,” Segrest said. “We will just see where we go from there. We do have several guys from a depth standpoint so we will just see where he best helps the team and go from there.”
Junior Karl Roesler (6-1, 256) and freshman McTelvin “Sosa” Agim (6-3, 289) have been working in Beanum’s spot, along with former linebacker Randy Ramsey (6-4, 228).
“The thing about Roesler is that he is going to be in the right sport at the right time,” Segrest said. “He is going to consistently do things the way you ask him to do it.
“Sosa is really making a lot of progress. He is not quite there yet. He obviously has the physical tools. He has just got to learn to get the details down and progress that way.”
Ramsey appears to have found a home at rush end. He had three sacks while working with the reserves during last Saturday's scrimmage.
“He has been a pleasant surprise for us,” Segrest said. “He was an unknown coming in, moving from linebacker, we really weren’t sure what he was going to bring to the table.
“But he has got some quick twitch. He has zero career sacks right now for us, but at the same time he has potential coming off that edge. I am excited to see what he does for us during the year.”
Another freshman who is likely to get plenty of playing time along the defensive line is nose guard Austin Capps (6-4, 309).
“He is powerful guy in the middle and he is going to try and do things that you ask him to do like being in the right spot at the right time," Segrest said. "It has paid off for him as a result so far.”
Segrest hopes to see another good effort in this Saturday’s scrimmage from his group.
“Really just an attitude,” Segrest said. “Getting out there and playing physical, gap control. Those things that we talk about every day.”
Segrest likes what he has seen overall from his group in the first two weeks of camp.
“I think the guys are progressing,” Segrest said. “Guys have worked hard in the off-season and that is definitely paying off now. You can see their technique is getting better. It’s not perfect by any means, but I think we have made some progress.”
He said he thinks Arkansas has quality depth and not just quantity this season.
“I think we have got some good reliable depth right now,” Segrest said. “We have a lot of guys with experience coming back and got some young guys that have shown they are going to be able to come in and take some reps for us.
“I am really pleased with where we are in terms of a depth standpoint and we will just see where it goes.”