Razorbacks Report

2 coaches add up to 77 camps

Arkansas defensive line coach Steve Caldwell signals to players during a game against Mississippi State on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, in Starkville, Miss.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The start to the University of Arkansas' training camp Friday marked the start of the 42nd training camp for defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell.

"This is what we wait on," Caldwell said. "This is the most important thing now. We've got to get after it."

Caldwell, who played defensive end at Arkansas State University and began his coaching career at ASU in 1978, said he gets as excited about practice now as he did when he started.

"I think maybe more excited," he said.

Caldwell said his wife, Leisa, told him recently she knew the start of practice was approaching.

"She said, 'I can tell you're in that mood already,' " Caldwell said. "I guess you get that look on your face and don't say much and just get focused on what we've got to get accomplished."

This is the 35th training camp for defensive backs coach Ron Cooper.

"That's a lot of camps," Cooper said. "I've always said that I've never really had a job.

"This is what we work for all year. The recruiting, the offseason, the spring training, the summer workouts. I still get as excited for the start of the season now as I did 35 years ago."

Strong guys

When the horn sounded for the first time during Friday's practice, signaling the move from the first to second period, strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll and his weight room assistants all hit the ground and quickly pumped out 10 push-ups.

Carroll said it was the idea of Lance Yancy, an assistant strength coach, for the staff to do the push-ups whenever the horn goes off between periods.

"We're going 20 periods," Carroll said. "So that's 200 push-ups by the end of practice."

Carroll said it's good for strength staff members to show they can do that many push-ups.

Week 1 first

Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock did not bite on a question about how Ole Miss faces a tougher challenge in Week 1 than the Razorbacks do against Portland State before the Hogs and Rebels square off in Week 2 in Oxford, Miss.

Ole Miss opens at Memphis.

"We're not looking ahead to Ole Miss," Craddock said. "We've got to take care of business against Portland State and put on a show for our fans ... get off to a good start, then go down to Oxford in Week 2 [against] a team that we felt we played pretty well last year."

KJ adjustment

Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock's assessment of true freshman quarterback KJ Jefferson ran the gamut earlier this week at the annual media golf luncheon.

"He's had to really grow up," Craddock said when asked how Jefferson has adapted to a college structure. "The workouts and everything have been a little bit different for him. That usually happens with a lot of guys when they come to college.

"When I went to college, it was so much different. And you've got to just learn to adapt and raise your level of intensity up even more than in high school.

"It's been a little bit of an adjustment for him, but I think he's in a good place and ready to get started."

Craddock also suggested Jefferson could get a look in a few games and still redshirt, as Connor Noland and John Stephen Jones did last year.

"It all depends on how he does in fall camp," Craddock said. "This whole thing is wide open. If he comes out and it's a no-brainer he's got to start for us, then he'll start Game 1.

"It's just a matter of how much he can remember and how much he can execute at a high level that we need him to win."

Position move

Sophomore Jordon Curtis has made a return to the defensive backfield after making a temporary switch in the spring.

Curtis joined the running backs for a while and switched jersey numbers from 32 to 20 to supplement a group affected by injuries to Rakeem Boyd and Devwah Whaley, and an academic suspension for T.J. Hammonds.

No bad habits

Defensive backs coach Ron Cooper said it's not all bad to have a largely inexperienced secondary.

"We're going to be young, but it's actually good in the fact that they don't have any bad habits to break," Cooper said. "We get to teach them and coach them every single day. The more they learn, the faster they'll play."

Talking T.J.

Running backs Coach Jeff Traylor said the two words that come to mind when he thinks about junior tailback T.J. Hammonds are maturity and humility.

"He's just not taking things for granted that he might have before," Traylor said. "And that's what I've seen so far."

Hammonds did not play after Week 4 last season, had a follow-up surgery on his knee and then missed spring drills because of academic issues.

"He's got a skill set that's very unique," Traylor said. "He's got great hands. He's an extremely talented skill kid. It's up to T.J. He can be as good as he wants to be. It's just a matter of what he wants to do."

Hammonds changed jersey numbers and is now wearing No. 41.

In the polls

Arkansas will play four SEC teams ranked in the preseason coaches' poll that was released this week.

The Razorbacks play at No. 2 Alabama and No. 6 LSU, play No. 11 Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and play No. 16 Auburn at home.

Georgia is ranked No. 3, but the Razorbacks don't have the Bulldogs on the schedule. Missouri, which plays Arkansas in Little Rock to end the regular season, isn't eligible for the coaches' poll because the Tigers are facing a postseason ban. Missouri has appealed the ban to the NCAA and is awaiting a ruling.

Musselman drops by

Eric Musselman, the Razorbacks' new basketball coach, and staff member Anthony Ruta watched practice with other members of his staff.

Fan Day

Arkansas will hold its fan day from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 24.

The event will start with an open practice from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Only Gate 1 will be open, starting at 2:30 p.m., and seating will be available on the west side only.

In case of inclement weather, the practice will be canceled.

Coach Chad Morris and players will sign autographs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. inside Walker Pavilion. They will sign one item per fan. Entrance to Walker Pavilion will be on the west side along Razorback Road.

There will be a kids' zone in the Walker Pavilion with activities, a photo booth and face-painting.

No concessions will be sold and fans are allowed to bring in only bottled water.

Sports on 08/03/2019