FAYETTEVILLE — A veteran and a pair of newcomers returning from injuries received positive reviews from Arkansas strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll on Monday.
Carroll, in his second season with the Razorbacks after spending the previous three years under Chad Morris at SMU, credited senior linebacker De'Jon Harris, freshman receiver Treylon Burks and freshman defensive back Jalen Catalon for their offseason performances and training habits.
The first Arkansas player to finish with 100-plus tackles in consecutive seasons since Jerry Franklin in 2010-11, Harris missed the final month of spring practices with a right foot injury that required surgery. He had a small screw inserted to repair what Morris described at the time as "a real slight fracture."
Carroll said Harris' foot is 100 percent healthy entering fall practices, which begin Friday.
"Scoota is moving out there as fast as I've ever seen him," he added. "From an agility standpoint, he is ... Oh, my goodness. He's fun to watch. He is the leading SEC tackler, but to see the competitiveness within drill work, it's fun to watch."
Burks, a four-year starter at Warren who caught 43 touchdown passes in his career, tore the ACL in his left knee in the fifth week of Warren's 2018 season, but is expected back for preseason practices.
"They still make him wear his knee brace when he does certain things just as a safety precaution out there running routes and doing all of that," Carroll said. "He looks really good and fluid."
Catalon also sustained a knee injury early in his senior season at Mansfield (Texas) Legacy. He underwent surgery in September.
Carroll says Catalon, pound for pound, may be the strongest of Arkansas' freshmen.
"He's doing phenomenal," he added. "He came in with some unbelievable numbers also. He's one of those extra-work guys that's going to be up there eight days per week. I really have to monitor his extra work to make sure he's not running himself into the ground."