FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas knocked out practice No. 1 of training camp on Friday afternoon with the temperatures in the high 80s and a heat index of 90 with a high-tempo workout in helmets and shorts.
“I thought our team was in good shape,” second-year Coach Sam Pittman said. “It was hot, obviously. We got a good two-hour practice in. … I thought our quarterbacks were very accurate. I thought our protection was better. We played hard.”
Pittman said the team’s transition on and off the field must get better and it will.
“That’ll come,” he said. “A lot of times that’s a first-practice problem that our kids will fix. They do everything we ask them to do. They just need to understand the expectation, and they will. I was very pleased with today’s practice.”
Sophomore quarterback KJ Jefferson said he felt great about his first training camp practice as QB1.
“The overall experience was a great day today,” he said. “The offense did pretty well. We can correct a few mistakes that we had, but overall I feel like a good overall collective effort as a team.”
Said senior linebacker Bumper Pool, “Obviously the heat, we’re practicing in the heat of the day. I thought that was something that we’re going to have to get used to because of the fact that we practiced in the morning the previous years.
“We’re going to have a bunch of hot games playing teams also practicing in hot temperatures. So I felt that was good and the overall composure of the team, I felt that was nice. This is an older team and you could tell everyone meant business today.”
Pittman said the accuracy of the quarterbacks was “probably the thing I was most excited about today. I thought KJ did a nice job in here.”
Pittman also pointed out good work by wideouts Tyson Morris and Jaedon Wilson.
KJ’s weight
Training camp has a way of working the pounds off players due to the rigors of practices and the quality of oversight by a team’s nutrition staff.
In the case of Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson, he’d like to drop about 12 pounds off his current weight of 247 before the season opener against Rice on Sept. 4.
“Conditioning wise, I still feel I can be in better shape,” Jefferson said after Friday’s first of 25 practices leading in to the opener. “I’m trying to cut down on a little weight I gained over the summer. … I feel like I put on a lot of muscle mass, but I want to at least cut down on the body fat percent.
“I at least want to cut down like 10 ponds, try to get probably 235, 230 range, somewhere in there.”
1 on 1
The receiving corps had a better day than the defensive backs in one-on-one work early in practice.
One of the period’s best plays came when senior running back T.J. Hammonds shook free from Jacorrei Turner on and out and up and caught a well-thrown touchdown pass from Cade Renfro.
Tyson Morris had a standout day, Sam Pittman said.
“He’s more consistent,” Pittman said. “It’s practice one, but I anticipate him having a good fall camp. He did have a good first day.”
Freshman Bryce Stephens made one of the day’s best catches, snagging a a pass from Lucas Coley at about knee height while falling after being grabbed by defensive back Trent Gordon.
Moments later, 6-3 transfer Warren Thompson got inside leverage on LaDarrius Bishop and caught a pass over the middle from KJ Jefferson. As cornerbacks coach Sam Carter was boosting Bishop with “you’re the fastest guy on the field,” Jefferson went out to congratulate Thompson, who has immediate eligibility after transferring from Florida State.
Thompson, the No. 83 prospect as rated by Rivals in the class of 2018, is an intriguing talent for the Razorbacks. He caught five passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in six games last year and had six catches for 91 yards in 2019, when current Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendal Briles was the Seminoles’ offensive coordinator.
6 picks
Linebacker Bumper Pool said the defense posted maybe six interceptions during team and group periods on Friday.
Two of them were his on passes thrown by Malik Hornsby, he said.
“We were kind of getting after the ball today as a defense,” Pool said. “I think we had maybe six. I had a couple today, which I was excited about. Just something I wanted to work on was my pass coverage.”
The wideouts appeared to hold the upper hand in one-on-one work, but the defensive backs rebounded in team periods.
“There was a point in time in there … where the second team defense picked us off I think three times in four plays,” Sam Pittman said. “A defensive lineman batted a ball up in the air. I think it was [Markell] Utsey or Dorian Gerald, one of those two. And then we … got behind them on offense. So I think that’s just part of practice.”
Pittman said he anticipates both sets of skill players to continue to improve.
“It’s hard to say somebody beat somebody in underwear you know,” Pittman added, referencing the spider pads and shorts gear the Razorbacks will wear early in camp.
‘Blue’ day
Wide receiver Trey Knox tweeted Friday evening that his dog, Blue, had died.
Knox was the first Razorback to announce a sponsorship under the NCAA’s new rules for players profiting from their name, image and likeness, and it was a deal with PetSmart to focus on himself and Blue, a white husky.
“Unfortunately we lost Blue this morning to an accident,” Knox tweeted. “It was an unfortunate situation and what hurts the most is I wasn’t able to be there with her at the end.”
Knox also posted photos of himself and Blue in happier times.
“We had so many wonderful plans for the future,” he tweeted. “Blue was a special pup and will be FOREVER LOVED.”
Roster update
Sophomore safety Myles Slusher will miss time early in camp due to a family issue, as pointed out by Sam Pittman on Thursday.
Freshman tailback Rocket Sanders is continuing to rehab from a high ankle injury he suffered and fought through in the spring.
Transfer receiver Warren Thompson was at practice Friday but he’s dealing with a hamstring that tightened up on him, Pittman said.
Senior slot receiver De’Vion Warren was back at work after rehabilitating from knee ligament surgery. Warren was involved in individual drills, but Pittman said his reps would be monitored throughout camp to not over-work him.
Koilan Jackson, who has switched to tight end and the No. 88 as worn by his NFL all-star father Keith Jackson, was doing individual rehab work in the Walker Indoor Pavilion.
Freshman wideout Ketron Jackson ran without the left knee brace he was sporting in the spring.
Linebacker Marco Avant (left foot surgery) opened camp on the injury list as he continues to rehab.
Extra points
• UA basketball coach Eric Musselman attended the first day of practice with Anthony Ruta, the program’s director of operations.
• Linebacker Bumper Pool said the Razorbacks worked a good deal of four-man fronts on Friday with a couple of defensive backs missing.
• The Razorbacks will practice five consecutive days through Tuesday then take a day off of practice before resuming with their first day in full pads on Thursday.