Arkansas returned to spring football practice Tuesday afternoon inside Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Here are some notes and observations:
• Players in green no-contact jerseys: Running back Rocket Sanders, safety Jalen Catalon, wide receiver Jadon Haselwood and defensive back Kevin Compton.
Haselwood took part in some of the team work toward the end of the 4 p.m. hour and caught a pass. He obviously cannot do a whole lot given the top he’s in, but he took the bubble screen, looked fairly shifty and got a defensive back leaning one way, making him miss the hand tag.
• Watching the linebackers go through position drills, Bumper Pool and Drew Sanders, the transfer linebacker from Alabama, look almost identical in size and stature. If Sanders, too, plays in the same manner Pool does, the Razorbacks should be really solid at the second level.
• In the north end zone, quarterbacks threw passes to receivers who were in 1-on-1 battles with defensive backs. Taking in the last six throws, there were four pass breakups by the secondary, including ones from Chase Lowery, Jacorrei Turner against Chris Harris, Jayden Johnson against Warren Thompson, and Jaylen Lewis against Jaedon Wilson. Hudson Clark and Keuan Parker also forced incompletions.
• It was interesting seeing the punt/punt return teams work. The wind was blowing at the punters’ backs as they kicked to the south end. Max Fletcher looked great. He had four big punts that traveled an estimated 50-55 yards.
Reid Bauer also had a pair of 50-plus yard kicks. Fletcher’s kicks were effortless. He just kind of punches the ball with his foot.
The kicks were wind-aided, but impressive nonetheless.
• Returning punts was Anthony Brown, Harper Cole, Rashod Dubinion, Bryce Stephens and Dwight McGlothern, the LSU transfer. I envision Stephens winning this job eventually. He’s got the speed and shiftiness for it.
• First-team offensive line (L—>R): Luke Jones, Brady Latham, Ricky Stromberg, Beaux Limmer, Dalton Wagner.
• Second-team offensive line, I believe (L—>R): Devon Manuel, Jalen St. John, Marcus Henderson, E’Marion Harris, Ty’Kieast Crawford.
• The play of the day from what I saw was a deep ball from KJ Jefferson to Warren Thompson. The play picked up around 35 yards. Pretty ball from Jefferson and he dropped it right over Thompson’s shoulder, just out of reach of the defensive back.