Razorbacks Football: Arkansas doing secondary shuffle

FAYETTEVILLE — When Arkansas resumes football practice Tuesday, the secondary will be a focal point for the media.

That's because the defensive backfield has been one of the most unsettled units for the Razorbacks, right through camp and up to game week for Saturday's season opener against Missouri State.

Junior cornerback Ramon Broadway is the only member of the secondary who has remained a starter from the time camp opened until today. Isaac Madison, also a cornerback, might also have held down the starting job at field corner, but the junior was lost for the season in the Hogs' second scrimmage with a torn knee ligament.

Madison's vacated spot has been one of the more contested positions since that time. Redshirt sophomore Greg Gatson got first crack at field corner, but he was beaten deep in some team periods and scrimmage work and eventually returned to a reserve role.

Junior college transfer Rudell Crim, who had been working behind Broadway at the boundary corner spot, was elevated to the first team after the Razorbacks' Aug. 22 scrimmage.

"We're going to make sure we get guys who will tackle," said defensive coordinator Willy Robinson, who also serves as the secondary coach. "That's the bottom line.

"Our last scrimmage we had to evaluate guys who demonstrated courage, who demonstrated running full speed to the ball. Not necessarily going the right way to the ball, but at least they were running full speed to the ball, and we can go from there."

Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino said he discusses personnel with Robinson all the time, and depth-chart decisions are based on effort and precision in assignments and alignments.

"And then it's about production, too, because there are some guys, unfortunately, that can get aligned every play, know what their assignment is, but then just can't make the play," Petrino said. "So production becomes a big part of it."

The shuffling has also affected both safety spots.

Sophomore Elton Ford, who has made a remarkable recovery from last October, when he broke three bones in his lower neck in the Ole Miss game,opened camp as the starter at strong safety. But the hitting power of sophomore Tramain Thomas elevated Thomas into a starting role early in camp, and he has not relinquished it.

"He has made great strides," Robinson said of Thomas. "When Tramain was a two [a backup], I don't know how serious he took the game. He didn't see himself being that guy, but all of a sudden he started making a push and being a believer he could be that guy. I think he's hanging on to that position very well."

The latest shuffle occurred at free safety, or open safety, as Robinson calls the position. Matt Harris had been productive in camp and holding down that spot until last week, when the versatile Jerell Norton rose up all the way from third team, also bypassing junior college transfer Anthony Leon.

Robinson suggested that the depth-chart shuffle is not over.

"Matt knows that it's not a permanent deal," he said. "It's temporary."

But that's only if players like Harris bounce back with a mission.

"The competition continues unless the starters quit," Robinson said. "Will they fight back and take the position?"

The Razorbacks are also high on newcomers David Gordon, Darius Winston and Andru Stewart, all of whom have figured into the two-deep at one time or another in camp.

How it all sorts out boils down to what Robinson stressed over and over last week.

"If you don't display courage every single down, if you sit down there and try to avoid a block, try to avoid a tackle, try to do whatever you can to not get yourself dirty ... Let's be physical," Robinson said. "That's what this thing is all about."