Hogs need good return from Wilson

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ offensive coaches are almost as anxious for Demetrius Wilson not to be tackled as they are for Knile Davis to be tackled.

Ever since Davis broke his ankle in a preseason practice Aug. 11, 2011, which cost him all of last season, there has been speculation about what will happen the first time the 2010 first-team All-SEC running back is hit in practice.

That speculation came up again Thursday when Arkansas Coach John L. Smith, offensive coordinator Paul Petrino and running backs coach Tim Horton met with the media before the coaches’ annual golf get-together at Paradise Valley in Fayetteville.

The Razorbacks start practice Thursday, don full pads by the following week and will hold the first of their two Saturday scrimmages Aug. 11.

As they have said all summer, Smith, Petrino and Horton reiterated Thursday that Davis, who practiced all spring and even some in late November without full contact, needs some full contact before the Sept. 1 season opener against Jacksonville State.

“We’ll hold our breath while those hits take place,” Horton said.

The offensive staff would breathe easier if the defense takes it best shots at Wilson and misses.

As a junior college transfer from Glendale, Ariz., Wilson already was expected to be more ready to play right away as a wide receiver and punt returner than the freshmen who also signed last February.

“Demetrius Wilson, no question being a junior college guy, when you recruit someone like that you expect them to play right away,” Petrino said while touting the receivers in the freshman class.

But will he be as ready to play now as sophomore Marquel Wade appeared last spring?

Wade seemed like the elusive, heir apparent to graduated All-America punt returner/receiver Joe Adams, who is now playing in the NFL, but Wade will not be with the team in 2012 because of disciplinary reasons, Smith reiterated Thursday.

So can Wilson pick up where Adams and now Wade left off?

“That’s something that we’ve got to get out on the field and have live tackling and see,” Petrino said. “What he has is great all-out speed, so you’re hoping that he can make a guy miss and then take it the distance, because he does have that home run speed.

“Of his junior college tape and just off his track times, you know he has the speed to do it, but you have to get into live tackling to know for sure.”

Adams (19) and Wade (12) returned every punt returned by the Razorbacks last year. Even senior preseason All-SEC kickoff returner Dennis Johnson has not returned a college punt.

“It’s a tough situation because we have never really seen any of those guys since they have been here have the opportunity to field punts that they will see in the Southeastern Conference and college football,” special teams coach Steve Caldwell said. “That’s a little bit different than what they saw in high school.”