FAYETTEVILLE -- As a true freshman for Arkansas last season, Henre Toliver showed he could play cornerback in the SEC.
This spring Toliver is hoping to show he can play nickel back, too.
Henre Toliver glance
CLASS Sophomore
HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-1, 185 pounds
POSITION Cornerback
HIGH SCHOOL Metairie (La.) Archbishop Rummel
HOMETOWN Marrero, La.
NOTEWORTHY Played in 11 games last season as a true freshman, including four starts against Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia. … Missed two games against Mississippi State and Alabama-Birmingham because of a back injury. … Primary cover man on Alabama’s Amari Cooper when Arkansas held the All-American to two catches for 22 yards. … Had 18 tackles on the season with a sack against Georgia. … Returned an interception 46 yards against Texas in the Texas Bowl. … Listed as a starter on the depth chart going into spring and began working at nickel back Monday during the fourth of 15 spring practices. … Had 10 career interceptions at Rummel and was a two-year starter. … As a high school senior was ranked the No. 18 prospect from Louisiana and No. 27 cornerback in the country by 247Sports.com. … Also had scholarship offers from Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri, Louisville, Arizona State, Mississippi State, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
Toliver -- who played in 11 games last season with four starts and helped the Razorbacks hold down Alabama All-American Amari Cooper -- got his first work covering slot receivers at nickel back Monday when Arkansas resumed practice after spring break.
The Razorbacks are looking for a replacement for Tevin Mitchel, a senior last season who found a home at nickel back, and defensive backs coach Clay Jennings said Toliver is a prime candidate because of his physical and mental attributes.
"He's a dang good football player, he's intelligent, and he plays with poise," Jennings said. "He doesn't get rattled a lot.
"He gives us a longer, athletic corner in the middle as far as covering the slot. He's able to pick up on our blitzes and the zone coverage concepts. He can be physical."
Toliver, 6-1, 185 pounds, said his first practice at nickel back went well. He's competing at the spot with Kevin Richardson, a redshirt sophomore from Jacksonville who played primarily on special teams last season but got some work in the secondary.
"I feel good about it. I think I'll be pretty good at it," Toliver said of playing inside. "I'm starting to catch on. "It's a different technique than cornerback. Instead of playing off the man like I do on the outside, I'm squared up on the receiver."
Jennings talked to Toliver a couple of weeks before the start of spring practice about working at nickel back.
"He was very receptive to the move," Jennings said.
Toliver started against Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia last season. His highlight was covering Cooper when the Razorbacks held the Heisman Trophy finalist to season lows of two receptions for 22 yards without a touchdown in the Crimson Tide's 14-13 victory.
"I didn't really know what to expect last season," said Toliver, who came to Arkansas from Metairie (La.) Archbishop Rummel High School. "If I did redshirt, I wasn't going to complain about that.
"I would have taken it as a positive, but I'm glad I got to play. I showed what I could do on the field."
Toliver had 18 tackles -- including a sack for a 4-yard loss against Georgia -- and capped his season with an interception return for 46 yards in the Razorbacks' 31-7 victory over Texas in the Texas Bowl.
A bruised back Toliver sustained against Georgia caused him to miss the Mississippi State and Alabama-Birmingham games, but he came back to play in the final four games, including shutout victories over LSU and Ole Miss.
"Playing as much as I did gave me a lot of confidence," Toliver said.
Toliver went into spring practice as one of Arkansas' top three cornerbacks along with juniors Jared Collins and D.J. Dean. If Toliver is at nickel back, Jennings said, it gives Arkansas a chance to have all of its best cornerbacks on the field at the same time against pass-oriented offenses.
"Henre did some good things in there at nickel back considering it was his first time to ever do it," Jennings said of Monday's practice. "He also did some things that weren't so good.
"We're going to have to be patient with him and see how he does there. He just needs to get more repetitions and get a feel for it."
Jennings said he's eager to see how Toliver does at nickel back in practice today and especially in Saturday's scrimmage.
"Once we get through Saturday he's either going to stay there or we might have to shuffle it up," Jennings said.
Toliver said he has come a long way since fall camp as a freshman.
"I'm more physical," he said. "I know the playbook better. I actually know what I'm doing now. I'm trying to be more vocal."
Toliver said he has talked to Mitchel about the keys to playing nickel back.
"He's helped me with the techniques in all the different coverages, what to do and what not to do," Toliver said. "He's given me the scoop on everything."
Sports on 04/02/2015