FAYETTEVILLE -- Bret Bielema led the charge this week to mess with Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh, who has his team conducting open practices at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for a week during spring drills against the wishes of SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and the league.
Bielema posted the following message on his Twitter account on Wednesday, "After early meetings & lift tomorrow with our players. Thinking about heading to watch an open practice tomorrow at IMG with the staff. #WPS."
Bielema followed up with a post Thursday morning that said he had found out from the NCAA that he could not go to the practice because it's a quiet period before writing "Maybe next year Jamaica."
Meanwhile, other college coaches chimed in after Bielema's original post.
Michigan State's Mark Dantonio asked Bielema on Twitter "Want to do lunch?"
And later Tennessee Coach Butch Jones wrote "Mind if I join you guys for lunch?" with references to Bielema and Dantonio.
Spring countdown
The Razorbacks' March 29 start date for spring practice is two weeks after two other late-starting SEC programs -- Georgia and South Carolina -- are scheduled to st March 15.
Arkansas is not starting until after spring break and is scheduled to squeeze 15 practice days into a 26-day window. But the Hogs' April 23 spring game is only one week after Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri and Tennessee hold their games.
Vanderbilt opened its spring drills on Feb. 22 and will conclude on March 25, four days before the Razorbacks get started.
Arkansas will work out on the Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday during the first week, then add Mondays the next three weeks.
Injury update
Receiver Drew Morgan, cornerback D.J. Dean and running back Rawleigh Williams III will work with limitations when the Razorbacks open spring drills.
Morgan is coming off shoulder surgery and Dean is recovering from foot surgery. Williams, who had neck surgery after taking a shot to the helmet during Arkansas' 54-46 4-overtime victory over Auburn, has been cleared for noncontact work.
"He'll do a lot of different things just no full, live contact," Coach Bret Bielema said.
New running backs coach Reggie Mitchell said he'd heard about Williams' injury as he was interviewing for the job and now Williams has told him how it happened.
"He doesn't have any fear of getting injured again," Mitchell said. "He's looked good in the morning workouts. ... We're going to take our time with him and you're not going to win any games in the spring. We just have to get him to the fall and make sure he's confident and healthy moving forward."
Back Rhoads
New secondary coach Paul Rhoads said the ins and outs of coaching the defensive backfield are still to be ironed out with defensive coordinator Robb Smith, who has worked closely with the defensive backs.
"I think we'll discover that more as we go," Rhoads said. "Robb's got a great background with the back seven and truly is a walk-around guy that can be utilized by not just Vernon [Hargreaves] and myself, but Rory [Segrest] up front as well.
"If Rory needs Robb to do something with the DEs, he's going to be capable and able to do that. I'll have the whole room as far as the meeting is concerned, and coaching and teaching them. But we might break up at some point corners and safeties, and it could be opposite on opposite days."
Center circuit
Arkansas' offensive linemen will work at multiple positions in the spring to promote versatility and competition, as has been customary during Bielema's three seasons at Arkansas. The center spot will have at least three players vying to replace two-year starter Mitch Smothers: junior Frank Ragnow, a 13-game starter at right guard last season, sophomore Hjalte Froholdt, a defensive tackle last year, and sophomore Zach Rogers.
In and over
Bret Bielema said sophomore Josh Allen served a one-week suspension from winter conditioning work but was eligible to return last week. Allen's week off followed in the footsteps of a one-week suspension for linebacker Dre Greenlaw, tight end C.J. O'Grady and defensive end Jamario Bell. All three of those players also returned after sitting out a week.
Bielema said Allen has switched positions from offensive guard to the defensive line to give him a breath of fresh air.
Hog futures
Running backs coach Reggie Mitchell said his recruiting background and Arkansas' assets should make a good combination.
"I recruited Detroit, then I've been in Chicago, Miami. I've recruited Los Angeles, Dallas," Mitchell said. "I've kind of been all over the place in recruiting.
"I just really think that with recruiting, No. 1, Arkansas is a great place to sell. So you have a product you can sell. Then it's about developing relationships and getting to know people and building trust with them. It's a friends and family thing.
"Like I tell Coach B., you can put me anywhere, because I've probably recruited there at some point."
Top tight end
ESPN analyst Todd McShay has Arkansas' Hunter Henry as his top tight end, and said he nearly slotted Henry to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 25th pick of the first round in his most recent mock draft.
"Maybe it's just old school in my mind, but I think they'll want someone who's a little bit more of a blocker at that position if they decide to pull the trigger early on a tight end," McShay said on a teleconference this week.
McShay also said South Carolina tight end Jerell Adams was the best of this draft's tight ends at separating from man-to-man coverage and was the fastest tight end at the combine.
"Thee subtlety of his head fakes and the crispness of his routes and how sharp he is getting in and out of his breaks," McShay said. "None of these other guys are as good. Hunter Henry of Arkansas is closest. So I think Jerell Adams may have the highest ceiling of all the tight ends in this draft."
Combine count
Arkansas tied Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Texas A&M with having six former players invited to participate at the NFL Scouting Combine last weekend.
Alabama led the SEC with nine players invited, followed by Auburn, Florida and Georgia with eight each.
Representation for the other SEC schools: LSU 5, South Carolina 4, Missouri 3, Kentucky and Tennessee 2, and Vanderbilt 1.
Sports on 03/06/2016