FAYETTEVILLE -- Vernon Hargreaves coached all the linebackers last season in the Arkansas Razorbacks' 4-3 defense.
This spring, Hargreaves has help as the Hogs switch philosophies to incorporate four linebackers in their base package. Chad Walker has been hired to handle the outside linebackers, but Hargreaves has help beyond that in the form of Dre Greenlaw, the junior who is expected to start at the weak-side or "Will" spot in the revised scheme when he returns after surgery on his right foot.
Inside Linebackers position glance
Returning starters WLB Dre Greenlaw (7 starts in 2016), WLB Dwayne Eugene (6)
Key losses MLB Brooks Ellis (13 starts)
Who’s back De’Jon Harris, Josh Harris, redshirt freshmen Giovanni LaFrance and Grant Morgan
Walk-ons Tyler Phillips, Terrell Collins
Who’s new Kyrei Fisher, Damani Carter (position switch from FB)
Analysis Arkansas struggled to set the edge against the run in many of its SEC West games, but the Razorbacks also took some gashing on the inside, particularly against teams with dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks. A healthy Greenlaw will be a key element in plugging those gaps. Eugene and Harris saw plenty of playing time in the second half of 2016 and should play more instinctively. The inside linebackers could face more blockers in releasing guards, so they’ll need to be good at shucking blocks and diagnosing plays quickly. The depth falls off to younger players quickly after the trio mentioned above, making seasoning this spring and in camp all the more important.
"We've asked him to kind of take on an assistant coaching internship, and he's really been buying into that and working with the younger guys," University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Coach Bret Bielema said.
"We're going to keep him engaged mentally for sure," Hargreaves said.
"I think it'll help a lot," Greenlaw said of his role as observer and mentor for younger linebackers. "I'm just making sure I'm on top of my game and knowing what I'm doing at all times, because a lot of times with the younger players, they'll come to me and ask me what to do.
"Even though it's a new defense for me, a lot of it, I meet with coach Hargreaves quite a bit, so he will have explained it to me already."
Hargreaves will handle one of the more veteran units on the team.
Greenlaw and senior Dwayne Eugene, who made six starts last year and one the year before, have the most playing experience. Greenlaw ranked ninth on the team with 42 tackles despite missing six-plus games, while Eugene ranked seventh with 44 tackles.
Sophomore De'Jon Harris had 21 tackles in the final four games of 2016, including 10 in the Razorbacks' 58-42 victory at Mississippi State.
Eugene and Harris are working with the first unit at the weak-side and middle "Mike" spots. Harris said he lost between 15 and 20 pounds, down from the 255 pounds he played at last season, and is serious about earning playing time.
"Right now, since I'm the starting Mike linebacker, I have to make all the calls," Harris said. "I'm trying to make the defense trust in me right now, and just be that leader, the alpha male of the defense."
Junior Josh Harris had eight tackles last year and plays bigger than his 5-10, 239-pound frame.
Redshirt freshmen Giovanni LaFrance and Grant Morgan, and true freshman Kyrei Fisher are also playing on the inside and trying to work into the playing rotation.
Hargreaves said the practice reps are fluid.
"Right now we're calling it a rep chart as opposed to a depth chart," he said. "The starting point, the two guys I have out there, maybe they'll be the guys at the end, I don't know. We'll take a look at it, see who's doing what they're supposed to do."
Bielema has discussed Eugene, a 6-1, 235-pounder, as a linebacker who could play both inside and out, but through the first week the Marrero, La., product worked on the inside.
The outside spots, called the "Razor" and the "Hog," combine characteristics of an outside linebacker with a safety and a defensive end, respectively.
"I noticed those guys blitz a lot," Eugene said. "I wouldn't mind coming off the edge and blitzing from time to time. Also, I feel on the inside you can get your hands on more balls and make more plays, as far as tackles."
Bielema and the defensive coaches, led by first-year coordinator Paul Rhoads, are aiming to get more versatile, athletic players on the field to deal with the run-pass option styles that gave the Razorbacks fits in 2016.
Bielema said he was pleased with the physical changes made by Eugene, who has gotten to 240 pounds, and Harris, who has dropped to less than 240 pounds.
"A lot of times now that linebacker has to rip across a guard's face," Bielema said.
Hargreaves said the potential cross-training of inside and outside linebackers will develop over time. The two groups have separate meeting rooms.
"What will end up happening, as we watch the film, we also talk about what those [outside] guys should be doing," Hargreaves said. "And I'm sure coach Walker talks to them about what our guys are doing.
"They'll figure it out as we go through. The good thing is we've got days in between [practices], so if we want to make a transition, we've got a whole day to do that if we're moving a guy. We've got the next [11] practices to figure that out."
Greenlaw earned a starting position as a true freshman in 2015 and made his name with plays such as his sack-and-strip on LSU quarterback Brandon Harris, which led to a Razorback fumble recovery and a touchdown in a 31-14 victory at Tiger Stadium.
Greenlaw was off to a solid start in 2016 before he suffered a broken bone in his foot against Alabama that caused him to miss the final six regular-season games.
Eugene picked off a pass against Alabama after coming in for Greenlaw, nearly intercepted another one against Ole Miss the next week while notching two quarterback hurries, then recovered fumbles against LSU and Missouri in the second half of the season.
Eugene understands he can make improvements from last season.
"The more reps I got, the better I got," he said. "I was able to have that experience, and I know the things I messed up on and just made those corrections.
"I know last year I needed to work on my hands, so this offseason I've been working on my hands and my pad level. At times when I get tired, I tend to play high, so now I've been working on doing that when I'm tired."
Rhoads said the inside linebackers clearly worked on learning the new defensive playbook.
"The inside linebacker guys have done some good things, and it shows me they're listening to coach Hargreaves and they're trying to do what they're supposed to do, and they're doing it at a fast pace," he said.
Sports on 04/05/2017