FAYETTEVILLE — Almost as much for his legendary acting, producing and writing the 1941 movie classic Citizen Kane, it seemed the late Orson Welles became later known for his 1970s and ’80s Paul Masson commercials authoritatively asserting, “We will sell no wine before its time.”
Another Orson in the 1980s, former Arkansas Razorbacks offensive tackle Orson Weems, parodied the commercial to tout never being offsides.
“We will block no line before it’s time,” Orson Weems asserted.
Frankly if college football offensive coaches had their druthers, they would ask nothing game day of their offensive line before its time.
No football position group is apt to improve more with age than the offensive line or pay a bigger price if marketed too green.
They know that from both vantage points at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Other than 2016 senior 4-year starter Dan Skipper and current 2017 senior Frank Ragnow, the Razorbacks last year played with a young line before its time.
Although the 2016 line blocked well enough for running back Rawleigh Williams to lead the SEC in rushing, too often the line couldn’t push to make pivotal goal-line and short-yardage runs nor pass-block protect quarterback Austin Allen from taking hits like a punching bag.
During six practices this spring including last Saturday’s scrimmage, Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Dan Enos assert they see a line coming into its time plus backups ticking, too.
“It’s night and day,” Enos said going into Saturday’s scrimmage. “Our offensive line from last year to right now is night and day. We could barely field two lines last year. We’ve got three lines right now that we feel good about. We’ve got guys that are developing and learning and being physical and getting better.”
Skipper has graduated to seek his fortune in the NFL draft, but Ragnow returns as an All-American candidate projected in the hunt for the Rimington Trophy awarded the nation’s outstanding center.
Meanwhile, some of last season’s Not Ready for Primetime Players are coming of age. They include then just converted from defensive lineman to offensive guard Hjalte Froholdt of Denmark, young tackles Colton Jackson and Brian Wallace, second year at Arkansas transfer Jake Raulerson and apparently disciplinary demoted but very viable walk-on become scholarship with starting experience offensive guard Johnny Gibson.
Bielema said 2016 redshirted junior college transfer tackle Paul Ramirez is also coming of age. Meanwhile junior backup center Zach Rogers, scrimmages firstteam as Bielema limits Ragnow’s exposure to springtime injury and January enrolled freshmen Shane Clenin, Kirby Adcock and Dalton Wagner get a head-start on the developing process.
The two best-ever Bielema-coached Arkansas offensive linemen — All-Americans Travis Swanson, the Detroit Lions center, and Tennessee Titans guard Sebastian Tretola — have spent portions of their NFL offseason in Fayetteville and observed recent practices including Saturday’s scrimmage.
“I asked them their opinion,” Bielema said. “They feel that starting five, especially when Frank’s in there, are playing at a pretty high level.”