FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks have installed a lot of their 2017 offense through eight practices, but they will not have full access to coordinator Dan Enos' playbook for today's first major scrimmage.
"We still have goal-line stuff to install and just some other things," quarterback Austin Allen said Thursday. "Coach Enos has a billion plays he could still install. We're on install 8, so it's about 80 percent in.
"So we've got kind of the full arsenal, but we still always add stuff during game weeks and stuff like that. Whatever they see on film, they might put in a play we haven't run in two years. We've installed a lot, and it's been kind of full go for the past eight days. So I think we'll be about 85-90 percent on Saturday."
Tailback Devwah Whaley said the Razorbacks worked on some plays from Enos' goal-line packages Thursday.
"Every day we've just been getting better," Whaley said. "We're going to keep installing day by day and get ready for Saturday for the first scrimmage."
Grading Chase
Behind sophomore Devwah Whaley and graduate transfer David Williams at the tailback slot, freshmen Chase Hayden and Maleek Williams are having a strong competition, according to their teammates.
Maleek Williams has the edge from an experience standpoint, having enrolled early and participated in spring drills with the Razorbacks. But because Hayden is the smallest, fastest tailback, he has an edge because he offers a different style than Williams, whose frame and game are similar to that of Whaley and David Williams.
"Chase has been impressive," David Williams said. "He's surprised me with even picking up blocks and all that kind of stuff, and he's only a freshman, so I'm looking for big things."
Fitting in
Outside linebacker Gabe Richardson, a junior college transfer who has been in Fayetteville for three months, said it was about three weeks ago that he realized he had made it through the summer conditioning program led by strength coach Ben Herbert and his staff.
He said that accomplishment made him believe he belonged at Arkansas and playing in the SEC.
"Those workouts with coach Herb will change you," Richardson said. "I prayed before every single workout that I'd make it.
"I didn't know if I was going to be a Razorback or not through those workouts. But when I made it through, that's when I realized I had the toughness to continue pushing. I felt like a Razorback then."
Log cabins
Tight end transfer Jeremy Patton had an interesting summer gig in the summer of 2015 before he started his first season at Arizona Western College.
"I spent some time in Kentucky ... working on log cabins, so I've been around," Patton said.
Log cabins?
"I was out there with my brother and his stepdad," Patton explained. "I wasn't doing the technical work. Me and my buddy were lugging logs around doing heavy work for the guys."
Bag rules
Arkansas has implemented a new "clear bag" policy for the 2017 season.
The new policy will allow fans to bring in one clear bag -- either a 12x6x12-inch bag or a 1 gallon zip-top -- and a small clutch purse no larger than 4.5x6.5 inches for personal items. The bags must be made of clear plastic, vinyl or PVC. All the bags will be screened by security prior to stadium entry.
Fans who require medical supplies or devices are not subject to the policy but must be screened and tagged.
Fans with questions about the policy can read more details at arkansasrazorbacks.com, which has a story and a link to frequently asked questions.
'Tarzan' mane
Austin Allen said his flowing locks already have paid off by winning a bet with former Razorback and current San Diego Chargers tight end Hunter Henry. The two had a bet last season on who could grow his hair the longest, which Allen said Henry won easily.
Not so this season.
"It's over," Allen said. "He had to go to that Mackey Award thing and he goes, 'I can't have my long hair for that. I've got to cut it down.'
"I was like, 'Whatever, dude, just pay me my $20.' "
Allen said he's not in a hair-growing contest with anybody this season, although there are other strong competitors on the team, such as tight end Jeremy Patton and others.
"Reid Miller's got some freaking Tarzan hair, so he's the longest hair on the team," Allen said. "I might be a close second."
Hog grads
The Razorbacks will have five graduates on this year's team, including two who received their degrees elsewhere.
Quarterback Austin Allen, running back Connor McPherson and safety De'Andre Coley received their degrees from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. All are fifth-year seniors.
Offensive lineman Jake Raulerson is a graduate of the University of Texas and running back David Williams is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. Both transferred to Arkansas by virtue of the NCAA's graduate transfer rule, which allows graduated players to transfer without sitting out a season.
Running back Juan Day used the graduate transfer rule to leave Arkansas for Stephen F. Austin this year.
The Razorbacks' graduate count is tied with LSU and Tennessee for eighth among SEC teams this season, according to the National Football Foundation. Alabama leads the league with 12 graduates, followed by Ole Miss (9) and Kentucky (8). Mississippi State's two graduates are the fewest among SEC teams.
Ragnow in
Center Frank Ragnow was held out of live tackling work in the spring against his preference, but the preseason All-SEC center is expected to be back to the full-speed grind when the Hogs scrimmage today.
"I believe I'm full go. It's time to start playing football," Ragnow said.
Sports on 08/05/2017