Razorbacks report

2 not ready when Hogs open camp

Redshirt freshman linebacker Alexy Jean-Baptiste (left) is still recovering from surgery in April to repair a broken foot and will not participate in Arkansas’ fi rst practice Thursday, Coach Bret Bielema said Monday to reporters in Rogers.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Alexy Jean-Baptiste (left) is still recovering from surgery in April to repair a broken foot and will not participate in Arkansas’ fi rst practice Thursday, Coach Bret Bielema said Monday to reporters in Rogers.

ROGERS -- The Arkansas Razorbacks will open preseason camp Thursday without scholarship players Montaric Brown and Alexy Jean-Baptiste, Coach Bret Bielema said Monday at the NWA Razorback Club golf outing at Shadow Valley Country Club.

Brown, a blue-chip signee from Ashdown, is still in the process of gaining his eligibility through the NCAA and is not expected to join the roster for at least the first two weeks of camp.

Jean-Baptiste, a redshirt freshman linebacker, is still recovering from surgery in April to repair a broken foot.

Bielema indicated the earliest Brown will be available to practice is after summer school ends Aug. 4.

"Unfortunately, sometimes there is a little bit of lag in the NCAA side as well, as you're dealing with a lot of paperwork and coursework," Bielema said of Brown's situation. "Getting everything in in a short amount of time, sometimes it just doesn't happen as fast as we want.

"It's not like a do-or-die situation for him to get here. I think we'll find out -- just like we do with all freshmen -- what they can handle mentally and physically, and if the answer is yes, then we'll go ahead. If not, we'll have a chance to redshirt him."

Bielema said Jean-Baptiste would not be ready physically to make the 105-man roster the Razorbacks will carry through camp. The 6-2, 231-pounder from Pompano Beach, Fla., was involved in a small amount of spring drills before suffering his foot injury.

"I enjoyed working with Alexy when I had him in the room," outside linebackers coach Chad Walker said. "He's really approached his rehab really well."

Cross on board

Wide receiver Gary Cross, a native of Fordyce, has joined the program as a walk-on who has a chance to earn a scholarship.

Cross spent the past three seasons at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, where he totaled 56 catches for 1,112 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2015 and 2016. He redshirted in 2014 and will have two seasons of eligibility with the Razorbacks.

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Coach Bret Bielema said the 6-2, 187-pound Cross will "eventually" make his way to a scholarship.

"He was a guy that we were recruiting, but unfortunately he had some speed bumps to get through to get his degree," Bielema said.

As a senior at Fordyce, Cross caught 27 passes for 604 yards and 9 touchdowns, and he also recorded 52 tackles, 4 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions as a safety. He was named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette All-Arkansas Football Team as a defensive back in 2013, his only season to play high school football.

"I love the kid's makeup," Arkansas receivers coach Michael Smith said. "He's a tough, extremely athletic wide receiver who's going to help us. He's going to add some depth.

"He seems to pick things up pretty well. We're going to put him out there and let him go in the fire."

All good

Bret Bielema is in his third week as a new father after his wife, Jen, gave birth to daughter Briella -- the couple's first child -- on July 8.

"Fatherhood's good," Bielema said. "I can tell you it's a different sleeping arrangement, a different timing pattern, but it's all good."

Bielema said he hasn't made any big changes in his daily routine.

"I volunteered to sleep in the other room," he said with a laugh. "But nothing that's really going to affect the day-to-day routine for me."

Bielema said he talked to Jen via FaceTime on Monday morning during Briella's check-up.

"You have to get creative on the things you want to be present for," Bielema said. "I've never really thought I'd be FaceTiming my way into a baby appointment on the way to a golf tournament, but it is what it is.

"My wife is unbelievable, so that kind of helps me in that regard. ... What people have sent us, the gifts, the thoughts, it's just overwhelming.

"It's cool to witness, but also my wife last night, she said, 'You lay back down. You have a big job in front of you tomorrow.' I have an understanding family that makes it twice as easy."

Managing Greenlaw

Inside linebackers coach Vernon Hargreaves said Dre Greenlaw, a junior starter who sat out spring practice while recovering from a foot injury, continues to progress but that the coaching staff will watch him carefully in fall camp.

"I think his foot's doing well," Hargreaves said. "We're going to try and manage him and make sure we get him to the season. It's a long camp."

Hargreaves said Greenlaw looked like his old self in the little time he could observe workouts this summer.

"Hopefully he can be the same explosive player he was before, and I think that will probably be the case," Hargreaves said.

Tretola talk

News of the shootings on Dickson Street late Saturday night, which included a bullet grazing former Razorback All-American offensive lineman Sebastian Tretola, reached Bret Bielema early Sunday as he was up to take care of his daughter.

"First, my heart went out to him that everything was OK," Bielema said. "I think it's kind of one of those alarms that goes off in your head to kind of just make everybody aware of what potentially is out there in the world we live in today."

Bielema said he loves Tretola.

"Verbatim when I got hold of him yesterday, I said, 'Hey, first thing I do is hug you and the next thing I do is probably punch you,' you know," Bielema said. "I just want him to realize what he has."

On Freeze

Bret Bielema said he didn't want to comment too much on Hugh Freeze's resignation at Ole Miss without knowing all the details, but he said the situation isn't good for the sport in general.

"We're all in this profession for all the right reasons, and you just hate when anything can be brought to light that's a negative," Bielema said. "If there's anything negative about college football, it affects all of us in the general population. Difficult situation, but I'm sure Ole Miss will champion it."

Dogs adjusting

Bret Bielema said the family dogs, teacup Yorkies Lucy and Ricky, are adjusting well to having a baby in the house.

"Everybody seems to be just fine," Bielema said. "I think I moved down to No. 5 in the house.

"Rick has no problem. He has no idea what's going on. He sniffs her a little bit. Lucy tries to cover her up. My wife got concerned that she was trying to bury her at first, but I guess that's the motherly instincts of a dog, trying to cover up the baby. Lucy protects over her big time."

Stadium update

Bret Bielema said he's impressed by the progress being made on the construction in the north end zone of Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

"I went by pretty early during the last couple of weeks with early-morning workouts and there's people in there at 5 a.m.," Bielema said. "I remember I drove home on a Sunday night at 10:30 and there was somebody in there working. I literally think someone is in there 24/7 grinding in some way."

All the panels on the videoboard in the south end zone have been installed, and the videoboard in the north end zone is expected to be ready for the campus opener against TCU on Sept. 9.

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Information for this article was contributed by Democrat-Gazette staff writers Tom Murphy and Bob Holt, and Matt Jones of WholeHogSports.com.

Sports on 07/25/2017

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