ARKANSAS SPRING FOOTBALL PRACTICE

Hogs' 'D' working on versatility

Arkansas defensive back Joe Foucha (left) closes in on receiver Jaquayln Crawford during Thursday’s practice in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks have been working on defensive schemes against pro-style and run-heavy attacks this week. More photos at arkansasonline.com/49uapractice/
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
Arkansas defensive back Joe Foucha (left) closes in on receiver Jaquayln Crawford during Thursday’s practice in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks have been working on defensive schemes against pro-style and run-heavy attacks this week. More photos at arkansasonline.com/49uapractice/ (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)

FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas changed gears in their second-to-last week of spring drills to make sure the defense will stay flexible in 2021.

In the media observation settings through three weeks of spring, the Razorbacks looked to be almost exclusively in three-man defensive fronts and largely a base 3-2-6 lineup with their expanding pack of talent in the secondary.

This week, the Hogs have been working four-down fronts, the better to contend with pro-style and run-heavy attacks, in a 4-2-5 look.

The same quartet of ends Dorian Gerald and Zach Williams and tackles Taurean Carter and combo-man Eric Gregory has been running with the top unit. Junior tackle Isaiah Nichols would presumably be taking first-unit reps, but he's been slowed by an ankle that he tweaked in Saturday's scrimmage.

Safety Jalen Catalon, whose scheme and film study is impressive, said the Razorbacks have to be ready for varied offenses in the fall.

[GALLERY: Click here for more photos » arkansasonline.com/49uapractice/]

"For sure. I always say you've got to be flexible," Catalon said Tuesday. "When a three front isn't the best package for a certain game down the road, you've got to do to a four front, or maybe the package for the three front might work. But you've got to have both in your game plan just because you don't know what the offense is going to do."

Added safety Simeon Blair, "We're emphasizing that just in case we do have to switch up. We're doing that more for run stopping. ... We're trying to get our D-linemen to step up, and they're doing a great job just keeping them to stay disciplined.

"And it helps on the run when you have four D-linemen who do their jobs. It makes it easier on the linebackers, it makes it easier on the DBs. So, I feel like we've looked pretty good in our four-down linemen, just as good as we looked in our 3-2-6 look."

Senior Grant Morgan and junior Bumper Pool had been the top two linebackers early in spring, but fifth-year senior Hayden Henry has gotten plenty of work with the ones this week, including in Thursday's spring practice No. 11 in shells.

Pool also moved up with the first unit for part of Thursday's team periods, giving Morgan a rest.

The Razorbacks had a special visitor on a sun-splashed day with consistent stiff wind gusts that made the quarterbacks have to fire passes that cut through the breeze.

With the team in shells, "thudding" was the mode of contact, but the work still had an edge of physicality to it. Running back Dominique Johnson came out of one pileup with his padded helmet flying off his head and onto the grass.

On a sequence of plays called a perimeter drill that featured screen passes on the edge with receivers competing against defensive backs, receiver Trey Knox had a knee driven into the grass and came up limping and hopping.

"I just had a little grass burn on my knee, nothing too bad," Knox said. "Kind of nasty looking, but whatever."

Catalon had an interception over the middle on a pass intended for tight end Hudson Henry during a good vs. good team period. Hudson Clark ranged back on a deep ball intended for Jaquayln Crawford and had a pass breakup.

Quarterback Malik Hornsby found tight end Blake Kern on a pass that would have been a chain mover.

Art Briles, the father of Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, has been in town all week checking out his son's handiwork with the Razorbacks. During one special teams period on Thursday, Briles and defensive coordinator Barry Odom spoke at length, and Briles mingled with the quarterbacks and other offensive personnel.

While the defense held sway in Saturday's scrimmage, the offense got one up on them during one segment Thursday. Working on one-on-one pass plays from inside the 5-yard, receivers snagged one touchdown pass after another.

"The receivers have their days and we have our days," Blair said. "We have some really good receivers. They keep us getting better every day and we challenge them every day to get them better.

"So, you know like before practice when we start warmups, [receiver] Mike Woods talked today and he said, 'DBs have been getting us better, and we're going to push as hard as we can.'"

At one point, cornerbacks coach Sam Carter, who had urged various defensive backs to cover the fade or create inside leverage, declared, "We aren't making any plays today."

The best catch of the sequence went to Woods, who used every bit of his vertical leap to make an all-hands catch on about the 2-yard line. The catch was great, but he did not score, as cornerback Montaric Brown made the stop on the spot.

The receivers dominated but didn't win every rep, as nickel back Greg Brooks Jr., made a strong play with his left hand to bat away a shallow crosser intended for Treylon Burks. Knox ran a fade against Clark, but the delivery was out of bounds and uncatchable. Corner Devin Bush, wearing a limited-contact green jersey, also had a pass breakup.

However, Crawford, John David White, Karch Gardiner, Kendall Catalon and Harper Cole all created good angles and caught touchdown passes from a variety of quarterbacks.

"I just see a group of guys getting better and better every day," Knox said, adding that new receivers coach Kenny Guiton is pushing the unit to improve on the daily.

"One percent better every day is the motto," Knox said, "because everybody has something they can fix. We don't want to take steps backwards, we want to take steps forward. And we don't want to be the same. So I just think we're pouring into each other. We're very close in that room. And the same thing on the DB side. It was great competition today. Those guys have a bunch of dogs in that room too."

Arkansas assistant coach Jimmy Smith hands the ball off to running back Josh Oglesby.
Arkansas assistant coach Jimmy Smith hands the ball off to running back Josh Oglesby.

Upcoming Events