FAYETTEVILLE -- University of Arkansas tailback Raheim Sanders was selected as a second-team preseason All-American by The Associated Press in voting released on Monday.
The junior from Rockledge, Fla., is coming off the fourth-highest single-season rushing total in school history with 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns.
"Man, it's just a blessing," Sanders said in a statement to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "I've got a lot of goals that I've accomplished, but I've got more goals to keep going and accomplish as a player and as a teammate as well."
Sanders was a first-team preseason All-SEC pick as selected by members of the conference media along with Ole Miss sophomore Quinshon Judkins, who led the SEC with 1,565 rushing yards last season.
Judkins and Michigan senior Blake Corum were the first-team selections for the AP team. Corum rushed for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns last season.
Scorching
KJ Jefferson completed the first 10 passes during 2 of 3 coverage drills to lead the offense to a pristine 23 for 25 (92%) performance in the drill Monday.
Jacolby Criswell connected on his first three throws to extend the sequence to 13 consecutive completions before he threw low for Davion Dozier on a dig route. Criswell wound up completing 3 of 4 passes.
Cade Fortin went 5 for 6 and Malachi Singleton was 4 for 4 during the period, while Rykar Acebo completed his only pass to tailback Emmanuel Crawford.
The sequence's top catches went to AJ Green, Isaiah Sategna and Bryce Stephens. Green reached behind himself to tip and then gather in a throw from Jefferson, and four plays later he was racing down the right sideline, slowed down, then ramped up his speed to snag a deep ball from Jefferson.
Sategna caught a deep flag route from Jefferson against blown coverage, pivoted and sprinted free for the end zone on the first of his two catches. Stephens had two receptions in the segment, the best a snag a few inches off the artificial turf from Singleton for an eighth consecutive catch in a string of nine.
Dazmin James completed that 9-for-9 segment with a deep-ball touchdown on a post route from Singleton.
James, Jaedon Wilson and Ty Washington had two catches apiece, while Crawford had three.
Scorching, part 2
The Razorbacks had to practice indoors based on heat guidelines combined with full pads with the temperature at 101 degrees for the 4:15 p.m. start.
The new air conditioning unit at Walker Pavilion has been hooked up, but the system has not had time to condition the air to the levels it is expected to reach. However, it was noticeably cooler inside the pavilion than it was outside on the hottest day yet of camp.
Temperatures and heat indices are expected to reach into the 100s all week.
Personnel
Two slot receivers, Jaedon Wilson and Bryce Stephens, wore green (no-contact) jerseys in the 15th practice of training camp. Both players went through fastball starts, on the second and third teams, respectively.
There were a few additions to the injury list as offensive lineman Tommy Varhall and receiver Kalil Girault worked on the sidelines with the Hogs' other injured players: Tight end Nathan Bax, linebacker Antonio Grier, defensive offensive linemen Joey Su'a, Luke Brown and Terry Wells (whose arm was in a sling).
OK, Jay
Sophomore receiver Jaedon Wilson pronounces his first name like a top receiver on the 2022 Arkansas roster, Jadon Haselwood, as well as safety Jayden Johnson.
However, some of his teammates can be overheard calling him "Jay-Don" during practices.
"It's pronounced 'Jay-den,' " Wilson said Monday. "But I had three teammates named 'Jayden' on my team last year, so that's why it got changed to 'Jay-Don.' "
Asked if he was OK with the intentional mispronunciation, Wilson replied, "It's cool with me."
Wilson was also asked about the hunger he's shown in social media posts during camp to break into the top rotation this fall.
"I just feel like I haven't played football in a long time at the highest level that I have in high school," the DeSoto, Texas product said. "I'm just ready to get back on that field and show what I haven't."
Wilson was touted by Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman heading into spring drills before suffering a broken leg. He's been wearing a green (no-contact) jersey for a few practices in a row but said he should be back in full action within a couple of days.
'Dog turned Hog
Defensive tackle Keivie Rose was looking to finish his career at a larger school after earning his degree from Louisiana Tech last year. Rose, a 6-3, 303-pounder with two years of eligibility remaining, announced he was signing with Arkansas out of the transfer portal while hanging out pool-side and jumping into the pool.
"I was just excited for a new opportunity," the first-team All-Conference USA player and honor roll student said. "Especially coming into this group with the guys that were there. Really, really deep group. I just felt like coming here I would add to that depth. Going against the best every day and working with these guys and the things I'm learning from them. It was really good for me coming in."
Rose said he also considered TCU and Miami.
"Arkansas just stood out to me," he said. "I just felt like being in the SEC was a place I needed to be and I felt like ... I just really went off faith. It was great."
Criswell's cannon
Teammates and coaches have attested to the strong arm of quarterback Jacolby Criswell, and the University of Arkansas publicized video proof of it last week.
The Razorbacks' social media accounts put out a video of Criswell stepping up in the pocket and delivering a deep pass down the left sideline to Bryce Stephens for a touchdown against solid coverage from an unidentified defender.
"Great throw," offensive coordinator Dan Enos says immediately on the video. "Into the wind. I couldn't even consider making that throw. Soon as I felt that breeze, I'd be like, 'Where's my check down?' "
Moments later on the video, Coach Sam Pittman strolls up to compliment Criswell and have a little fun with it.
"You've got the best quarterback coach in the world," Pittman tells Criswell. "But if you need a little bit more velocity ... a little more power on your throw, just come up and see me.
"Because that last one there it was only about 60 [yards] into the wind, you know? If you need 65 or something -- on a dime you know ..."
Fastballs
Raheim Sanders, AJ Green and Isaiah Augustave had two runs each during fastball starts for the top three units Monday, respectively. Augustave broke a draw play over the right edge for the best run of the period.
KJ Jefferson went 1 for 2 with the completion going to Andrew Armstrong. The transfer senior was also the target on Jefferson's first pass, but cornerback Jaheim Singletary broke up the pass, eliciting a whoop from defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson.
Dazmin James had a reception from Malachi Singleton to cap the five-play sequence for the third team.
Collins service
A celebration of life service will be held for former star Arkansas tailback Alex Collins near his home town of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this week.
The service will take place Saturday, the day Collins would've turned 29, at Eric S. George Funeral Home in Miramar, Fla., from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Collins' memorial service will take place the following day at 1 p.m. at the Lauderhill Performing Arts Center.
In 2015, Collins rushed for 1,577 yards, the third-highest total in school history, as well as a school-record 20 touchdowns.
Collins ranks second behind Darren McFadden in career rushing yardage (3,703) and 100-yard games (17) at Arkansas and he is fourth with 36 rushing touchdowns.