clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Arkansas Razorbacks Spring Practice Update from Week 1

In case you were busy with NITmania, baseball, spring break, or - like me - out of town and sick, here's a review of the highlights from the first week of Arkansas' spring practice session.

By Doc Harper
ArkansasRazorbacks.com

Bret Bielema recapped the week on Friday. Practices were held Sunday the 16th, Tuesday the 18th, and Thursday the 20th.

<object width="640" height="391" id="embed" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"><param name="movie" value="http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/mediaPortal/embed.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="flashVars" value="catid=NaN&id=3227217&img=http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com//pics33/640/HZ/HZDRGNELDKFRAGT.20140320233720.jpg&server=http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/XML/titanv3/clip/&pageurl=http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com//mediaPortal/&jtv=6100&skin=6100&gaa=UA-8527997-2&sitename=jtvs.6100.arkansasrazorbacks&adpath=N12906217" /><embed name="embed" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" src="http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/mediaPortal/embed.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="391" quality="high" wmode="window" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" flashVars="catid=NaN&id=3227217&img=http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com//pics33/640/HZ/HZDRGNELDKFRAGT.20140320233720.jpg&server=http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/XML/titanv3/clip/&pageurl=http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com//mediaPortal/&jtv=6100&skin=6100&gaa=UA-8527997-2&sitename=jtvs.6100.arkansasrazorbacks&adpath=N12906217"></embed></object>

Mostly standard spring practice stuff.  One of the real pieces of news is that Demetrius Dean is not expected to be back with the team. He'd always been a strange story to me (offered really early by Bobby Petrino, didn't qualify immediately out of Fayetteville High School, came back later but I don't think ever played in a game), so it's not a big surprise that he won't be back.

Hearing that D'Arthur Cowan is taking the rest of spring to concentrate on studies isn't the best thing to hear. Arkansas really needs players to step up at receiver.

It's good to hear Bielema sounding excited about the secondary. The Razorbacks will be desperate for immediate growth and developement there.

Here's Robbie Neiswanger's report on the defense from Thursday. Of note: new defensive coordinator Robb Smith immediately sprinted down the field to correct a mistake instead of waiting until later.

"The biggest thing for us is to start to introduce our scheme," Smith said of the first-week goal. "There’s some similarities from last year, but there’s going to be some changes as well. We wanted to get that introduced with our players. But most importantly we wanted to create a tempo, an attitude. A way in which we practiced."

And here's an ESPN story from today on Trey Flowers.

A few of the interesting tweets from the beat writers this week.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bielema on QB Brandon Allen: &quot;He looks different. He looks like a different guy. ... His field presence, his awareness.&quot;</p>&mdash; Robbie Neiswanger (@NWARobbie) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWARobbie/statuses/447066703482978304">March 21, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Allen said he&#39;s getting 1st team reps this week; AJ Derby, Austin Allen getting 2nd team; Mitchell and Peavey getting 3rd team.</p>&mdash; Robbie Neiswanger (@NWARobbie) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWARobbie/statuses/446084748163563521">March 19, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bielema said he has been blown away by J-Will. He said Marshall has really jumped out in his first time and been &quot;really engaged&quot; at RB.</p>&mdash; Robbie Neiswanger (@NWARobbie) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWARobbie/statuses/447069020563312640">March 21, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sam Pittman says the first-team OL so far: LT Skipper, LG Ollison, C Charpentier, RG Kirkland and RT Brey Cook</p>&mdash; Thomas Murphy (@TomMurphyADG) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomMurphyADG/statuses/446084962513461248">March 19, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bielema: Says moving Kirkland/Skipper inside was probably the best move of the year. Says C Cordale Boyd is next-best OL after starters</p>&mdash; Thomas Murphy (@TomMurphyADG) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomMurphyADG/statuses/447064726086766592">March 21, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Bielema: Two or three of the biggest surprises of spring have been (CBs) T. Mitchell, C. Washington and J. Collins.</p>&mdash; Thomas Murphy (@TomMurphyADG) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomMurphyADG/statuses/447064119217119234">March 21, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

More from Arkansas Fight

More From Arkansas Fight