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Bret Bielema hadn't met with the media since the end of Arkansas' Red-White spring game. A lot has happened in the Arkansas football program, and elsewhere, since.
Here's a recap of what he said and hit on:
Player Updates
Keon Hatcher, who missed the final 11 games of last season with a foot injury suffered in the loss to Toledo, posted on social media recently that he had had yet another foot surgery, causing some to freak. Arkansas is largely expected to have one of the top receiving units in the SEC in 2016, and he's a big part of it.
But as Bo Mattingly tweeted yesterday, the surgery turned out to be precautionary.
Bielema: Keon Hatcher had a followup procedure that … will get him back for summer workouts.
— Thomas Murphy (@TomMurphyADG) May 5, 2016
Coach B: Keon Hatcher - little bit sore after spring game - doctors used bone graft surgery - precautionary - went great
— Hawgs Illustrated (@HImagazine) May 5, 2016
Hatcher had a great start to last season, catching 13 passes for nearly 200 yards and a pair of scores. Getting him back healthy, which Bielema says he should be by June, will be great for Austin Allen.
There's also some transfer news. Running back Denzel Evans, who hasn't played a whole lot and likely wasn't expected to this season either, is planning to leave Arkansas. Bielema will be helping him find a landing spot.
Arkansas RB Denzel Evans will graduate and seek a transfer. He'll have two years of eligibility remaining
— Bobby Swofford (@5NEWSBobby) May 5, 2016
Kody Walker, another player who has been sidelined by a foot injury, is working to get back to shore up the running back group as best he can. Bielema said his rehabbing process will take 4-6 weeks, like Hatcher. He also had this to say:
Coach B: The injuries we have had have gone from 5 different types of turf. All of them except one had different shoe.
— Dudley E. Dawson (@Dedsports) May 5, 2016
And last, but definitely not least, Bielema spoke on Denver Kirkland and his big, former offensive lineman going undrafted last weekend. For the longest, it was thought Kirkland was the best pro prospect on the offensive line. Perhaps the position change hurt him a bit.
Coach B: Denver Kirkland going undrafted was sad. That got started wrong when somebody said he was No. 1 on somebody's OL big board...
— Dudley E. Dawson (@Dedsports) May 5, 2016
Coach B: ...I called that person and said 'what are you doing?'; Denver signed with an agent before I could talk with him.
— Dudley E. Dawson (@Dedsports) May 5, 2016
D.J. Dean and Tevin Beanum will also be back full-go for the fall. Bielema said the two have been dealing with things bigger than football of late.
Satellite camps
I'll be honest, I haven't paid a whole lot of attention to this topic. Maybe you haven't either, but Bielema sure has been. And he's giddy to get this thing going. He's attacking this without boundaries.
Bret Bielema just suggested that Arkansas might host satellite camps outside of the United States.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) May 5, 2016
...
Coach B: Arkansas Satellite Camps could be held in Bahamas and maybe Europe
— Hawgs Illustrated (@HImagazine) May 5, 2016
The Bahamas is a possibility for one of the camps because why not, and also Bielema, Charlie Partridge (FAU) and Dave Doreen (NC State) takes trips there each summer and have been asked about the topic.
He also announced a satellite camp tour.
Bielema said Arkansas is going on a "Hog Wild Tour" for satellite camps. Looks to go "global."
— Danny West (@DannyWest1) May 5, 2016
He will now be referred to as Mr. Worldwide.
Bielema also spoke of an All-Arkansas camp in War Memorial Stadium, a camp in Cowboy Stadium, and potential sites in Houston, New Orleans, Chicago, Florida, Michigan and Ohio.
Coach B: I am truly excited about this.
— Dudley E. Dawson (@Dedsports) May 5, 2016