DAY 9 - FIRST SCRIMMAGE COVERAGE
Newcomer Analysis from Saturday's Scrimmage - Offense
Newcomer Analysis from Saturday's Scrimmage - Defense
Saturday Scrimmage Scribble Extravaganza
DW's Saturday Scrimmage Takeaways
VIDEO: Action footgage from Saturday
VIDEO: Bret Bielema on Saturday | 8.13.16
Bret Bielema Post-Scrimmage Notebook
RECRUITING UPDATES
Louisiana linemen high on Hogs | Top 10 Instate Prospects for 2018
Arkansas scrimmaged 112 plays Saturday. Check out all the key news from Bret Bielema's press conference below.
“I thought our guys came out with the right attitude, right energy,” Bielema said. “The play of Austin that I’ve been seeing in practice came out today…
“Kody popped a little bit of scar tissue the other day,” Bielema said. “It’s still a little sore. I didn’t want to aggravate that any further.”
“T.J. tweaked his knee a little bit during pregame warm up there. Nothing serious but we didn’t want to throw him out there. He was a little gimpy.”
“Devwah was very, very impressive, but the guy that shined I think, getting back in there, was Rawleigh.”
Bielema said Jalen Merrick has been a different man since coming back from spring ball and could play right tackle or right guard. Colton Jackson could probably play left or right tackle.
“I thought our wide receivers caught the ball well. Dominque had the one drop and he kind of rolled his ankle up, as well.”
Bielema said he told Robb Smith to line up in their base defense and play. They limited blitzes and other complexities with the defense.
Bielema said he liked seeing Williams on a goal line play in the scrimmage when he muscled it in, and he said he thinks he’s quicker than he was last year.
“Rawleigh at that point had really started to get the feel of it,” Bielema said. “I think we started off with a big pass play, some play-action game that Austin is really getting the feel for, as well.”
On Devwah’s day
“he’s looked good all camp,” Bielema said. “Today you saw that gear that I saw on high school film and that I’ve seen him play with. He showed that gear that he hasn’t shown until today.”
On Randy Ramsey
“When I gave him a scholarship the other day, the place erupted. It just shows the journey he’s been on.”
Bielema said they would like a longer player at right tackle, but Jake Raulerson may be their best option at right tackle. It may be a committee approach at RT.
Bilema said Khalia Hackett, who had a good day
He said they wanted to define the No. 2 quarterback job today. He gave each guys several plays in a row. He said Ty Storey has so many great intangibles and has had a great camp. He said Rafe Peavey has been limited a little bit and isn’t quite 100 percent yet with the zip on the ball and everything. He’s been impressed with Cole Kelley and his arm. On a deep ball, he said he knew he was going to go deep when he came out of the huddle, which is a little bit of a high school attitude.
Regarding Kofi Boateng, he popped an ACL yesterday in practice.
Jordan Jones had a 102 degree temperature starting two days ago. It went down and then came back up, so he sat today. Bielema said he’s a guy they’ll count on this season.
On freshman fullback Hayden Johnson, he’s developed a toughness, Bielema said.
“For a guy that played D-line last year and one year of fullback, he’s caught the ball really well,” Bielema said. “He has a really good understanding of what our offense is going to ask him to do.”
Bielema suggested that Josh Liddell needs to compete with the best safeties in the SEC since there’s nobody that can really compete with him on the team.
Regarding Dre Greenlaw, Bielema said he could seriously have 12, 15 or even 20 tackles on a heavy run day because he has gotten so much better making reads.
Keon Hatcher has gotten back to the way he was. He said it was a difficult spring for him after being on a senior poster last year. He said last week things started to click back for him.
On Hjalte Froholdt, 26 practices in at left guard, he is up to 326 pounds, which is 20 pounds more than in the spring. Bielema said Dan Skipper is playing the best football he has ever played, Frank Ragnow is playing really well. Bielema said Froholdt gets so aggressive that he can be a detriment, and on pass pro he could do better understanding where his help is coming from.
On Hedlund hitting an upright and missing on a shorter field goal after red zone work, Bielema said it was very disappointing. It was on the right hash, which he doesn’t really like, but Bielema said he wanted to put the pressure on him.
