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Hogs to begin highly anticipated preseason camp

After a 30-minute press conference earlier this afternoon and addressing several personnel issues, head coach Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks will look to their first practice of the preseason tonight at 6:30.

Bielema pointed to a lack of off-field issues as a positive and continuity with both coordinators returning for the first time in his time at Arkanasas.

"Didn't have any issues that took away from what we are trying to do. Anytime you have a team that has very few distractions, you have a chance to have success," Bielema said Thursday. "I saw a stat the other day. I think we're only one of four teams that have both the offensive and defensive coordinators returning in the SEC."

Junior Tevin Beanum, junior Ke’Tyrus Marks, redshirt freshman Derrick Graham, junior college transfer Michael Taylor and true freshman Giovanni LaFrance are scholarship players who were not among the 105 players invited to camp on Thursday.

"Had some transition, some guys that are going to move up out of here," Bielema said. "We had to make some difficult decisions, ones that are hard to make. I've never been a guy that just automatically invites your scholarship 85 players."

Beanum, who ended 2015 as a starting defensive end, is dealing with a personal issue

that started to affect his status with the team in the spring. Bielema said he had another issue arise with his undisclosed issue a couple of weeks ago after a relatively smooth summer. He could possibly join the 105 if there is an injury, or he may just come on with the full 120 the first week of school (which is two weeks before the first game this year).

Marks, a reserve defensive tackle, has a class to finish up, and if he does that he can graduate early and transfer with immediate eligibility. He is still around the team, but Bielema feels he’ll transfer.

Graham decided “three or four days ago” that he would leave the program. He came to Arkansas as a linebacker, was briefly moved to defensive end before moving back to linebacker in 2015 and then moved back to defensive end last spring.

There was no particular reason given for the absence of Tayler, a defensive end, and LaFrance, a linebacker.

"He's not here yet. We had hoped to get him in here if not now within the next couple of days," Bielema said of Taylor. "But it looks like now we're not going to get him in until the first day of our classes."

Sophomore quaerterback Rafe Peavey is back throwing after undergoing minor back surgery a few weeks ago. Bielema said he isn't saying he'll be able to go through a whole practice without pain, but he has been cleared to go.

True freshman quarterback Cole Kelly strained his back in the weight room recently but is expected to be good to go, as well.

Graduate transfer Jake Raulerson is expected to take his first rep as the backup center. Raulerson could get a look at every spot at some point, however.

Bielema mentioned to senior linebacker Josh Williams that he could even line up at fullback this year in hopes of maximizing his last season. Williams was the starting WILL linebacker last season before suffering a complicated broken leg during the win over Tennessee. He missed the spring but has been working his way back.

Randy Ramsey has been moved to rush end. Ramsey was expected to push for the starting job at SAM linebacker after rejoining the team following a dismissal over a year ago. He brings some athletic ability to the table at end, and it could partly be a reaction to not having Beanum with the 105, Graham having transferred and Jamario Bell having been moved to tight end in the spring.

The Hogs will practice Thursday and Friday and will be in shoulder pads by Saturday before taking Sunday off (as well as every Sunday during camp). They will pick back up Monday in shoulder pads but will not be in full gear until Tuesday. Their first two-a-day practice will be Wednesday.

From there on out, they will practice every day of camp except Sundays, and they will scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 13 and Saturday, Aug. 20. They are also allowed a pair of half practice/half scrimmages, as well. They can't hold two-a-days on back-to-back days and may have as many as five 'double days.'

Those two-a-day practices would contain a heavy workload morning practice and an evening practice that involves more kicking and fielding under the lights.

Players who have dealt with a major injury, especially recently, will likely be held out of two-a-day practices.

New running backs coach Reggie Mitchell will handle the kickoff return unit. New secondary coach Paul Rhoads will handle the kickoff coverage unit. Fourth-year tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. will handle the punt unit and Bielema will handle the punt return game. Rory Segrest remains in charge of kickers.

Arkansas picked up the 32nd most votes (tie) in the first USA Today Coaches Poll, coming outside of the top-25 with 34 total votes.

Expect a lot of experimentation with the offensive line the next 10 practices. Bielema wants to know who their top five offensive linemen are, as well as their top backup interior player and their top backup tackle, after the Aug. 13 scrimmage. From there, he wants to work them together the rest of the way.

Eighty percent of the players on the team, Bielema estimates, still have summer school courses through the end of the week, which is one reason practice starts at 6:30 p.m. today.