Arkansas coach Houston Nutt opened his post-practice interview with some comments about the Astroplay — a grass-like turf — recently installed inside Walker Pavillion, where the Hogs’ freshmen worked out for the first time as Razorbacks on Monday:
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No more scrapes or skin is coming off. You feel so much better about probably having some more practices in here. Knees, it’s easier on your joints. It’s just an awesome deal.
How excited are you to finally get (the freshmen) in here?
I was excited last night when they got here, but I’m even more excited this morning. These guys don’t know what they’re doing yet, but I tell you what, they’re do it full speed and they do it with a great attitude. They’re just as athletic as we thought they were last January, so I’m just pumped up about it.
Any surprises? Are the any guys that look a little bigger then they were when they came for their official (visits)?
Zac Tubbs is bigger and he has great feet. He really moves. Tony Ugoh, Jason Grimes, Gene Perry ... all the linemen.
Some of these guys look like they’ve been here for three years.
They really do. I was kidding Wes Murphy that with his facial hair, he looks like he’s a junior in college. He’s just a baby. But he doesn’t look it. All the skilled guys were exceptional. Michael Coe, John Jackson, Dedric Poole, Cedric Washington — just so fast, Lucas Jackson, Sam Olajubutu and really all those guys looked good going through drills.
Do you need at least one of those receivers to step up?
I think one of them will, but as far as just really needing one of them? I don’t know. I feel really good about what we have now with (Decori) Birmingham really pushing everybody speed-wise. I looked for one of them to get into that rotation, I just don’t know which one.
How beneficial are the two days before the really get thrown into the mix?
This is a good thing. This is a good rule because it just overwhelms them too much to jump out here with the varsity and they don’t know where to line up, how to do the stretch line or can’t do a drill. Where now, at least they know where their lockers is, they know where the lunch room is and they know where their lunch room is. They can come in here and know where their place is on the field. And it gives them a little bit of a head start before things get too fast.
I’m sure you’ve got in mind on some of the kids you want to redshirt, but (could) some of them will change your mind over the next couple of weeks?
That’s right. These next couple of weeks we’ll find out a lot about them and see what happens, but right now we’re just telling them all to come on.
How hard is it going to be to keep a redshirt on a guy like Cedric Washington?
He’s just phenomenal. He’s just a phenomenal athlete. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be real hard. But that’s why you recruit guys like that.
Is this your best class?
Only time will tell. But this is probably the best first morning we’ve ever had with a group like this. The best feeling anyway.