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FAYETTEVILLE — After a challenging 2018 season, Andrew Parker is finally healthy.

After pulling his hamstring in fall camp, the redshirt freshman from New Orleans was not 100 percent all of last season and didn’t return to practice until the final four weeks.

With his new found health, Parker said defensive coordinator John Chavis, who also coaches the linebackers, is pushing him harder now than ever. That doesn’t bother him, though, because it sure beats how he felt last season.

“Sometimes I was a little down and felt bad for myself,” Parker said. “I had to tell myself, ‘I can’t feel bad for myself, I’ve got to continue to get better. When my opportunity comes this spring, I’ll be ready.’”

This will be a huge spring for Parker because of the Razorbacks’ severe lack of depth at linebacker.

Returning starter and All-SEC performer De’Jon Harris will miss the entire spring because of surgery on his right foot, contributor Hayden Henry is in a green no-contact jersey and can’t go through drills, backup Deon Edwards has been dealing with an undisclosed injury and 2019 signee Zach Zimos won’t join the team until the summer.

That leaves Arkansas with four scholarship linebackers for spring ball, and one of them - Giovanni LaFrance - missed Thursday’s practice because he has the flu.

“It’s a little light, but I really look at it as an opportunity for some of those young guys to get in the game and start to develop and become better linebackers,” Parker said. “Scoota is one of the best linebackers in the country, (so) you’ve got to be ready to back him up.”

Right now, Parker is working behind Grant Morgan at the middle linebacker spot, which will also include Harris when he returns. LaFrance has moved to the weak-side linebacker spot, where he’s working behind Bumper Pool and Henry. Edwards is will presumably join LaFrance’s group when he returns to practice.

Despite not playing at all last season and being Arkansas’ lowest rated player in its 2018 class as a two-star recruit, Parker said he still believes he has what it takes to play linebacker in the SEC

“I came here to play,” Parker said. “I came to get to the next level, the NFL. We’ve got to make Arkansas great again.”