HD VIDEO: Offensive Players on Tuesday
Tuesday Post-Practice Notebook
Arkansas is in the final week of preseason camp and wrapped up the 17th practice on Tuesday with just 16 days remaining before the start of the 2017 season.
In addition to several key returning players and some intriguing newcomers, there is a notable list of players who are nearing the halfway point of their careers and are expected to step into a much larger role this season.
There is a relatively long list of redshirt sophomores answering the now that the veterans in front of them have played their last game at Arkansas in 2016. Among them are wide receivers Deon Stewart and La’Michael Pettway, tight end Cheyenne O’Grady, offensive tackle Colton Jackson and defensive end T.J. Smith.
Pettway shooting for 100
In the last scrimmage, redshirt sophomore receiver La’Michael Pettway said he estimates that he hauled in four passes for just under 50 yards. Those all came in the first half of the scrimmage during the closed portion when Austin Allen was in the game. Pettway didn’t record any catches in the last open hour when more of the focus was on backups and developmental players.
After the first week of practices, Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema said some of the wide receivers who have been on campus a couple of years might need to “wake up and smell the coffee” because the coaches weren’t afraid to play some of the talented newcomer receivers.
Translation: Don’t think you’re next in line by default.
And then just over a week ago after a breakout scrimmage by Pettway, in which he committed a false start penalty but also had a pair of 60-plus yard catches, Bielema said Pettway is about 80/20 on completely buying into what they are asking.
“Man, you get tired of being targeted,” Pettway said. “I went on this streak for a couple of practices where I had a few mental busts. I had to eliminate that ‘one play a day’ thing, whether it was a missed assignment on a block or a snap count misinterpreted. But I’ve eliminated those, and I feel like I’m almost at 100 percent.”
Pettway has been a starting wide receiver most every day since the start of this past spring, and as of now he is one of the top three receivers. When Jared Cornelius (back) returns, it is unclear who will be the first receivers on the field with him, but Pettway has certainly made a case that he should be one of them.
Cheyenne more a man
Out of every player on offense, the highest rated recruit was a kid named C.J. O’Grady, who in 2015 was rated the No. 90 overall recruit in the nation, the No. 2 tight end prospect in the nation and the No. 1 prospect out of Arkansas. He was also the No. 1 guy to overvalue what those rankings would mean to college coaches when he made the short trek down Razorback Road from Fayetteville High School.
“I was one of the better [high school] players, kind of took that approach, and that’s not going to get it done in this league,” O’Grady said. “Over these past two years I’ve been here, I’ve watched film, just took the next step that I needed to do, and it has put me in the right position. I’ve just got to keep pressing.”
Nearly two years ago during his true freshman season, just over a week from kickoff of the season opener against UTEP, C.J. was arrested by Fayetteville police and charged with DWI and underage possession. He is one of just a handful of players the past five years under Bielema to be arrested. Last year, O’Grady dropped the C.J. moniker and started going by his first name, Cheyenne.
“I wasn’t the greatest student-slash-player to be coached. I kind of got into some trouble early on,” O’Grady said. “The main reason, I just kind of wanted to get away from the people that knew the C.J. and start something new. I wanted people to know I’m a changed guy, I’m a good guy.”
Foolishly forgetting to ask O’Grady for the spelling, the ‘J’ stands for likely common spellings of Jayden, Jaiden or Jaden. And for those wondering about those who come close to O’Grady’s ranking, it’s defensive end McTelvin Agim (No. 50 overall in 2016), cornerback Chevin Calloway (No. 92 in 2017) and offensive tackle Brian Wallace (No. 96 in 2014). Every other player on the team was somewhere outside the Rivals100.
In addition improving his mindset, O’Grady needed to pick it up in the weight room and improve as a blocker. His abilities as a receiver and as a playmaker after the catch have never been in question. He has added approximately 23 pounds since arriving at the UA.
“The thing I struggled on was just the footwork and the technique of blocking. I was of course a little bit smaller. I’ve gotten bigger in the weight room thanks to [strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert]. But really the areas I struggled on was just the technique of it.”
O’Grady said Jeremy Patton, the nation’s No. 1 JUCO tight end recruit this past class, has picked up the offense faster than anyone he has ever seen do it. He also said that Austin Cantrell, Jack Kraus, Patton and himself are all receiving an equal number of reps with the first string.
He is also a member of the ‘Hog Pen,’ which is comprised of players who have made it through all of camp and have missed just two or fewer periods (total of 10 minutes). With Tuesday being the hottest day of camp so far, a few players did not make it all the way through.
Offense goes sonic..
Senior quarterback Austin Allen, who received approximately one hour of scrimmage work Saturday, was picked off on a pass in the flats on Monday when the ball went off Devwah Whaley’s hands and into the arms of linebacker De’Jon Harris. But overall, the offense put up too many big plays to remember on Monday.
On Tuesday, the focus was the up-tempo offense, which Arkansas calls ‘SONIC.’ They also worked on first downs, third downs and ‘move the ball.’, Monday’s practice was largely focused on third downs, high and low red zone, and they installed the two-minute offense. They have really pushed the work in critical areas the past two practices. While there were plenty of big plays on Monday, it was much more competitive between the offense and defense on Tuesday.
Nance goes deep
While there weren’t many big plays from the offense Tuesday, junior college receiver transfer Jonathan Nance made a catch over 50 yards on a post pattern from Allen. As of now when Arkansas goes three-wide, Nance is the starting slot receiver. He had the defense beaten another time but was interfered with on the play.
“I got over the top today, got me a touchdown on a post,” Nance said. “Britto [Tutt], one of my roommates, he held me back, he didn’t want me to beat him. I got him on the second time, I got him. That’s what’s going on.”
“I feel real comfortable with those guys. Just having guys like La’Michael stepping up, Deon [Stewart], Jonathan Nance,” Allen said. “Those guys have been around, they’ve flashed talent, but how they’ve continued to get better through 16 practices.”
Up next...
Arkansas will hold the 18th practice of preseason camp on Wednesday at an undisclosed time. With summer school over, they can practice whenever they want. They will hold an 11:30 a.m. press conference with Bielema, offensive coordinator Dan Enos and defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads.
