Razorbacks Practice Notebook: Big Plays, Massive Hit Bookend Day Three of Fall Camp

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas' practice on Friday consisted of nine segments with mostly positional work with some 11-on-11 and quarterback-wide receiver-defensive back to bookend the day.

Redshirt sophomore KJ Jackson started the day with a couple short-to-intermediate throws, and a scramble that picked up significant yardage.

For redshirt-freshman quarterback AJ Hill, he went 2-of-3 to open the day with his lone incompletion that appeared to be dropped. The third quarterback of the session is redshirt senior Braeden Fuller, who completed 1-of-2 passes with an interception in the endzone by true freshman defensive back Brandon Ford.

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive coordinator Ron Roberts views Friday's practice. | Jacob Davis, Hogs on SI

Positional/Individual Work

When the position groups broke into individual work, I wanted to get a good look at the defensive line and came away impressed by their overall size and strength. Ohio State transfer defensive lineman Trajen Odom is listed at 6-foot-3, 297 but is built very low to the ground which can obviously give him some leverage in the middle.

True freshmen Danny Beale and Anthony Kennedy, Jr. are massive and hard to take on one-on-one. Beale's athleticism and quickness off the line of scrimmage is apparent which is a good sign if he is going to establish himself in the two-deep during camp.

One defensive end that hasn't been mentioned much, but could potentially see some snaps early on is Colton Yarbrough. The true freshman out of Durant, Okla. is listed at 6-foot-5, 262 pounds, and possesses more than enough length to be a problem as a pass rusher in this league.

West Virginia transfer linebacker Ben Bogle was very physical in one-on-one opportunities. Even as coaches and teammates were trying to knock him off balance, he remained upright with an aggressive mentality.

Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts mentioned redshirt sophomore linebacker Wyatt Simmons name during his press conference on Wednesday, talking about how he plays with plenty of speed. Simmons' movements are instinctual, well-coached and extremely hard to replicate.

For the offensive line, Josiah Clemons looks the part of a future left tackle in the SEC. His technique is solid, comes off snap with ease, and quite flexible given his listed size at 6-foot-7, 341 pounds.

Quarterbacks, running backs and receivers worked in the back corner of the grass practice field. Once I finally reached their area, offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey had them running downhill with low pad level into a chute.

Jackson showed of his quickness and ability to leverage himself through the hole. He showed that off a couple of times last season, including an elusive touchdown run against Texas in the fourth quarter.

Arkansas Razorbacks linebackers Ben Bogle and Jakore Smith going through drills. | Jacob Davis, Hogs on SI

Final Segment

There was some light skeleton work at the end of practice with quarterbacks, running backs, receivers, linebackers and defensive backs included. In what was the most physical part of the practice, there were quite a few impressive open-field tackles, big hits and a couple of likely scoring plays.

Michigan transfer running back Jasper Parker caught one of the early passes down the right sideline to for a first down.

One worthwhile note is how imposing tight end Jaden Platt looks in the open field. The roster might list him at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, but he appears to be leaner than that.

He is transformed his body considerably over the offseason and has made a noticeable difference in his athleticsm, body language and on-field appearance. There was a tackle made by Memphis transfer safety Ian Williams following a reasonable gain by the offense.

Hill threw a beautiful deep ball down the right sideline to wide receiver Courtney Crutchfield, who used his speed to blast by three defenders. His reception was the biggest play allowed by Arkansas' defense during Friday's practice.

The biggest pop of the day came with two plays left in the final segment as freshman quarterback Hank Hendrix led wide receiver Jelani Watkins into a big hit by Maryland transfer defensive back Braydon Lee.

Arkansas will take the day off Saturday, Aug. 8 and return to the practice field Sunday, Aug. 9 at 3:15.

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