Finding Out a Little More When Pads Go On Today

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When the pads go on it's not unusual to find out who Arkansas' practice heroes are.

It's not just with the Razorbacks. That's usually the case at any level of football.

A lot of guys look awesome playing against air and tackling dummies. How are they at the next step is what we'll find out starting today.

The Hogs have their first practice in pads this afternoon, then we'll talk with coach Sam Pittman and some players later.

Don't expect a lot of revelations.

This isn't 50 years ago when we would see defenders nearly decapitate All-American skill position players in these early practices.

KJ Jefferson and Co. won't be tackled to the ground much ... if at all. Coaches worry about having to explain why they let stars get physically injured early in fall camp, which is why most things that happen these days is non-contact.

This team does appear to be bigger and stronger along with being extremely well-conditioned. We haven't seen players struggling much with the heat and workouts.

That's mostly strength and conditioning coach Jamil Walker and his staff.

"He has the unique ability to get the whole team to buy in," cornerbacks coach Dominique Bowman said this week. "When he walks in a room, the whole team responds to him."

Players spend the entire summer with Walker basically being around them all the time. He's the de facto head coach before the fall practices start and when spring practice ends.

"We just do the football piece of it," Bowman said. "(Walker)'s done a tremendous job getting those guys ready to go. They’re in shape. They’re strong and fast."

Now it's got to translate into being better on the field, which is the goal every year.

And it's why all this preseason speculation means absolutely nothing.

Too many people assume the Hogs will be better (and they very likely might) but every other team in the SEC is trying to get better, too.

What we think is more about who did the best job before August getting their team better. We'll have 12 Saturdays to find out who did better.

The next step is putting the pads on and doing a little hitting.

The Hogs' first scrimmage of fall camp is Saturday and it's closed to fans and the media, so nobody will know a whole lot when we get to visit with folks later.

But we'll know a little more.

HOGS FEED:

WIDE RECEIVER JADON HASELWOOD "MORE APPRECIATED" WITH HOGS

HOGS WIN OPENER IN EUROPEAN TOUR IN BIG FASHION

RAZORBACKS' GAME IN ARLINGTON AGAINST OKLAHOMA STATE EVEN INTERESTS NON-FANS

CORNERBACK MALIK CHAVIS ADJUSTING TO POSITION CHANGE IN HOGS' SECONDARY

WHERE HOGS RANK IN FIRST TOP 25 POLL BY COACHES

RAZORBACKS' TIGHT ENDS COACH ON NIL 'FREE AGENCY WITH NO RULES'

HOGS' TIGHT END NATHAN BAX MOVING UP FAST FOR A GUY NEVER TARGETED IN A GAME

HOGS' TIGHT ENDS NATHAN BAX, TREY KNOX AND HUDSON HENRY AFTER PRACTICE SUNDAY

HOGS RUNNING BACKS COACH ON WHAT HE SAW IN DOMINIQUE JOHNSON NOBODY ELSE COULD SEE

WHAT AJ GREEN AND ROCKET SANDERS SAID AFTER SATURDAY'S PRACTICE