No player running away with punt return position yet

Posted: August 26, 2009 at 5:42 a.m.

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FAYETTEVILLE — Most coaches will tell you that a single play during one scrimmage isn't going to put somebody ahead of the rest.

Except it can.

Like the Razorbacks' scrimmage last Saturday.

Arkansas special teams coach John L. Smith was asked Tuesday if sophomore Joe Adams' 85-yard touchdown return last Saturday separated him from the pack seeking to be the Razorbacks' punt returner.

"Joe Adams thinks he did," Smith said after Tuesday's practice. "In fact, he told me he did right afterwards. He said, 'I'm your guy, right?' And you know what, as quick as he looked, he kind of looked like the guy."

It seems a bonus to Adams because it would keep one of the prime punt return contestants, senior Preseason All-SEC first-team running back Michael Smith, fresher for running back.

John L. Smith doesn't necessarily see it that way.

If Michael Smith unequivocally proves to be the best punt returner, John L. Smith wants him returning punts.

"I don't think it's anything that you want to save Michael," John L. Smith said. "I think it's an attribute for Michael that he can do that."

Just Michael Smith's work in practice returning punts ought to increase the fifth-year senior's professional prospects in 2010.

Head coach Bobby Petrino and John L. Smith have called the punting competition very close between junior college transfer Briton Forester, formerly the punter at the University of Hawaii, and freshman Dylan Breeding. However, Forester likely will punt in the Sept. 5 season opener against Missouri State in Little Rock.

"Forester right now is just a little more consistent," Smith said Tuesday. "He's been out there in front of a crowd. Like I said all along, you really hate putting all your marbles on a freshman [Breeding] that's never been in a stadium like this in front of that many people and all of a sudden in Division I ball. You'd like to break him in and bring him in a little bit slower."

Back in the game

Running back Broderick Green, out for a week because of pneumonia, and freshman cornerback David Gordon, withheld from last Saturday's scrimmage because of an injury, both practiced Tuesday.

Senior wide receiver London Crawford was dressed out for Tuesday's closed practice but still appeared to be limping before media was banished after the first 20 minutes of an otherwise closed practice.

Broderick Green put to rest any notions he had been stricken with swine flu.

"It was pneumonia," Green said. "There was no swine flu, no H1N1, none of that. I wasn't quarantined."

The Razorbacks had consecutive off days after last Saturday's scrimmage. They probably needed them given the heat greeting them the Tuesday after last week's cooler weather reprieve.

"It's about as tough a day weather-wise as we've had in a long time," Arkansas offensive line coach Mike Summers said. "Then you mix that with the layoff, and it made practice a little tougher than normal. But I thought they did a good job of grinding their way through it. Not every day is going to be a rahrah day, and I thought they grinded their way through it and did a good job."

The right direction

Summers was asked about his Saturday scrimmage review of the offensive line.

"I saw some positive things," Summers said. "We're moving in the direction that we need to move. I feel like we're still a pretty decent ways away from playing as a single unit, five guys playing as one. But I did see effort and I did see toughness. We need better execution."

Asked if any young linemen are catching his eye, Summers cited guard Alvin Bailey and tackle Anthony Oden, both true freshmen practicing with the second unit, true freshman center Travis Swanson, likely to redshirt behind veterans Seth Oxner and Harrison's Wade Grayson, second-team JC transfer guard Zhamal Thomas and redshirt freshman walk-on Tyler Deacon of Little Rock Christian.

"He's a neat kid," Summers said of Deacon. "A walk-on kid who really works hard. I think Zhamal Thomas has gotten better. He's really worked to get in condition and done a better job the last week."

Sports, Pages 10 on 08/26/2009

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