UA seeing more thuds than flubs

Arkansas safety Rohan Gaines worked on scout teams while redshirting last season, but he has been a surprise in fall camp, turning in hard hits on some of the first live-tackling plays.
Arkansas safety Rohan Gaines worked on scout teams while redshirting last season, but he has been a surprise in fall camp, turning in hard hits on some of the first live-tackling plays.

— There is nothing like charging up and delivering a thundering tackle at the line of scrimmage for a safety to get his name out there.

Given an opportunity to get first-team work early in camp, redshirt freshman Rohan Gaines did just that in Arkansas’ first scrimmage work.

Gaines, 5-11, 190 pounds, rushed up to deliver resounding shots to running backs Dennis Johnson and Ronnie Wingo on short gains on some of the first live-tackling plays of camp, and he added pass break-ups on a couple of Tyler Wilson throws for good measure.

“I’m making tackles,” said Gaines, who described his scrimmage performances as pretty good. “I’ve still got a lot of things to work on.”

Gaines has been one of the surprises of fall camp, after serving as a scoutteam player and backup at the “jack” position while redshirting last season.

“Rohan Gaines is a kid that continues to flash and get better,” defensive coordinator Paul Haynes said.

Linebackers coach Taver Johnson tabbed Gaines as a player to watch during Arkansas’ media day, when asked to name a player who might be a surprise in camp. But the freshman has kept a level head about his progress in the Hogs’ secondary.

“I’ve come far,” Gaines said. “Coming in as a freshman, I was just reckless. I would just go bang, bang, hit everything, not worry about anything else. Now I’m more comfortable and I’m more sound.”

Senior safety Ross Rasner described Gaines as a firebug.

“He’s fast,” Rasner said. “He’s got work to do on defending the pass, but he’s definitely downhill on the run and he’s just got to work on reading his keys. He’s definitely a playmaker who can run.”

Gaines exemplifies Arkansas’ inexperience at safety behind projected starters Eric Bennett, who has missed most of camp with a leg injury, and Rasner. The practice reps have gone mostly to Gaines, sophomore Alan Turner, junior Jerry Mitchell, true freshman Defonta Lowe and redshirt freshman Kelvin Fisher. That group has combined for 23 tackles, many of them on special teams.

Turner has taken first-team snaps in the nickel package and has made an impression with multiple pass breakups and a few hard hits in camp.

“I’m just trying to take the opportunity I’ve got and run with it,” Turner said. “I just want to be a guy that can make some plays that can help us out, like if it’s third down and inches or something.”

Rasner has taken more snaps at true safety with the improved play of Jarrett Lake at the hybrid “star” position, which will help bolster the safety position. All the practice snaps for the younger players during Bennett’s absence could prove beneficial with the junior Bennett just beginning to resume his role.

“The more reps that guys get out there, the more comfortable they get, the more depth we have, and that’s a good thing,” Mitchell said.

Tevin Mitchel and senior Darius Winston combined for 13 starts last season, sharing the same cornerback slot. Now the Razorbacks aren’t flipping sides of the field with their corners, which seems to be making for a smoother transition to the Haynes era on defense.

The play of transfer Kaelon Kelleybrew, a Little Rock native, and Davyon McKinney at cornerback allowed coaches to ask Fisher to try safety to shore up that position. Kelleybrew, who formerly played at Mississippi Valley State along with Hogs defensive tackle Jared Green, might prove to be one of the biggest new additions on defense.

“Right now he’s kind of rotating, and I’d slash him one [with the starters] a little bit,” Haynes said. “Every time we turn on the lights he produces, makes big plays.

“If he continues to do the right thing, he’ll be out there for us at some point in time.”

Position glance

DEFENSIVE BACKS

RETURNING STARTERS S Eric Bennett, CB Tevin Mitchel

KEY LOSSES S Tramain Thomas, S Elton Ford, CB Isaac Madison, CB Greg Gatson

PROJECTED STARTERS Bennett and Ross Rasner at safety; Mitchel and Darius Winston at cornerback

IN THE MIX Safeties: Rohan Gaines, Alan Turner, Jerry Mitchell, Defonta Lowe and Kelvin Fisher Jr. Cornerbacks: Kaelon Kelleybrew, Davyon McKinney, Will Hines, Ray Buchanan Jr., Jared Collins and Dakota Baggett

SUDDEN IMPACT Redshirt freshman Rohan Gaines, transfer Kaelon Kelleybrew and true freshman Will Hines project to make the rotations.

PLUSES Athleticism, football savvy

MINUSES Depth, lack of experience

SUMMARY The Razorbacks took a hit on depth in the secondary to rival their losses at linebacker and receiver. Bennett’s lack of playing time in camp because of a leg injury could turn out to be a blessing, with the crop of young safeties bumping higher in the rotation. A healthy Bennett is essential for the secondary to become a positive factor. Rasner is a quality veteran who has vast coverage responsibilities in his background as a linebacker. Winston and Mitchel give Arkansas two veteran corners, but behind them the talent is largely untested, just like at safety.

Sports, Pages 19 on 08/16/2012

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