Holt just helping a ‘buddy’

Former Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt has been hired as Arkansas’ director of on-campus recruiting, his first noncoaching job since 1986. Video available at arkansasonline.com/videos.

Former Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt has been hired as Arkansas’ director of on-campus recruiting, his first noncoaching job since 1986. Video available at arkansasonline.com/videos.

Friday, August 17, 2012

— Nick Holt’s long-term relationship with John L. Smith led him to accept a job on the Arkansas staff.

“This is why I took it: To help out a good buddy that’s been great to me throughout my 25 years of coaching and I felt, quite honestly, obligated to help him out,” Holt said after Thursday’s practice.

Holt has taken the position of director of oncampus recruiting for Smith, his first job in a noncoaching capacity since he joined the coaching ranks in 1986.

Holt, whose salary is $55,735 at Arkansas, can afford to be off the field in 2012 after receiving a lump sum settlement of reportedly $650,004 when he was fired as defensive coordinator at Washington in December.

Asked if he was overqualified for his current role, Holt said no.

“It’s good,” he said. “It’s a little different than what I’m used to, but it’s going to be good.”

Holt was linebackers coach for Southern California when the Trojans won the 2003 national championship as determined by The Associated Press. He coached previously for Smith at Idaho and Louisville, and he was Idaho’s head coach in 2004-2005.

Holt served as USC’s defensive coordinator in 2006, when the Trojans beat Arkansas 50-14 in the season opener at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

“We were probably fortunate that we played them so early because I think they got better as the season wore on in 2006,” Holt said. “Yeah, I do have some good memories here in this stadium.”

Holt has paid attention to Arkansas football in recent years, from having friends like Smith on the staff, and he’s observed fall camp.

“I think we have a chance to be a real good football team,” he said. “ObviouslyI think our offense is really good. I think the skill is really good. I think the defense is coming around. When it’s all said and done, we’ll be a good football team, as you guys well know.” Linebacker gains

The crew of linebackers was given extra conditioning work after practice early this week, and assistant head coach Taver Johnson has been frequently heard imploring his linebacking crew to show enthusiasm.

It’s all part of the push for Arkansas’ linebackers to help make the Hogs a tough runstopping team.

“We have a long way to go. I mean a long way to go, for sure,” Johnson said of the group. “They’re trying.

“We have to understand that in order for us to stop the run we have to do a lot of banging, and that’s what we’ve done this preseason.

Some of those bruises are getting deeper and deeper and we need to get tougher and tougher.”Dog days

Practice No. 17 of fall camp, on the hot turf inside Reynolds Razorback Stadium, won’t go down as the Razorbacks’ best.

The first day after the final two-a-day featured timing that was slightly off in the passing game - along with drops by Chris Gragg, Ronnie Wingo, Julian Horton and Mekale McKay - and more lethargy than the coaching staff would like.

“Everybody’s a littlebanged up and we’ve got to grind through it,” safety Ross Rasner said.

“We’re trying to get some juice, trying to have some enthusiasm, and we let the day get the better of us,” assistant head coach Taver Johnson said. “Now we’re in one-a-days, we have to make sure we’re getting quality repetitions. So it was kind of a peak and valley day today and we can’t have that.”Extended skeleton

The Razorbacks ran 54 plays of skeleton drills, four periods’ worth, inside the stadium Thursday.

Tyler Wilson completed 18 of 26 passes, including a deep-seam touchdown strike to Chris Gragg, but he was not as precise as usual with a few back-shoulder throws on crossing routes falling incomplete.

Brandon Allen completed 15 of 16 passes, the only miss a breakup by safety Price Holmes that should have been intercepted. Allen also pulled the ball down and ran on one play.

Brian Buehner and Taylor Reed completed a combined 6 of 11 passes.

‘Sleepy’ awake

Freshman cornerback Davyon “Sleepy” McKinney, who has taken a few reps with the starters, forced a fumble from receiver Demetrius Wilson in skeleton drills.

“Going with the ones has been tremendous,” McKinney said. “I’m getting great reps. It’s been a greatexperience learning how fast the offense works from the second team to the first team.” Red zone

Quarterbacks Tyler Wilson and Brandon Allen each led the offense to three touchdowns in three tries in red zone work.

The first offense scored on Wilson passes to Javontee Herndon and Cobi Hamilton and on Dennis Johnson’s run over left tackle.

Allen, who missed a few snaps midway through practice while trainers attended to what looked like an eye issue, threw red-zone scoring passes to Hamilton, Ronnie Wingo and Kiero Small.

Defensive gems

Freshman safety Rohan Gaines broke on a Tyler Wilson pass to tight end Austin Tate on a seam route, tipped it away, tipped it again and intercepted it.

Linebacker Alonzo Highsmith, in his first skeleton work in more than a week, had a pass breakup on a Wilson throw intended for tight end Alex Voelzke.

Linebacker Jarrett Lake added to his growing collection of breakups in camp by swatting a Taylor Reed pass intended for Demetrius Dean, and safety Price Holmes did the same.

Snap slip up

Center Travis Swanson and quarterback Tyler Wilson had a perfect day on snap exchanges Thursday, but the two have muffed a few in camp, which was an uncommon sight during the 2011 season and spring drills.

“That’s just wear and tear,” Swanson said. “You’re tired and sometimes you get a little sloppy with technique and stuff on my end, his part. That’s just something that we’re going to get corrected before the season.”

Sports, Pages 24 on 08/17/2012