FAYETTEVILLE — Tenarius Wright came to Arkansas a freshman linebacker from Memphis in 2008, got injured, redshirted and moved to defensive end by 2009when John L. Smith arrived as the Razorbacks’ special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach.
Smith never saw Wright play linebacker. Yet Smith always knew a linebacker lurked inside the defensive end he saw letter from 2009 through 2011 before the coach left in December to become head coach at Weber State.
Smith has been back at Arkansas since April 23, replacing fired head coach Bobby Petrino.
Fifth-year senior Wright, called “Tank” more often than Tenarius, is back at linebacker.
The Petrino regime moved Wright back to linebacker on the second day of spring practice.
Returning starter Alonzo Highsmith missed all the spring drills tearing a pectoral muscle lifting weights the night before spring practice commenced.
Other than special situations, Smith has no plans to move Wright back to end even with Highsmith presumed healthy.
They will start in tandem: Highsmith at the inside Will linebacker he played last year with Wright at the middle Mike linebacker that graduated senior Jerry Franklin played the past four years.
Linebackers are uniquely positioned to lead.
Wright positioned himself to lead last spring. Like fifth-year senior starting quarterback Tyler Wilson led the offense, Wright led the defense in the crisis wake of Petrino’s firing.
“T. Wright is doing a good job of leading and that (Mike linebacker) is more of a fit for him,” Smith said.
Wright, 6-2, 252, has been a fine defensive end, but NFL scouts seldom look hard at defensive ends standing 6-2.
“If he plays at the next level, I think this will be a good move,” Smith said. “A steady down-in and down-out defensive end, he might not be that up there, but he might be the linebacker guy that can play in the middle and then put his hand down at times. That kind of fits him.”
They have yet to play a down as linebackers together, but Smith believes the Wright-Highsmith tandem fits Highsmith, too.
Both are senior defensive captains.
Without fanfare, Highsmith stepped straight out of junior college to first-team linebacker the first day of August practice last season. He proceeded to be the team’s third-leading tackler (80) with a team-leading 12.5 stops behind the line.
Good as Highsmith was in 2011, he will be better in 2012, Smith asserts.
“That first year there was a lot there and he comes in late and he’s asked to do all the things he was asked to do,” Smith said. “Well now it’s a little more simple because he has been here a year and the game is starting to slow down for him. He is starting to feel much more comfortable in his captain role, too. He is going to be fine.”
What about that torn pectoral muscle?
“I saw him coming out the weight room the other day and he’s looking bigger and better and his arm looks good,” Smith said. “He thinks his rehab is great and he’s going to be fine.”
Sports, Pages 16 on 07/09/2012