Hog calls

O-line tinkering to help Hogs scale bumps

NWA Democrat-Gazette/MICHAEL WOODS • @NWAMICHAELW
University of Arkansas linemen Dan Skipper (70) Frank Ranow (72) Deion Malone (73) and Colton Jackson (74) run drills during practice Thursday, April 21, 2016 in Fayetteville.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/MICHAEL WOODS • @NWAMICHAELW University of Arkansas linemen Dan Skipper (70) Frank Ranow (72) Deion Malone (73) and Colton Jackson (74) run drills during practice Thursday, April 21, 2016 in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Maybe the Razorbacks' first-team offensive line would be a little ahead of where it is right now had its new line coach immediately picked the starting five and stuck with them.

But they would be neither as versatile nor as competitively honed had Kurt Anderson named the starting guards, tackles and a center from spring ball without looking at what others could do in fall camp, or if the two obvious returning starters might be better at positions they haven't been at recently.

Versatility has become a source of line pride, whether it's senior Dan Skipper, Arkansas' oldest offensive lineman in terms of service, or Jake Raulerson, the oldest newcomer, arriving in Fayetteville as a graduate transfer from the University of Texas.

Junior Frank Ragnow, versatile himself as the current starting center and last year's starting right guard, cut to the chase of Raulerson's versatility.

"I think his goal coming into camp was being the Swiss Army knife and he's proven that," Ragnow said. "He can play center, right guard and right tackle, and he has consistently been in Coach Anderson's offensive line."

Raulerson has practiced with the first team at all three positions and currently starts at right guard.

Even Skipper, the Razorbacks' lone preseason SEC first-teamer as selected by coaches, was kept on the move practicing at both tackle spots and guard in the early preseason.

"At any point, you're a snap away from being a guy down," Skipper said. "So you don't get stuck with that (starting) five and then freak out if someone goes down."

Anderson arrived extolling versatility and decrying complacency.

"One of the first things he said when he got here," Ragnow said. "You're going to prepare like you're playing each week and you're going to know what every position does. Because it's not about what position you're playing, it's who the five best guys are. You'd better be ready to play other positions, because you never know."

Anderson said he wants the linemen to play with confidence without thinking they can't be replaced.

"I don't want this competition to end," Anderson said. "Because it brings out the best in them. One of the toughest things offensive linemenwise is to battle against complacency. I want them to feel as soon as you get complacent, someone is going to pass you by."

And that if someone passes you by, drive yourself to pass somebody else like redshirt freshman Colton Jackson did after he was demoted at left tackle only to become first-team at right tackle.

Anderson, despite all the shuffling, pretty quickly established his present hand of Ragnow at center, Raulerson and Jackson at right guard and right tackle and sophomore Hjalte Froholdt and Skipper at left guard and left tackle.

It's no coincidence that lone returning starters Ragnow and Skipper respectively play center, the offensive line's version of quarterback, and left tackle, the actual quarterback's blindside protector.

Froholdt, the sophomore from Denmark who moved to offense last spring from the defensive line, has been the one Anderson left entirely at one spot to learn his craft.

By next spring expect Froholdt to have learned enough to learn another position firsthand.

Sports on 08/29/2016

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