The offense struck back during the “fastball starts” period of the 11th practice of training camp for the University of Arkansas on Wednesday.
After a sluggish opening that featured 0-for-5 passing and two penalties Tuesday, KJ Jefferson and the other quarterbacks looked much sharper as the Razorbacks worked out in spider pads and helmets with temperatures in the high 60s on the outdoor practice fields.
Jefferson went 3 for 3 with the starters, completing passes to Raheim Sanders, Jaedon Wilson and Tyrone Broden. The other rep in the four-play set was a short run at left guard by Sanders.
Jacolby Criswell went 2 for 4 with the second unit and Malachi Singleton was 2 for 2 with the third group. Cade Fortin threw incomplete for Chris Rhodes on his lone pass attempt, with defensive back Jabrae Shaw notching a diving pass breakup with his right hand.
Sanders was a detached receiver on his catch, Wilson made a sliding grab on a crossing route and Broden caught a short out route in front of coverage from Jaheim Singletary to account for Jefferson’s completions.
Enos told his quarterbacks Tuesday that when their position group practices poorly it makes the whole workout reek.
Criswell completed his first two passes, a quick screen to Isaiah Sategna over the left edge, then a swing pass to AJ Green. The completion to Green broke free and would have been a long gainer.
Criswell was under pressure on his third snap and threw low for Bryce Stephens on a crossing route. He appeared to have a miscommunication with a receiver on his fourth pass, which flew incomplete to the deep left.
Tight end Var’keyes Gumms made a strong catch on Singleton’s first pass near the right sideline, then Kalil Girault bobbled and held onto the last pass of the sequence.
Up is down
Defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson, the co-defensive coordinator, worked Saturday’s scrimmage from the sideline while defensive coordinator Travis Williams called plays from the coaches’ box at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
“Yeah, it went better than expected,” Woodson said. “That was my first time down and Coach T-Will’s first time up. You know I’ve been in the box every year since I’ve been coaching. But at the end of the day, he’s the play caller. It’s better when you see things from up top as a coordinator, and I think he experienced and saw that on Saturday.”
Woodson said the defensive coaches might try a different alignment for this Saturday’s scrimmage as they prepare for their game-day setup.
“We’re still trying to figure out the dynamics as a staff,” Woodson said. “What’s best, who’s up, who’s down. But he liked it more than he expected. It’ll be interesting to see just how we end up doing it.
“So we’re just going to continue to move the pieces around as a staff. We may do the same thing on Saturday, this upcoming scrimmage, or we may try something different. By Sept. 2 [for the opener], we will have something figured out.”
Personnel report
The Razorbacks had no new additions to their group of injured players Wednesday.
Linebackers Chris Paul and Antonio Grier, offensive linemen Devon Manuel and Joey Su’a, tight end Nathan Bax and defensive lineman Jashaud Stewart worked on the sideline. As reporters left the field, Grier and Su’a were walking through the end zone holding a long-handled sledgehammer above their heads with one hand.
Two scouts from the Seattle Seahawks and one from the Arizona Cardinals attended practice.
Talking Woodson
Defensive backs Jayden Johnson and Lorando “Snaxx” Johnson talked up one of their position coaches, co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson, on Wednesday.
“I feel like he’s helping us a lot,” said Jayden Johnson, a junior. “I feel like he’s pushing us to be the best. Sometimes I’ll be like, ‘He wants more for us than we do.’ But I feel like that’s great because if the coaches have high standards there’s no way the players can have low standards.”
Added Lorando Johnson, “I feel like everything he tells us is like real genuine, like he really wants us to be the best in everything that we do throughout our life and not just football or just school. Whatever we do, he wants us to be the best and I feel like he really, really means that.”
Heavenly weather
For the past several days, the Razorbacks have been starting practice just before 9 a.m. with temperatures in the 60s and warming up to the low 70s by the end of the workout.
The recent trend followed last week’s frequent morning storms, overcast skies and extremely mild temperatures during what is usually the dog days of summer.
Count the players as huge fans of the trend.
“Great, great,” safety Jayden Johnson said of the mild heat.
“It’s been feeling like heaven to me,” added Lorandon Johnson.
“Well, that first week was a little warm,” co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson said. “Not warm but hot.
“We’ve been fortunate. Coach [Sam] Pittman has done a phenomenal job setting up the schedule for the practice to be at the time of the day that is the coolest. He’s done a great job of taking care of the players. Bottom line, we’ll be acclimated enough to the temperatures and forecast we’re going to get on game days. I know Coach Pitt is going to set everything up for those guys to be ready.”
Pittman said Saturday’s scrimmage was toasty inside Reynolds Razorback Stadium, but things have cooled off in the mornings since then.
Singling Singletary
Defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson called transfer cornerback Jaheim Singletary, who has been working up with the starters this week, a selfless player.
“He’s someone that came in and really adapted to the guys as if he had been here the whole time,” Woodson said. “Again, he’s super talented, but the most important thing is his love for the sport. He loves football.
“If you love football and you’ve got talent, success is going to happen for you. I’m so excited to coach him. Again, we needed a corner to come in and challenge the other guys to be better, and he’s done that. He’s a kid that’s going to have a phenomenal year for us.”
The rise of Singletary, who transferred from Georgia after playing sparingly for the two-time College Football Playoff champions last season, convinced the coaches to try Lorando “Snaxx” Johnson at the nickel, or Hog, position.
Singletary’s fluid hip turns and change of direction have been evident in drills.
‘Humming’ D-line
Offensive line coach Cody Kennedy and veteran linemen Brady Latham and Beaux Limmer provided a little more insight into last Saturday’s scrimmage when Coach Sam Pittman lamented that KJ Jefferson and the other quarterbacks generally did not have enough time to operate in the passing game.
“We’ve got a multitude of protections that are new and building confidence within those protections versus a live-fire defense, you’ve got to work at that,” Kennedy said Tuesday. “You’ve got to put yourself in those situations that are hard situations. Luckily for us, we’re not doing it against guys that let you get by halfway doing it. That defensive line is humming now, all right?
“Executing those protections on a board and knowing who you’ve got to get to and doing it in live action are two different things. We’ve got to be better in that regard, OK? We’ve talked a lot about making the conscious decision to go finish. … We’ve got to tighten that up a little bit.”
Limmer indicated the directive from coaches to “stay on your feet” and help take care of defensive teammates played a factor.
“Like Coach said, we’ve got to pride ourselves on straining and finishing people,” Limmer said. “We’ve got to be careful in that regard, because we don’t want to hurt our guys and lose all the depth we have.
“But at the same time, that shouldn’t be stopping us from driving hard. It’s just kind of keeping guys off the ground. We need to pride ourselves on not losing a block and like Coach said, refusing to lose.”