Razor Review (Day 4): Ready or not, newcomers must face veterans

Even with the possibility of being threatened bodily harm for sounding cliche, it must be said: Speed kills.

A member of a defensive secondary misses an assignment? Count on the opponent to exploit it and score a touchdown.

Two steps slower at tailback than your companions in the backfield? You’ll be on the bench.

Not accustomed to the fast pace of college football and, more specifically, the always-on-the-move practices at Arkansas?

Well, you get the point.

Arkansas’ newcomers have excelled in their practices separated from the veterans. Some have shown the skills to have an immediate impact, but others could very well be dealt a harsh reminder Monday: Speed kills.

Arkansas Coach Bobby Petrino's practices are fast paced, but how will the freshmen react when they join the veterans for practice in full pads Monday morning? (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/RYAN MCGEENEY)

The Razorbacks will combine the newcomers with the veterans for the first time this pre-season Monday morning. The newcomers, though, will have the fortune and experience of four practices to themselves to get used to the fast pace of the Razorbacks’ routine.

“Do your conditioning in football,” Coach Bobby Petrino explains. “The faster tempo you can practice at, the more you can move around.”

It’s something Petrino learned from his father, Bob Petrino, the legendary coach at Carroll College and former mentor John L. Smith. Petrino’s teams practice at a fast pace and there’s little time for running sprints after practice. The conditioning drills are the fast-paced practices, Petrino explains.

“You don’t want any sermons out there on the practice field,” Petrino said. “We want reps, reps, reps, and then coach it off the video.”

Obviously, there’s no time to stand around. The freshmen have learned that, including two defensive linemen on Sunday who weren’t aware of one of the Hogs’ rules at practice — never put your helmet on the ground. Defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell quickly reminded them of that with a yell.

Four practices with just the rookies have been helpful. There’s more time to teach the newcomers and for the fresh faces to learn a thing or two before being thrown in the fire.

The pace will pick up Monday in full pads, when the freshmen get a chance to prove themselves with the big boys.

“Coach will keep them a little bit late to try and show them attention after practices,” said Smith, Arkansas’ special teams coach. “Because, during practices, they’re probably not going to get as much (attention) as they have been getting.”

You don’t want any sermons out there on the practice field. We want reps, reps, reps, and then coach it off the video.”
- Bobby Petrino

Two of the most impressive freshmen at camp so far — receivers Maudrecus Humphrey and Marquel Wade — were cautiously optimistic about Monday. Humphrey admitted to being nervous about the increased expectations, competition and speed of the game.

“Yeah, I’m a little nervous about that,” Wade said, agreeing with his freshman teammate. “… But I’ll get faster too because I’m going against them. They’ll make me better, just like I’m going to make them better some times.”

No group may be in for more of a test Monday morning than the freshman receivers. Wade, Humphrey, Julian Horton and Javontee Herndon will have to bide their time before becoming superstars. After all, 86 percent of Arkansas’ receiving yards from last year return for representation in 2010, including the dangerous foursome of Greg Childs, Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and Cobi Hamilton.

Humphrey, Wade, Horton and Herndon call themselves the “Fantastic Four.” But the receivers aren’t expecting to go into the veterans’ camp and dethrone the current group. Humphrey thinks that group is the best corps of receivers in the nation.

There comes a time when one must be confident and remain humble. Arkansas’ four freshman newcomers, even with the “Fantastic Four” tagline, seem to understand it.

“The ones that are in front of us, they’ve done things that I’ve never seen before,” Wade said. “That just makes me want to do the same things they’re doing. I’m going to do what I’ve got to do to be like them.”

It all starts Monday, when the pads are strapped on and the newcomers join the big boys.

NOTABLES

— Freshman tight end Garrett Uekman (6-4, 250) of Little Rock joined the tight ends for some work early in practice Sunday. The coaching staff is weighing the option of moving him to linebacker, where he could possibily play sooner than at tight end behind Ben Cleveland, D.J. Williams and Chris Gragg.

Linebackers coach John L. Smith said they made the decision to make sure the coaching staff wasn’t making a “mistake” by keeping him at tight end.

It also makes sense when taking the Hogs’ worries about depth at linebacker.

So how did Uekman perform with the linebackers. “He’s got great moves,” Smith said. “He’s a good athlete.”

Uekman moved back to tight end during team drills and caught four passes.

— Smith likes what he sees from cornerback Ramon Broadway and linebacker Jerico Nelson at the gunner spots on special teams.

— The competition at punter and kicker remains open and, well, competitive. No one has an edge there, Smith said.

— Several freshmen could see time on special teams this season, Smith said.

— Freshman Marquel Wade, who was slowed in the first two practices, says he had a stomach ailment early in camp but is now feeling healthy.

— The veteran quarterbacks looked more at ease in team drills, but not so much in some 7-on-7 situations. In fact, Ryan Mallett tossed an interception and nearly tossed picks to Anthony Leon and Jerico Nelson. Thrown in were drops from Greg Childs, Chris Gragg and Joe Adams, and another pass breakup by Seth Armbrust.

In team drills, the quarterbacks and receivers were better at times. Mallett completed 5 of 6 passes, including a very nice decision and throw to tight end D.J. Williams up field on the first play of 11-on-11. Tyler Wilson was 6-of-8 passing with one ball badly overthrow and another a dropped pass by Adams.

I witnessed what could be considered four drops by the receivers in practice.

— The receivers worked a period of practice today catching tennis balls from a machine. The unit was also the last group on the field after practice, getting in some extra work. Sophomore Cobi Hamilton lingered back with receivers coach Kris Cinkovich after the receivers left the field for some extra one-on-one work.

— Alex Tejada booted a couple of kickoffs into the end zone, including a deep kick that went to the back of the end zone. The usual suspects worked at kick return, joined by cornerback Ramon Broadway.

PLAY OF THE DAY

It was another good day for yet another freshman receiver.

Marquel Wade

Marquel Wade had a great day at receiver in the newcomers’ practice Sunday. His most impressive play was a one-handed grab just past safety Jerry Mitchell on a deep route down the sideline.

Wade may have pushed off slightly, but the catch over his shoulder with his left hand relatively still close to his chest was impressive. The Jacksonville, Fla., native contends there was no pushing.

“Oh, no. No, push off. Just run fast,” he said.

Wade also came down with a juggling catch as he ran toward the right sideline later in team drills.

PLAYER OF THE DAY

WR Marquel Wade

Wade was explosive and impressive, but his juggling catching could be troublesome. Still, you have to be impressed with Wade’s acrobatic catches. Now it’s time to see how Wade and Humphrey, the Player of the Day on Saturday, perform against the veterans.

QUOTE ME

“The ones that are in front of us, they’ve done things that I’ve never seen before. That just makes me want to do the same things they’re doing. I’m going to do what I’ve got to do to be like them.”

— Freshman receiver Marquel Wade on veteran receivers Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, Cobi Hamilton and Greg Childs.

ON TAP

Monday is the first day of full pads and a combined practice for the veterans and newcomers. Practice is scheduled for 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m.

Make sure to check out WholeHogSports.com and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for more coverage. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates with @bmarcello and @wholehogsports.

— Brandon Marcello