Razorback Report: Key Arkansas players ramp up after injuries

FAYETTEVILLE — Monday was a momentous day for the Arkansas Razorbacks in the realm of player availability with camp about to roll into a third week.

Wide receivers Andrew Armstrong and Tyrone Broden were both back at work in individual drills and a quartet of players who missed time last week in concussion protocols made advances as well as the Hogs worked inside the Walker Pavilion on a rainy morning in Northwest Arkansas.

Camp practice No. 11, conducted with the Hogs wearing shoulder pads and padded girdles had lots of personnel updates, with tailback Rashod Dubinion and cornerback Jaheim Singletary both back at what looked like full participation during the media viewing portion.

Additionally, 29-year-old freshman Monte Harrison ran with the first group at receiver, E’Marion Harris got first-team reps at left guard and cornerback Marquise Robinson, who was in concussion protocol last week, repped with the top unit at cornerback in his first day back.

Robinson was wearing a green no-contact jersey, as were tight end Luke Hasz, defensive linemen Anton Juncaj and Jon Hill, and defensive back Dylan Hasz. All of those players except for Dylan Hasz, who is dealing with a back issue, had been in concussion protocols. Each of them participated to some extent in the early practice periods.

The re-emergence of Robinson, whose teammates call him “Cuddy,” and Singletary, who was slowed by a hamstring last week, added immediate pep to the secondary.

“You know, with Cuddy and Jaheim and all them coming back, you see the energy at practice elevated a little bit more,” defensive back TJ Metcalf said.

No starters

Co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson repeated a phrase that cornerbacks coach Deron Wilson brought up to the media in his interview segment last Monday.

“I’m really excited about the depth that we have at the safety position as well as the ‘Hog,’ and we’ve just got to continue to make the strides to head in the right direction,” Woodson said. “We do not have starters, we have standards. I think you guys heard that from Coach Wilson in his interview and that’s the we-and-us type of mentality that we have to have in the secondary because we’re going to play a lot of people.”

Safety Jayden Johnson and cornerback Jaylon Braxton have worked almost exclusively with the top group in camp. Hudson Clark and Doneiko Slaughter have taken the most work at the other top safety and the ‘Hog,’ or nickel spot, while the other cornerback spot has seen Kee’yon Stewart, Jaheim Singletary, Marquise Robinson and Selman Bridges earn first-team reps.

Woodson said Braxton has been “banged up” but fighting through it during camp.

“So he’s demonstrated toughness in terms of fighting through the dings that he has right now, but he’s out there competing,” Woodson said.

Jackson hype

Offensive line coach Eric Mateos is a fan of transfer tackle Fernando Carmona.

But Mateos took a humorous stance when asked about how Carmona has helped change the culture in the offensive line room.

“You want me to keep gassing him up?” Mateos said, causing laughter among reporters. “Is that what you want me to do?”

Then Mateos went on a riff about Carmona that ended with a little dig.

“He comes from a great dad who was a longtime football coach, so he’s the son of a coach,” Mateos said. “I say I think we got him because I’m Cuban, and he’s Cuban. We’ve both got Cuban daddies.

“I think that his personality is one of a guy that just loves football. When you see a guy who is so unaffected by the outside world and what people think of him, and so authentic, but is also talented, I think it’s just fun to play with, coach, I mean all the above, right? I think he just kind of showed, you can be a great player and a good leader, but also a normal fun guy to hang out.

“I love talking him up, but he also needs to freaking block Landon (Jackson) better, too.”

Jackson, a senior defensive end and a preseason All-SEC choice, was named to the Bednarik Award watch list on Monday.

Slaughter ‘house’

Senior defensive back Doneiko Slaughter was mostly a cornerback at Tennessee last season and now he’s repping at nickel back and safety for the Hogs.

Slaughter, who has probably taken more first-team reps at the nickel, which Arkansas coaches refer to as “Hog,” than anyone else in camp, said it doesn’t get confusing shuffling from one defensive back spot to the other.

“As long as you’re taking it play-by-play, you should be fine,” Slaughter said. “As I said, nickel is the main position. So if you learn nickel you can learn the whole defense entirely, so you basically know everybody else’s job and you can just fall off of that.”

Co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson touted the addition of Slaughter.

“Slaughter, he’s another that’s penciled in at ‘Hog,’ but you will see him play some safety as well with different personnel,” Woodson said. “He played corner at his last institution, so he gives you some position flexibility with his skill set. He’s also very smart as well. He’s someone that’s played a lot of ball. He came in and he’s a student of the game.”

Line movement

Offensive line coach Eric Mateos continued to tinker with the depth in his group, with E’Marion Harris working with the top unit at left guard, where Addison Nichols, Ty’Kieast Crawford and Amaury Wiggins have rotated since Patrick Kutas went out early in camp with a back problem.

Mateos was effusive with his praise of Harris on Saturday.

“By far the most improved player on this team, or really in my room I should say,” Mateos said. “His level of play right now is extremely high. I mean, he had the best scrimmage probably of anybody in our room, probably him and Keyshawn Blackstock had their best scrimmages since I’ve been here and that was really fun to see.

“You see it in how he moves. He’s got shoulders back, chest up, chin up. He’s got confidence. He’s gotten his weight back where he wants it. He’s feeling strong. You’re just seeing the maturity of him being a third-year guy.”

Metcalf mentors

Sophomore TJ Metcalf, whom co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson called the most improved returning member of the secondary, is already giving extra attention to an underclassman.

His brother Tevis is a true freshman who enrolled in January and went through spring drills.

“He’s been doing real good,” TJ Metcalf said of his brother. “Coach (Woodson) is speaking highly about him. For me, he’s doing exactly what I expected for him coming in as a freshman, just doing his thing. I’m trying to mentor him for him to do good, so he’s been doing real good.”

Senior safety Jayden Johnson echoed Woodson’s assessment that TJ Metcalf is the most improved defensive back.

“I definitely agree with that,” Johnson said. “Just his speed, his mental and his detail to the play calls and the tools that come with it. He just wants it. Like, he really wants it.”

Added defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson: “Tevis is as good of a freshman that I’ve had a chance to coach in in in a long time.”

Poll position

The Razorbacks will play seven teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll that was released on Monday, 17 days prior to their season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Arkansas will host No. 4 Texas, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 13 LSU and No. 15 Tennessee, take on No. 11 Missouri and No. 17 Oklahoma State on the road and face No. 20 Texas A&M at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.