NFL Draft: Greg Childs Impresses at Arkansas Pro Day

Former Arkansas Razorback wide receiver Greg Childs continued to show healthy improvement on his injured knee from the end of the Hogs 2011 regular season through the NFL draft combine to Arkansas’ Pro Day.

Childs improved his forty-yard scout combine run of 4.55 to 4.41 in front of NFL scouts Tuesday in Fayetteville. His forty-time would have tied him for seventh best at the combine, the same time as former Baylor quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.

Childs, listed at 6’3”, 219 pound, recorded a long jump of 10’7” at the pro day, besting his 10’5” at the combine, which would have tied him for sixth best among all players. His 40.5” vertical jump would have been the second best during the Feb. 22-28 event.

Childs benched 225 pounds 19 times placing him sixth best among all receivers at the combine. He graded out at 53.5 put in one week’s time has shown improvement in all areas. Some NFL team will take notice.

All-American punt returner Joe Adams tried to improve upon his 4.55 forty-yard dash at the combine but ran the same time at 4.55. He graded out at an 82.5 in front of scouts in Indianapolis.

The 2011 Arkansas Razorback media guide listed Adams at 5’11” 190 pounds. At the combine he weighed 179 pounds. He projects to be a slot receiver at the next level so being undersized is not as big of an issue. The big question is will the increased weight gain teams will put him through slow his explosiveness on the field in the return game.  

Jarius Wright turned in a top 10 performance in the shuttle 20-yard shuttle run during the combine at a timed 4.03. His 4.42 forty-yard dash run was tied for 14th best among all athletes and 9th best among wide receivers. His impressive display of speed and agility during the combine allowed him to sit out of speed drills Tuesday.

Wright graded out at 68.7 during the combine. His speed and quickness are a noted plus as a slot receiver at the next level, his strength off press coverage and ability to sustain blocks worry NFL scouts.

Wright’s vertical jump of 38” was ninth best for his position at the combine.

All receivers participating in receiving drills got help from an old friend. Former Arkansas quarterback and 2011 third round draft pick Ryan Mallett was on hand to throw to his former teammates.

Jake Bequette was a top performer in the three-cone and 20-yard shuttle runs at the combine posting a 6.90 and 4.07 respectively. His 20-yard run was second best among defensive ends (Bruce Irvin, West Virginia, 4.03) while his vertical jump was tied for 11th best (34.0”).

Bequette’s 4.82 40-yard dash was well below his previously listed 4.5 timing. He did not participate in speed drills during the pro day. Reports are he will hold a private workout for scouts in the upcoming weeks.

Recording a grade of 53.7 at the combine had to be frustrating for the first team All-SEC defensive end. In post season all star games and during his pro day scouts have looked at Bequette as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Bequette’s ability to show scouts he can drop into coverage could be the deciding factor on where he ends up in the draft.

How NFL.com projects the grades of all players regardless of position:

100-96, top pick, future Hall of Fame player

95-85, first round pick, immediate starter

84-70, 2nd to 3rd round pick, eventual starter

69-50, 4th to 7th round pick, draft worthy

49-20, free agent player, not draft worthy

Notable 2012 Combine Grades:

Quarterbacks:

Andrew Luck, Stanford, 97

Robert Griffin III, Baylor, 95

Russell Wilson, Wisconsin, 68.5

Darron Thomas, Oregon, 55.0

Case Keenum, Houston, 53.5

Kellen Moore, Boise State, 51.0

Jordan Jefferson, LSU, 40

Running Backs:

Chris Polk, Washington, 86.0

LaMichael James, Oregon, 78.5

Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M, 75.5

Doug Martin, Boise State, 74.2

Chris Rainey, Florida, 73.7

Fozzy Whittaker, Texas, 51.2

Vick Ballard, Mississippi State, 50.5

Wide Receivers:

Michael Floyd, Notre Dame, 89.5

Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma, 84.0

Tight Ends:

Colby Fleener, Stanford, 85.2

Orson Charles, Georgia, 79.0

Cornerbacks:

Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama, 92.0

Morris Claiborne, LSU, 91.5

Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, 84.0

Offensive Linemen:

Matt Kalil, Southern California, 94.0

David Decastro, Stanford, 92.5

Cordy Glenn, Georgia, 72.5

Donald Stephenson, Oklahoma, 53.5

Adam Gettis, Iowa, 52.2

Linebackers:

Luke Kuechly, Boston College, 91.0

Dont’a Hightower, Alabama, 85.0

DeMario Davis, Arkansas State, 51.2

Defensive Linemen:

Melvin Ingram, South Carolina, 90.5

Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State, 77.0

Whitney Mercilus, Illinois, 72.5

Safety:

Charles Mitchell, Mississippi State, 54.7

Kelcie McCray, Arkansas State, 51.5

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2012 NFL Draft: Former Razorbacks Prepare for Grueling NFL Combine

Every year around this time 300 plus former college football players eligible for the NFL Draft close in on a six to eight week workout process in preparation for the combine in Indianapolis.

During the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine held from Feb. 22-28, former Arkansas Razorback players Jake Bequette, Joe Adams, Greg Childs, and Jarius Wright will participate before the league’s 32 teams, their coaches, and key personnel in hopes of improving their draft status and in some cases getting drafted period.

An invite to the combine does not assure a player the opportunity of being drafted but the opportunity certainly enhances their chances.

At the 2011 NFL combine, four Razorbacks showcased their talents. Quarterback Ryan Mallett, tight end D.J. Williams, and offensive lineman DeMarcus Love were drafted in the third, fifth, and sixth round respectively.

Offensive lineman Ray Dominguez went undrafted after attending the combine but signed a free agent contract with the Green Bay Packers after the draft.

Each combine invitee can choose to participate in the series of mental and physical tests, physical drills, and in some cases interview with perspective teams.

The interview process allows each team to meet with up to 60 different players for a maximum of 15 minutes. Topics of conversation during the interviews range from football knowledge to character concerns centered on the individual player.

Made even more popular by the Madden NFL video game is the Wonderlic Test. The assessment shines the spotlight on those players that perform well and those that test poorly.

The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is a 12 minute timed aptitude test with 50 questions. The word test is designed to gain a better idea of an individual’s ability to problem solve and their overall intelligence level.

The common score of most football players is 20 denoting average intelligence. A testing performance of 10 means the person is considered literate.

A score of 24 is the median national average. A high test score of 31 corresponds with chemist and related fields.

According to Paul Zimmerman’s The New Man’s Thinking Guide to Pro Football the average Wonderlic test scores are broken down per positions:

• Offensive tackle- 26
• Center- 25
• Quarterback- 24
• Offensive guard- 23
• Tight end- 22
• Safety- 19
• Linebacker- 19
• Cornerback- 18
• Wide receiver- 17
• Fullback- 17
• Running back- 16

Over the last 10-15 years the medical tests players endure have been a subject of controversy.

Most NFL teams throw up a red flag on players with an injury history. Even if a player has been productive at the collegiate level and scored well on the physical performance tests during the combine, said players tend to slide down team’s draft boards once their doctors are able to perform orthopedic and MRI exams.

In the past medical information was traded freely between college team doctors and NFL teams. Now, due to medical privacy laws college teams can no longer hand over personal medical information on any given person.

What happens on the field during a game can be observed and documented most of the time. What happens on the practice field cannot. For this reason over 600 MRI are performed yearly at the combine. That is an average of 2 MRI per player each year.

The physical and speed drills tend to grab the headline attention at the combine. Fans drool over 40-yard dash times and player bench press reps while teams focus on 10-yard and 20-yard split times, vertical jumps, and three cone drills.

Heading into this week’s combine Joe Adams is listed as the seventh best wide receiver on Draftcountdown.com. Adams stock has risen over the past two months from a thought fifth round draft pick to a possible second rounder.

Adams is listed at 5’11”, 190 pounds with 4.39 40-yard dash speed.

The second fastest wide receiver among the 66 compiled in the 40-yard dash is Jarius Wright. Wright is listed at 5’10”, 180 pounds with a 40-yard dash time of 4.33 just two one hundredths off Connecticut’s Kashif Moore’s 4.31.

Wright is ranked No. 25 out of the 66 receivers attending the combine.

Greg Childs is the bigger receiver of the Razorback bunch and the bigger prospect of the group until he hurt his knee during the 2010 season. After a slow start Childs picked up his pace in the LSU and Kansas State games at the end of Arkansas’ 2011 season.

Childs has a great opportunity to improve his draft stock at the combine. He is ranked No. 35 on the board. His 6’3”, 217 pound frame along with his production early in his Razorback career will attract attention.

If he can improve upon his 4.55 40-yard dash and show explosiveness in his breaks while running routes he could see his name called during the NFL Draft.

Childs will get to answer his fair share of questions about his knee during the scouting combine. Perspective teams will poke, prod, and examine his knee before the week is through to make sure he has fully healed from his injury before risking a draft pick on him.

After Jake Bequette’s first team All-SEC performance in 2011 it is hard to understand why he is not listed higher than the 14th best defensive end in the draft.

Bequette’s hamstring injury aside, he posted 10 sacks during the season tying him for the SEC lead with South Carolina’s defensive end Marvin Ingram. Both players were tied for the ninth best sack total during the 2011 season.

Ingram is ranked as the second best defensive end.

Bequette enters the combine as the fastest defensive end among the 42 invitees having run a reported 4.59 40-yard dash. His 6’5”, 271 pound frame makes him an ideal 4-3 defensive end in the NFL.

When the combine announced their list of invitees for 2012, a couple of Razorbacks were surprisingly missing- linebacker Jerry Franklin and safety Tramain Thomas.

Franklin led the Hogs in tackles in each of the past four seasons compiling 100 or more tackles during his senior and junior years.

Thomas was tied for 13th in Division I with five interceptions during his senior campaign. He also was second on the team and tied for 10th in the SEC with 91 tackles while playing through a shoulder injury much of the season.

Razorback players attending the combine and those that were not invited will have one last opportunity to showcase their abilities before the NFL Draft at Arkansas’ pro day on March 6.

Last year 18 former Razorbacks performed at Arkansas’ pro day including quarterback Ryan Mallett. This year senior offensive linemen Grant Cook and Grant Freeman, linebacker Jerrico Nelson, cornerback Isaac Madison, safety Elton Ford, running back Broderick Green, and defensive lineman Zach Stadther along with others will get their chance to perform combine drills for the NFL scouts on hand.

If the combine tells fans and future NFL hopefuls anything, it’s no matter where you attend college that if one works hard enough and plays well enough the scouts will find you.

One of the more shocking 2012 combine players scheduled to attend is Shawn Loiseau, a former linebacker at Merrimack. Loiseau’s invite is not shocking because of his ability to play but due to the size of Merrimack’s college.  

Better known for their hockey teams, Merrimack is a small school in North Andover, MA with an undergraduate enrollment of 2,064 students. The Warriors compete in the Northeast 10 Conference, a Football Championship Subdivision conference formerly called Division II.

In-state Arkansas football fans will be happy to know that safety Kelcie McCray and linebacker DeMario Davis of Arkansas State are scheduled to attend the combine as well.

McCray is listed as the 14th best safety at the combine while Davis is ranked as the 16th best linebacker.

Arkansas State will hold their pro day on March 27.

The 2012 NFL Draft is April 26-28. 

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Arkansas Razorbacks: Tyler Wilson Named First Team All-SEC

Tyler Wilson has done something no other Arkansas Razorback has ever accomplished he’s been named first team All-SEC at the quarterback position.

Wilson along with six other Razorback players was named to All-SEC teams Monday. Wide receivers Jarius Wright and Joe Adams were selected first team All-SEC as well. Adams selection was as an all-purpose player for his contributions as a punt returner and wide receiver.

Arkansas second team picks included linebacker Jerry Franklin, punter Dylan Breeding, guard Alvin Bailey, and running back Dennis Johnson; Johnson was an all-purpose selection for his kickoff return abilities and play at running back.

Senior safety Tramain Thomas received an honorable mention. Thomas had five interceptions during the 2011 season tying him for No. 10 in FBS and No. 4 in the SEC.

Missing from the All-SEC lists is senior defensive end Jake Bequette. Bequette missed significant game time and three total games with an early season hamstring injury but still managed to finish the season with eight sacks. Bequette’s eight sacks ranked No. 8 in the SEC.

Jarvis Jones led the SEC in sacks with 13.5, finishing second in college football during the regular season to Whitney Mercilus a defensive end for Illinois.

The following is a list of the All-SEC honorees, their position, their school, and their class:

First Team Offense

QB – Tyler Wilson, Arkansas, Jr.

RB – Trent Richardson, Alabama, Jr.

RB – Michael Dyer, Auburn, So.

WR – Jarius Wright, Arkansas, Sr.

WR – Da’Rick Rogers, Tennessee, So.

OL – Barret Jones, Alabama, Jr.

OL – Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina, Sr.

OL – Cordy Glenn, Georgia, Sr.

OL – Will Balckwell, LSU, Sr.

C  - William Vlachos, Alabama, Sr.

TE – Orson Charles, Georgia, Jr.

Special Teams

K – Caleb Sturgis, Florida, Jr.

AP – Joe Adams, Arkansas, Sr.

First Team Defense

DT – Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State, Jr.

DT – Malik Jackson, Tennessee, Sr.

DE – Melvin Ingram, South Carolina, Sr.

DE – Sam Montgomery, LSU, So.

LB – Danny Trevathan, Kentucky, Sr.

LB – Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, Sr.

LB – Jarvis Jones, Georgia, So.

CB – Morris Claiborne, LSU, Jr.

CB – Tyrann Mathieu, LSU, So.

S – Mark Barron, Alabama, Sr.

S – Bacarri Rambo, Georgia, Jr.

Special Teams

P - Brad Wing, LSU, Fr.

Second Team Offense

QB – Aaron Murray, Georgia, So.

RB – Zac Stacy, Vanderbilt, Jr.

RB – Vick Ballard, Mississippi State, Sr.

WR – Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina, Jr.

WR – Rueben Randle, LSU, Jr.

OL – Alvin Bailey, Arkansas, So.

OL – Chris Faulk, LSU, So.

OL – Larry Warford, Kentucky, Jr.

OL – Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State, So.

C – Ben Jones, Georgia, Sr.

TE – Philip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn, Jr.

Special Teams

K- Drew Alleman, LSU, Jr.

AP – Dennis Johnson, Arkansas, Jr.

Second Team Defense

DT – Michael Brockers, LSU, So.

DT – Josh Chapman, Alabama, Sr.

DE – Cory Lemonier, Auburn, So.

DE – Barkevious Mingo, LSU, So.

LB – Chris Marve, Vanderbilt, Sr.

LB – Jerry Franklin, Arkansas, Sr.

LB – Don’t’A Hightower, Alabama, Jr.

CB – Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama, Jr.

CB – Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt, Sr.

S – Antonio Allen, South Carolina, Sr.

S – Eric Reid, LSU, So.

Special Teams

P – Dylan Breeding, Arkansas, Jr.

Offensive Player of the Year

Trent Richardson, Alabama

Defensive Player of the Year

Tyrann Mathieu, LSU

Coach of the Year

Les Miles, LSU

Freshman of the Year

Isaiah Crowell, Georgia

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Should No. 8 Arkansas be in Panic Mode?

Before the 2011 college football season started if you promised that Arkansas would be 7-1 going into the South Carolina game most Razorback fans would have been extremely happy.

Well Razorback fans guess what? You are 7-1 going into homecoming against No. 14 USC with a ranking of eighth in the nation. So why are Razorback fans reaching for the panic button?

After four-straight come from behind victories including back-to-back lackluster performances against Ole Miss and Vanderbilt Razorback fans are getting nervous. They want to know what’s wrong with the offense and why the defense is giving up so many yards every game.

The ugly truth is Arkansas is in the middle of an in-season rebuilding process. The bigger picture shows that the entire 2011 season could be construed as a rebuilding season for Arkansas. Injuries and departed players have affected the depth-chart greater than most fans realize.

Entering two-a-days the Razorbacks had 12 total starters returning from last season’s 10-3 team; five on offense and seven on defense. Included in the five starters slated to return on offense was All-SEC running back Knile Davis. Davis suffered an ankle injury in fall practices and has been declared out for the season.

When Davis was lost for the season the Hogs seemed to lose their team identity as well.

During the 2009 and 2010 seasons former starting quarterback Ryan Mallett was the leader of the Razorbacks. Mallett left school after his junior year for the NFL. 2011 was to be Knile Davis’ year.

With backup running backs Broderick Green, out with a torn ACL from spring practices, and Dennis Johnson still recovering from a bowel injury suffered in 2010, who would Petrino depend on to make the Hogs offense successful?

The wide receivers became the strength of the Razorback team after Davis was lost. Petrino had four receivers named to the preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list; Joe Adams, Greg Childs, Cobi Hamilton, and Jarius Wright. The Biletnikoff Award has been given to the best wide receiver in the nation since 1994. But who was going to be the quarterback for the Hogs?

High hopes and expectations have been placed on junior quarterback Tyler Wilson. After his performance off the bench against Auburn in 2010 when he threw for 332 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions against the eventual BCS National Champions, Razorback fans immediately anointed Wilson as a savior in place of departing Ryan Mallett. But were those expectations too lofty?

Wilson has played well as the starter for the Hogs. Wilson is eleventh in the nation in passing yards per game with 290.88 but 48th in the nation in pass completion percentage. He has three 300-yard passing games including a school record 510-yards passing against Texas A&M. He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game expect against Ole Miss while only throwing three interceptions.

Statistics aside Wilson has struggled at times. His thought process and reads are a second too slow; seems that he may be over thinking his decisions instead of instinctively reacting. His delivery and arm strength has not improved as the season has progressed resulting in under throwing his talented receivers.

Wilson’s mobility as a runner has kept Razorback drives alive behind an offensive line that has not gelled in passing blocking or run blocking to date. Breaking in three new starters along the offensive line, they have given up 15 sacks when Wilson has been under center; third most in the SEC. If nothing else, Wilson has proven his toughness and willingness to take a hit to get the ball off to his receivers.

With the dismissal of offensive tackle Anthony Oden after spring practice for violation of team rules, the offensive line has shuffled starters in and out since the season began. Junior college transfer Jason Peacock along with true freshmen Mitch Smothers and Brey Cook have competed for playing time while Alvin Bailey, Travis Swanson, Grant Cook, and Grant Freemen have struggled to find the cohesion they had last season when the Hogs finished ninth in the country in total offense.

Much of Petrino’s passing offense is predicated by his receivers gaining separation from the defenders with drag routes or crossing patterns. The lack of protection from the line has prevented the offense from having big play ability seen when Mallett was at quarterback.

The passing routes and play calling have become stagnate at Arkansas. Because everything has to be kept within 12-10 yards, opposing defenses are staying in the box, jumping routes, and punishing the wide receivers in the process. Wilson’s slow reaction time compounded with the fact that he is not given time to make second or third reads in the process has led to stalled drives and fewer yards after the reception.

The lack of a running game may be the most glaring problem of all. 2011 will more than likely be the second time in four years that Petrino’s offense will not produce a 1,000 yard rusher; 2010 Knile Davis had 1,322, 2008 Michael Smith had 1,072.

Dennis Johnson now leads the team in total rushing yards with 325. The bulk of that yardage was gained against Ole Miss – 160. Johnson appeared to be the spark the team needed at running back but he has put the ball on the ground in two straight games. Given the fact that the defense does not create many turnovers these mistakes become critical mistakes that could cost the Hogs a game before seasons end. 

The defense has been heavily scrutinized for poor play during the first half of games against Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt. All four games resulted in wins but not until the defense buckled down in the second half.

Against A&M the Hogs gave up 35 first half points, Auburn 14, Mississippi 17, and 21 to Vanderbilt for a total of 87 points. In the second half the Hogs only gave up a combined 17 points in those four games.

What’s the difference between the first half and the second half defense? The Razorback offense.

Against A&M in the first quarter the Razorbacks average time of possession was 1:28. Versus Auburn the Razorback offense held the ball for an average of 2:26 through five first quarter possessions. At Ole Miss the Hogs were on offense for a total of 3 minutes and four seconds in the first quarter which led to a 17-0 first half deficit. Vanderbilt was able to limit their offense to an average of 2:47 seconds per possession in the first half of play.

Willy Robinson has proven to be able to make adjustments when given time. The only time he has been given is during halftime. If the fortunes of the defense are to change, the offense has to stay on the field longer. The old saying “the best defense is a good offense” applies.

When the Hogs can force the other team to become one-dimensional offensively they tend to excel. That has not happened against quality opponents this season sans Auburn.

A lack of playmakers has hurt the defense as well. The Hogs are tied with Kentucky for the fewest sacks in the SEC with eleven. They are eighth in conference with eight interceptions. In theory due to the amount of time the defense has been on the field more turnovers and big plays should happen for them but it has not worked out that way. Defensively they are tied for 88th in the nation with eleven turnovers gained for the season.

Injuries have accumulated along the defensive side of the ball. Both starting cornerbacks and defensive ends have missed significant game time due to injury. Starting safety Tramain Thomas is seemingly benched every game for missed tackles and the defensive front is not getting any pressure on the opposing quarterbacks.

Robinson continues to run a base 4-3 defense and rarely calls a blitz or any stunts unless he calls outside linebacker Jerico Nelson’s number. His lack of faith in the secondary is obvious. But with the amount of yardage and points given up in the first half of play, it seems that an occasional corner blitz or defensive line stunt could make a difference.

Reasons not to Panic

Through all of the bad the Hogs are still 7-1 with a great opportunity to win out, even against LSU. Since 2005 Arkansas and LSU have split their series 3-3. 21 total points separates the winning team from the losing team with Arkansas having the largest winning margin, winning by 8 points in 2010 in Little Rock, Arkansas. That’s a 3.5 average margin of victory between the two schools.

During the past five games the Razorbacks have only played one game at home, versus Auburn. There’s no surprise that was Arkansas most complete game of their past five games.

Since 2009 the Hogs have a home record of 16-2. The good news is the next three games are all at home.

A win is a win ugly or not… even if Ole Miss and Vanderbilt looked like top 25 teams against Arkansas.

The hunters have become the hunted. One of the major differences from years past is the Razorbacks are no longer the underdogs. For the past two years Arkansas has taken every other team’s best shot instead of possibly being looked over. In the process Arkansas has won 17 games and only lost four total games each loss was to higher ranked teams.

As much talent as the Razorbacks have one gets the sense that they are due for a big breakout game. Fans can only hope that will come against either South Carolina, a team Arkansas has beaten 7 times in the past 10 years, or LSU come November 25.

The expectations placed upon Wilson have not been fair but he has responded well. The tremendous amount of depth and talent at the wide receiver position has helped him look better than he may really be. Or is the lack of a running game allowing teams to key on Wilson throughout the game?

Petrino should open up the offense a little more. Giving scripted plays to Wilson may help. Keeping the offense limited has had an ill effect on both sides of the ball.

Cobi Hamilton has become a non-factor at the wide receiver position due to the offensive line and deep-ball throws from Wilson. The Hogs also miss the ability that receiver Greg Childs, when healthy, used to give them with jump-ball passes in the corner of the end zone. Look for Petrino to revive these aspects of the offense.

Johnson runs with an attitude. Hopefully he will not get too far back in Petrino’s doghouse. Petrino benching Johnson for effort plays could hurt more than help. If Johnson holds onto the ball he gives the Razorbacks the best chance to win out.

Not only has head coach Bobby Petrino instituted a new football culture at Arkansas he has also ushered in a new era of hope for Razorback fans. Gone are the days when eight or nine wins is considered a good season. Winning ten games every year is to be expected with a shot at playing in a BCS bowl as well.

Coach Petrino you have created a monster but you have also delivered, even if you are not earning style points amongst fans or national critics. 

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How Arkansas will beat Alabama

Arkansas and Alabama have two very similar teams in 2011 except one is getting a lot more national attention than the other. Is the early season attention given to Alabama over Arkansas truly deserved?

Both teams are ranked in the AP and Coaches Top 25 going into this week’s game, Arkansas 14th, Alabama 3rd in the AP. Neither team has played a challenging schedule to date. Yes that includes Alabama’s trip to Penn State, a team that finished 2010 7-6. Arkansas received perhaps their toughest offensive test for the entire season against Troy, 8-5 in 2010, and their highly regarded quarterback Corey Robinson; sans a November visit from Marcus Lattimore and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Both teams have lost a great deal of talent off of their 10-win 2010 teams. Alabama has 14 returning starters while Arkansas has 11. Offensively Arkansas and Alabama have had to replace their starting left tackles. Arkansas has had to go a step further and replace two additional offensive linemen.

Arkansas lost Knile Davis to injury during fall practices, a 1,322-yard rusher in 2010, while Alabama had to replace their 2009 Heisman Trophy winning tailback Mark Ingram (875-yards rushing in 2010). Trent Richardson and Ronnie Wingo Jr. saw significant snaps for their respective teams last year. Richardson ended the year with 700-yards rushing on 112 attempts for a 6.2 yard per carry average to Wingo’s 253-yards rushing on 41 attempts also good for a 6.2 yard per carry average. Both backs excel as pass catching options out of the backfield.

Tyler Wilson has stepped in well for departed quarterback Ryan Mallet. Wilson is currently 23rd in the nation in passing yards averaging 274-yards per game in part-time work. AJ McCarron has replaced Greg McElroy at quarterback by posting 193-passing yards per game, ranking him 69th in FBS. McCarron has thrown two touchdown passes to Wilson’s five.

Arkansas entire wide receiving core returns from a passing offense that ranked fourth in the nation. The Tide has to replace first round draft pick Julio Jones and Preston Dial.

Arkansas is the first team ever to have four finalists for the Biletnikoff Award (Joe Adams, Greg Childs, Cobi Hamilton, and Jarius Wright). Alabama has three finalists named to the watch list (Duron Carter, Darius Hanks, and Marquis Maze) even though none of their receivers topped 600-yards receiving last season. Adams had 813, Childs 659, and Wright had 788-yards receiving. Maze had 557-yards.

14 Razorbacks were named to the All-SEC Preseason Teams, the most of any SEC team.

Both teams return seven starters from their highly ranked defense. Bama finished the season ranked fifth in the nation in total defense, Arkansas finished 36th.

Alabama currently has the third ranked defense in the nation to Arkansas 35th ranked defense. Between the two teams Arkansas has played a team with a more dynamic offense, Troy, than Alabama has in Kent State, Penn State, or North Texas. Penn State has the 103rd ranked offense in FBS to Troy’s 33rd ranked offense; versus Clemson and Arkansas.

Arkansas has the 11^th ranked offense, Alabama the 21^st.

Arkansas has two punt returns for touchdowns, Alabama zero.

Arkansas has one kickoff return for a touchdown and is ranked third in FBS with 33-yards per kickoff return. Alabama is ranked 33rd averaging 24.6-yards per kickoff return with zero touchdowns.

What’s the main difference between two evenly matched teams? Not much other than Arkansas can put points on the board against any team in the nation. Alabama’s young offense has yet to prove their abilities against a top tier defense.

Bama has a slight advantage playing at home but not enough to cover the current spread out of Las Vegas at 13 points.

Both teams may have played a vanilla offense against lesser opponents thus far and held back their blitz and defensive packages but you can expect Arkansas to run some of their 5-2 defense against Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy. Arkansas defensive coordinator will beg Nick Saban to let AJ McCarron throw the ball to beat the Razorbacks.

Arkansas has a more experienced quarterback that has played well on the road in the state of Alabama. Wilson threw for 332-yards and four touchdowns at Jordan-Hare Stadium in front of 85,000 plus in less than three quarters worth of time. The 100,000 in attendance in Bryant-Denny Stadium will not rattle Tyler Wilson.

Alabama gets a slight edge on the offensive line… but they did give up four sacks against North Texas; three on AJ McCarron and one on Phillip Sims.

Arkansas wins the special teams match-up due to their kickoff and punt returns. Both teams have excellent field goal kickers.

The turnover battle will always factor into any football game. No one can predict what one team will or will not do against the other.

Arkansas will limit the pressure their young offensive line will receive from Alabama’s defense by running five and eight-yard pass routes. When the Tide sit back look for Arkansas to drag Bama’s defenders from one side of the field to the other.

Arkansas will be able to stop Alabama’s big play threats from Eddie Lacy and Trent Richardson. Against North Texas Alabama broke four long runs for touchdowns, 43, 58, 71, and 67-yards. Those four plays account for all of Alabama’s net rushing yards (347) against North Texas.

Arkansas wins this one 28-21. After all Petrino “didn’t come here to paint”. 

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SEC Media Days

The SEC Media Days line up has been announced for next week’s festivities and yours truly beloved Arkansas Razorbacks kicks off the event. If you like reading into things, the lineup is proves to be somewhat interesting. The SEC Media Days is starting off with the Razorbacks, a dark horse team to win the national championship and lock to be a top 15 team in the nation when the AP and ESPN/Coaches polls are released, followed by one of the more popular teams in the SEC, University of Florida. South Carolina kicks off the afternoon portions of Wednesday’s meetings; members of the media can wrap up the 2011 SEC Conference Championship questions before Wednesday is over!

Curious that reigning national champs, for now, University of Auburn is buried in the middle of the meetings. LSU, a potential top ranked team when the polls are released later this summer, finishes the SEC Media Days schedule.

The list of players attending is a bit unusual as well. Typically seniors are invited to SEC Media Days. This year 22 seniors have been invited while 15 underclassmen will be in attendance. Arkansas, Alabama, and Auburn are bringing two juniors each to speak on behalf of their teammates; notably absent from Auburn’s lineup is much hyped running back Michael Dyer. Georgia, Auburn, and South Carolina are bringing one super sophomore each.

Why Spurrier is not bringing Stephen Garcia, their senior starting quarterback and the key to Spurrier’s best Gamecocks squad since becoming their head coach six years ago, is amusing. Other great players not in attendance include: Georgia’s all everything junior TE Orson Charles, University of Arkansas’ WR Joe Adams and Greg Childs, Alabama’s DT Josh Chapman and LB Courtney Upshaw, and South Carolina DE Devin Taylor.

Several potential Heisman Trophy candidates will be on-hand for the meetings:

Marcus Lattimore – RB – University of South Carolina

Knile Davis – RB – University of Arkansas

Trent Richardson – RB – University of Alabama

Alshon Jeffery – WR – University of South Carolina

Other Potential Award Winning Players Scheduled to Appear

Don’t’a Hightower – LB – University of Alabama

Danny Trevathan – LB – University of Kentucky

Chris Marve – LB – University of Vanderbilt

The dates, teams, coaches, and players are listed in order of appearance:

Wednesday, July 20^th

1:00 – 3:50 p.m. ET

Arkansas – Bobby Petrino, Knile Davis, Jarius Wright, and Tenarius Wright

Florida – Will Muschamp, John Brantley, William Green, and Deonte Thompson

3:20 – 6:00 p.m. ET

South Carolina – Steve Spurrier, Alshon Jeffrey, Marcus Lattimore, and Travian Robertson

Mississippi State – Dan Mullen, Vick Ballard, Fletcher Cox, and Chris Relf.

Thursday, July 21^st

8:30 – 11:20 a.m. ET

Kentucky – Joker Phillips, Stuart Hines, Danny Trevathan, and Morgan Newton

Georgia – Mark Richt, Brandon Boykin, Ben Jones, and Aaron Murray

10:50 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET

Auburn – Gene Chizik, Emory Blake, Nosa Equae, and Phillip Lutzenkirchen

Tennessee – Derek Dooley, Malik Jackson, Tauren Poole, and Dallas Thomas

Friday, July 22^nd

8:30 – 11:20 a.m. ET

Alabama – Nick Saban, Mark Barron, Dont’a Hightower, and Trent Richardson

Vanderbilt – James Franklin, Casey Hayward, Chris Marve, and Larry Smith

10:50 – 1:30 p.m. ET

Ole Miss – Houston Nutt, Brandon Bolden, Kentrell Lockett, and Bradley Sowell

LSU – Les Miles, Ryan Baker, Jordan Jefferson, and Russell Shepard

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