Brandon Allen - He's Brandon Allen, the same guy we've seen in Fayetteville for the last few years, throwing a nice tight ball with good velocity every single time. Brandon's consistency and attention to finer details have always been something that impressed me.
Horace Arkadie - I don't feel like I saw enough of Horace to discuss much.
Robert Atiga - As I've said, he reminds me a little of Anthony Leon, but it's possible because he's almost as tall and has a similar haircut as Leon wore in the Sugar Bowl. I thought he moved as well as any of the linebackers in drills, looked like he had done it all before, and that's mostly where I focused on him on Thursday.
Austin Beck - Glad to see he's on the offensive line. He could've done defense, but I think they're fine on the DL (weird to type that). I just like that you've got these HUGE younger guys at tackle now like Beck, Brey Cook and Chris Stringer. It's hard to tell much on those guys, but they certainly pass the eyeball test. I remember looking at Auburn a few years ago when they were under Tuberville...It was before Ziemba got to Arkansas, and I was on the field watching them take down the clock and get into the end zone, an I remember thinking, Arkansas has a lot of OLM who know their craft, but physically they don't have linemen like the same kind of beasts Auburn does...Well, they do now.
Brey Cook - I like that Cook is getting looks inside. I think for the time being they may feel more safe with an older OT, so the fact that Brey is getting looks at OG and OT is a good thing. He could potentially be their sixth man for a while and then move in once he gets more game experience. Arkansas has been lucky on the OL the past two years, too. Not saying an injury will occur, but they've been lucky and if a guard or tackle goes down, it's good to know Cook is being worked at both. Talent-wise, he's just got an unreal amount of ability. Natural strength and athletic ability.
Marcus Danenhauer - not as big as some of those tackles, but I was impressed with how he was working. He looked like a guy who was coming back for his second year the way he was going through drills. If anything, Danenhauer is going to be one of those guys who works.
Kelvin Fisher Jr. - Looks a little smaller out there but not too small. 5-10ish to me. I think he's got a lot of ability as a coverage guy. Hard to tell much on defense, but I like the way he moves out there. He got beat on one pass play to Davyon McKinney, but he got a hand on the ball and McKinney just made a great play.
Trey Flowers - I saw him working with John L. Smith and with Steve Caldwell, so I'm not sure exactly of his role. Not sure if they're looking at him at SAM or if John L.works as the DE guy in the 5-man front or what exactly because I see those ends standing and on the ground. Not sure. I think it's a tough evaluation on defensive guys, but he never seemed to miss a beat in drills.
Quinta Funderburk - He has a lot of ability as a deep guy. Quick, not as quick as some of those smaller receivers like Davyon, Whitehurst or Minor, who I can see doing more hitches and short stuff than Quinta, but I don't think that's why they brought him in. He's a natural athlete who should be able to stretch the field when his name is called.
Rohan Gaines - just didn't watch him quite enough yesterday.
Tyler Gilbert - He's one of four really nice looking linebackers. He's carrying a lot of weight but it's not bad weight. I don't know if they'll call on him this year, but the kids got size and moves pretty well.
Lonnie Gosha - Aside from just seeing him, didn't watch him a whole lot yesterday. I could see him or Ollison growing into a DT. Both look the part.
Brock Haman - I remember the first time I saw Brock Haman. Nobody knew who he was or that he was coming to camp. I saw him and his dad and was just like, whoa, this kid has got to be somebody. Turns out he was one of just a couple of prospects offered out of Petrino's camp. Thursday I did the same thing, whoa, this guy is huge.' Haman looks like he is going to be one of those prototypical NFL linebackers if they don't decide to put him at end eventually. I think he can play the middle. Saw him working with John L. Smith in what I assume was a SAM role, but I thin his future is at MLB. Looks more like 6-4, 245 than 6-3, 230 to me.
Alonzo Highsmith - this is a typical case of a first impression not matching what is actually there. First time I saw Highsmith was last winter, and he was in a jacket with baggy pants and looked about my height and kinda light. OOPS. This guy is all legs and is probably a very legit 6-1, 230. He's got the legs and rear end of a 6-4 guy...not that he looks weird or anything, you can just tell he has a lot of power. I thought he looked very comfortable right from the start, and as I said he's a good deal bigger than I thought. My money is on Highsmith being one of those JUCOs that really works out.
Demarcus Hodge - Okay, so clearly I need to watch the DLM a little more today. But he is a big-looking guy.
Darrell Kelly-Thomas - Was surprised when I first saw him at LBer, and I also assumed he'd be taller than the 6-2 he was listed at on Rivals. Kid is a solid 6-4, I'd say. Anxious to see what he does as a LBer. Wearing No. 97 is interesting b/c a lot of times you see those guys with their hands in the dirt in a 3-4. We'll see. I feel like Jakarri Thomas is a 3-4 type of OLB potentially too, but I haven't seen any evidence of a 3-4 so far.
Davyon McKinney - I think he's always been one of the more underappreciated recruits in the class. He's got good all-around skills - quickness, speed, size, hands. Good package.
Keante Minor - Don't know much about him catching the ball because I didn't see him do that yesterday, but he's got good shake and looks to have an extra level of straight-ahead speed than the other WRs who were with the newcomer group.
Tevin Mitchel - tough to tell much, but he looks good in a Razorback uniform. Good-sized cornerback who I thought performed pretty well. Don't remember him having a 'bad' series.
Grady Ollison - He's put together like an end, but I think he may grow into a tackle. We'll see. The guy is very big and I think he'll be a starter before it's said and done. The question is 'where.'
Jason Peacock - looked more 'ready to go' than last spring. I think they're counting on him to come in and play. He seems really serious about it, and that's important obviously. Looks more like a guard to me, maybe kinda Demarcus Love, but we'll see how he works out at tackle.
Andrew Peterson - the first thing that stands out is this guy's size. He's huge. Then when I saw him catch a pass in team, he just looked like the biggest person on the field by a stretch. He's going to be a weapon. I mean, just get the ball high and this guy has the potential to be very, very dangerous. He's bigger than Nash, and Nash is a big guy at TE. I hope he stays at TE b/c you put some weight on him and he could be a tackle.
Kiero Small - looks short and rounded. He was going very hard early in practice but like Knile Davis said he seemed to get a little winded. He doesn't know everything to do, like sprint an extra 20 yards or so when the play is over, but he is certainly willing. He's got the biggest thighs for his size than I've ever seen. Bigger thighs than Dennis. Seems like he could be one of those fullbacks that hits you at the hips and you never see coming, and that would make me concerned each play if I was a linebacker. Needs to show better condition, and again he looks small, but he's also bringing 255 pounds with him.
Mitch Smothers - interested to see him working with the tackles, but I bet he gets a look everywhere. Kid has the strength to play, but I'm not sure they're going to need him just yet. He's got a lot of ability athletically, too.
Chris Stringer - was pleased to see that this guy is really, really big as I mentioned above. We'll see how quick he catches on, but he's a guy you want stepping off the buss first.
Robert Thomas - Looks like he's in better physical condition. Looks put together more. I could see him starting some games this year, and I could also see more five-man front. Also won't surprise me if DD gets bumped to DE for a team like Bama so you can get Robert ont he field with Byran. Just a great-looking DL group. Probably the best I've seen in my lifetime at Arkansas.
Marquel Wade - I want to see more out of his hands, but this guy is electric. He'll be the one to follow in Joe Adams' footsteps. He can be a game-breaker if given a little room. Georgia is really, really dumb for not recruiting this kid. I mean, that was dumb because he would've gone there.
Kody Walker - big kid like I expected. I don't think there's room for him to see much carries, but we're talking about a power back who doesn't have pads on, so it's tough to say much other than he looks like a big ol' RB.
Brett Weir - just didn't see enough to give a fair evaluation.
Kane Whitehurst - Looks very quick off the line and shifty. Heat got to him and he missed some practice. What I saw from him is a lot of quickness. I don't see any reason he can't help Arkansas down the road.
Horace Arkadie - I don't feel like I saw enough of Horace to discuss much.
Robert Atiga - As I've said, he reminds me a little of Anthony Leon, but it's possible because he's almost as tall and has a similar haircut as Leon wore in the Sugar Bowl. I thought he moved as well as any of the linebackers in drills, looked like he had done it all before, and that's mostly where I focused on him on Thursday.
Austin Beck - Glad to see he's on the offensive line. He could've done defense, but I think they're fine on the DL (weird to type that). I just like that you've got these HUGE younger guys at tackle now like Beck, Brey Cook and Chris Stringer. It's hard to tell much on those guys, but they certainly pass the eyeball test. I remember looking at Auburn a few years ago when they were under Tuberville...It was before Ziemba got to Arkansas, and I was on the field watching them take down the clock and get into the end zone, an I remember thinking, Arkansas has a lot of OLM who know their craft, but physically they don't have linemen like the same kind of beasts Auburn does...Well, they do now.
Brey Cook - I like that Cook is getting looks inside. I think for the time being they may feel more safe with an older OT, so the fact that Brey is getting looks at OG and OT is a good thing. He could potentially be their sixth man for a while and then move in once he gets more game experience. Arkansas has been lucky on the OL the past two years, too. Not saying an injury will occur, but they've been lucky and if a guard or tackle goes down, it's good to know Cook is being worked at both. Talent-wise, he's just got an unreal amount of ability. Natural strength and athletic ability.
Marcus Danenhauer - not as big as some of those tackles, but I was impressed with how he was working. He looked like a guy who was coming back for his second year the way he was going through drills. If anything, Danenhauer is going to be one of those guys who works.
Kelvin Fisher Jr. - Looks a little smaller out there but not too small. 5-10ish to me. I think he's got a lot of ability as a coverage guy. Hard to tell much on defense, but I like the way he moves out there. He got beat on one pass play to Davyon McKinney, but he got a hand on the ball and McKinney just made a great play.
Trey Flowers - I saw him working with John L. Smith and with Steve Caldwell, so I'm not sure exactly of his role. Not sure if they're looking at him at SAM or if John L.works as the DE guy in the 5-man front or what exactly because I see those ends standing and on the ground. Not sure. I think it's a tough evaluation on defensive guys, but he never seemed to miss a beat in drills.
Quinta Funderburk - He has a lot of ability as a deep guy. Quick, not as quick as some of those smaller receivers like Davyon, Whitehurst or Minor, who I can see doing more hitches and short stuff than Quinta, but I don't think that's why they brought him in. He's a natural athlete who should be able to stretch the field when his name is called.
Rohan Gaines - just didn't watch him quite enough yesterday.
Tyler Gilbert - He's one of four really nice looking linebackers. He's carrying a lot of weight but it's not bad weight. I don't know if they'll call on him this year, but the kids got size and moves pretty well.
Lonnie Gosha - Aside from just seeing him, didn't watch him a whole lot yesterday. I could see him or Ollison growing into a DT. Both look the part.
Brock Haman - I remember the first time I saw Brock Haman. Nobody knew who he was or that he was coming to camp. I saw him and his dad and was just like, whoa, this kid has got to be somebody. Turns out he was one of just a couple of prospects offered out of Petrino's camp. Thursday I did the same thing, whoa, this guy is huge.' Haman looks like he is going to be one of those prototypical NFL linebackers if they don't decide to put him at end eventually. I think he can play the middle. Saw him working with John L. Smith in what I assume was a SAM role, but I thin his future is at MLB. Looks more like 6-4, 245 than 6-3, 230 to me.
Alonzo Highsmith - this is a typical case of a first impression not matching what is actually there. First time I saw Highsmith was last winter, and he was in a jacket with baggy pants and looked about my height and kinda light. OOPS. This guy is all legs and is probably a very legit 6-1, 230. He's got the legs and rear end of a 6-4 guy...not that he looks weird or anything, you can just tell he has a lot of power. I thought he looked very comfortable right from the start, and as I said he's a good deal bigger than I thought. My money is on Highsmith being one of those JUCOs that really works out.
Demarcus Hodge - Okay, so clearly I need to watch the DLM a little more today. But he is a big-looking guy.
Darrell Kelly-Thomas - Was surprised when I first saw him at LBer, and I also assumed he'd be taller than the 6-2 he was listed at on Rivals. Kid is a solid 6-4, I'd say. Anxious to see what he does as a LBer. Wearing No. 97 is interesting b/c a lot of times you see those guys with their hands in the dirt in a 3-4. We'll see. I feel like Jakarri Thomas is a 3-4 type of OLB potentially too, but I haven't seen any evidence of a 3-4 so far.
Davyon McKinney - I think he's always been one of the more underappreciated recruits in the class. He's got good all-around skills - quickness, speed, size, hands. Good package.
Keante Minor - Don't know much about him catching the ball because I didn't see him do that yesterday, but he's got good shake and looks to have an extra level of straight-ahead speed than the other WRs who were with the newcomer group.
Tevin Mitchel - tough to tell much, but he looks good in a Razorback uniform. Good-sized cornerback who I thought performed pretty well. Don't remember him having a 'bad' series.
Grady Ollison - He's put together like an end, but I think he may grow into a tackle. We'll see. The guy is very big and I think he'll be a starter before it's said and done. The question is 'where.'
Jason Peacock - looked more 'ready to go' than last spring. I think they're counting on him to come in and play. He seems really serious about it, and that's important obviously. Looks more like a guard to me, maybe kinda Demarcus Love, but we'll see how he works out at tackle.
Andrew Peterson - the first thing that stands out is this guy's size. He's huge. Then when I saw him catch a pass in team, he just looked like the biggest person on the field by a stretch. He's going to be a weapon. I mean, just get the ball high and this guy has the potential to be very, very dangerous. He's bigger than Nash, and Nash is a big guy at TE. I hope he stays at TE b/c you put some weight on him and he could be a tackle.
Kiero Small - looks short and rounded. He was going very hard early in practice but like Knile Davis said he seemed to get a little winded. He doesn't know everything to do, like sprint an extra 20 yards or so when the play is over, but he is certainly willing. He's got the biggest thighs for his size than I've ever seen. Bigger thighs than Dennis. Seems like he could be one of those fullbacks that hits you at the hips and you never see coming, and that would make me concerned each play if I was a linebacker. Needs to show better condition, and again he looks small, but he's also bringing 255 pounds with him.
Mitch Smothers - interested to see him working with the tackles, but I bet he gets a look everywhere. Kid has the strength to play, but I'm not sure they're going to need him just yet. He's got a lot of ability athletically, too.
Chris Stringer - was pleased to see that this guy is really, really big as I mentioned above. We'll see how quick he catches on, but he's a guy you want stepping off the buss first.
Robert Thomas - Looks like he's in better physical condition. Looks put together more. I could see him starting some games this year, and I could also see more five-man front. Also won't surprise me if DD gets bumped to DE for a team like Bama so you can get Robert ont he field with Byran. Just a great-looking DL group. Probably the best I've seen in my lifetime at Arkansas.
Marquel Wade - I want to see more out of his hands, but this guy is electric. He'll be the one to follow in Joe Adams' footsteps. He can be a game-breaker if given a little room. Georgia is really, really dumb for not recruiting this kid. I mean, that was dumb because he would've gone there.
Kody Walker - big kid like I expected. I don't think there's room for him to see much carries, but we're talking about a power back who doesn't have pads on, so it's tough to say much other than he looks like a big ol' RB.
Brett Weir - just didn't see enough to give a fair evaluation.
Kane Whitehurst - Looks very quick off the line and shifty. Heat got to him and he missed some practice. What I saw from him is a lot of quickness. I don't see any reason he can't help Arkansas down the road.
