FAYETTEVILLE -- An afternoon noncontact dress rehearsal for the season opener against Texas-El Paso capped by a dinner in their honor in Springdale comprised the Arkansas Razorbacks' final day of preseason practice Friday.
Coach Bret Bielema is giving his Razorbacks t0day off, regrouping them Sunday with the first practice of game week.
Arkansas and UTEP kick off at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium on ESPNU.
Friday's practice was closed, but Bielema announced its agenda Thursday.
"We will actually do a little bit of a mock game, not very long, about a half-hour, 45 minutes as well as a special scenario of things that you normally don't experience," Bielema said.
Bielema explained the special scenarios.
"Things that you don't see but come up about every five years, just crazy situations," Bielema said. "We want to make sure that we cover and then I will give them Saturday off. Sunday we will work them a little bit and then Monday have a day off by NCAA rules and then Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the game week and Friday polish and it will be here on Saturday."
All but one Razorback partaking in last week's scrimmage appeared game-ready going into Friday's dress rehearsal.
"We are all really healthy," Bielema said. "The only guy that would potentially be on the 70-man travel roster that can't practice right now is Tyler Colquitt (the reserve running back injured during last week's scrimmage). He is still nursing that ankle but should possibly be back with us next week."
Redshirt freshman Colquitt is down the line at tailback behind juniors Alex Collins, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher, 260-pound bulldozer Kody Walker and freshman flash Rawleigh Williams III but does figure on special teams.
Tight ends everywhere
With Arkansas junior tight end Hunter Henry adorning at least half a dozen preseason All-American teams and junior tight end Jeremy Sprinkle "taller and faster than Hunter," Bielema said, there might seem little for tight ends Alex Voelzke and Jack Kraus to do.
Not so, asserts Bielema. Last year behind Henry and AJ Derby, the 2014 senior drafted by the New England Patriots, Bielema and tight-ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. found plenty for Voelzke, now a senior, and Sprinkle to do on special teams and in the various two- and even three-tight alignments utilizing a tight end as a blocker in the backfield.
"We knew going into last year that our guys were probably going to be Hunter and A.J. with Sprinkle kind of a little bit of a third," Bielema said. "I think this year it is Hunter and Sprinkle and Voelzke in there. Voelzke is a very, very valuable commodity as well."
Since Kraus redshirted last year, it's time he figures, too, Bielema said.
"I tell you a guy that has had a nice two weeks here has been Jack Kraus," Bielema said. "He is smart, he is intelligent and I think that his want-to factor because he can play all three positions. I think they bring value to him."
Three true freshman tight ends, Austin Cantrell, Will Gragg of Dumas and C.J. O'Grady, wait their turn and ideally will redshirt though Cantrell might have to play immediately.
So far no true fullback has emerged. Cantrell, though a tight end recently playing through a bum ankle, has been considered the best of the lot tired at fullback so far.
Freshman O'Grady
arrested, suspended
O'Grady was arrested Thursday night in Fayetteville on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and suspicion of three other offenses.
In addition to DWI, O'Grady, 18, was arrested on suspicion of being a minor in possession of alcohol and suspicion of driving with no proof of insurance and suspicion of driving with no tail light.
O'Grady has a Monday hearing date in Fayetteville District Court, according to information posted on the Washington County Sheriff's website.
On Friday, Bielema suspended O'Grady indefinitely, "effective immediately."
A four-star recruit deemed the best high-school prospect in Arkansas for the 2014 senior class by several recruiting services, O'Grady, 6-3, 241, at Fayetteville High last fall caught 41 passes for 766 yards and 11 touchdowns and as a junior caught 56 for 1,056 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Sports on 08/29/2015