re: Spring Practices

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There’s a strange sense of calm around Arkansas this spring. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think that the most productive tight end in the country hadn’t just left.

But Hunter Henry is indeed gone, off to the NFL, leaving behind more receiving yards over the past three seasons than any tight end in college football. A pro scout told NJ.com that he’s "the most complete tight end to come out in years" and a "legitimate first-round pick." And yet no one -- not his former coach, not his former coordinator, not even his former quarterback -- seems worried.

If you paid close attention to the SEC last season, then you know why: his replacement, Jeremy Sprinkle, has a chance to be a star.

"He’s long," said Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema. "He’s athletic. He can actually run faster than Hunter, even though Hunter doesn’t want to hear that."

"Jeremy is very talented," said offensive coordinator Dan Enos. "Pretty underrated, under the radar, based on Hunter Henry, Drew Morgan and Alex Collins last year."

"He’s going to be unbelievable," said former quarterback Brandon Allen. "He’s a heck of an athlete. I can see him being kind of like Hunter. He’s taller and longer than Hunter, and can run better than Hunter. He may not be as big and physical as [Henry] is, but Sprinkle can be a big-time player. The style of offense and how we use our tight ends, I think he could be extremely successful this season and then get a chance at the NFL."

If the overt praise and NFL talk feels premature for a career backup, consider this: Sprinkle had the sixth-most receptions (27) and more touchdowns (six) than any tight end in the SEC last season. He made the most of his opportunities, too, with a whopping 77.8 percent of his catches going for a first down or touchdown, which ranked third in the country at his position.

Granted, Sprinkle did all that as a sophomore playing a complimentary role. As an upperclassman, he’ll slide into the primary "Y" tight end position where he will become a more focal part of the passing game.

And make no mistake, Sprinkle is up to the challenge. He’s studied tape of NFL stars Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski and plans to add 5-7 more pounds to his 6-foot-6, 255-pound frame to help him with inline blocking, he said. Improving his footwork is another one of his priorities this offseason.

During Arkansas' pro day, Sprinkle payed special attention to Henry and how he interacted with the NFL scouts and coaches in attendance. Listening to their conversations, he said, "I can apply some of those things in what I do."

"It will definitely change with Hunter gone," he said. "It’s a great chance to step up and be the man."

If the adage is true that an inexperienced quarterback's best friend is his tight end, then Sprinkle could wind up being invaluable for Arkansas this season. Brandon Allen's brother Austin is the favorite to win the starting job under center, and Sprinkle said the two already have "chemistry" after running with the second-team offense the past few years.

"I just feel like it will be another day in practice in the games," Sprinkle said. "Hopefully that ends up being true."

If it does, it could lead to big numbers for Sprinkle and an even bigger grin on the face of his offensive coordinator, who isn't shy about how good he thinks his tight end will be.

"We think Jeremy has a chance to have a breakout year," Enos said. "Hopefully everyone is talking about him next year the way they’re talking about Hunter this year."

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When Brooks Ellis first cracked the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2013, things were a lot different in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Ellis just wanted to be a good player who proved he belonged on the field. The Razorbacks were mired in the middle of what would be a 3-9 season. How or when things would change was still largely unknown.

Fast forward to spring 2016 and Ellis has proved to be a good SEC linebacker, entering his third full season as a starter. The Razorbacks have gone to bowl games the past two seasons and increased their win total -- both overall and in SEC play -- in consecutive seasons. Now the bar is raised for both individual and team.

"When I first got here I just wanted to be a good player," Ellis said Monday. "Now I feel I can help make other guys make plays and lead them, try to be a spark for us. I'm trying to be one of the best players in the league, and I think I'm capable of it. I just have to keep working hard and keep improving."

In order to reach that status, Ellis will have to help the Razorbacks' defense turn around from a 2015 season that was underwhelming overall. After closing out the 2014 season with shutouts of Ole Miss and LSU and a domination of Texas, the Razorbacks took a step back defensively last season.

If the Hogs are to get back to what they were a couple seasons ago, it will take improvement across the board -- on the defensive line with the pass rush, in the secondary with the pass defense, and someone to fill a leadership role. Ellis hopes to do that.

"I really tried to last year, and that's something I need to improve on this season," Ellis said.

Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith said he expects Ellis to be key for the Razorbacks at his middle linebacker position.

"Brooks Ellis is a guy that really anchors the linebacker corps," Smith said. "He's going into his third full season as a [middle] linebacker. Played a little bit of [weakside] for us last year, but is really the guy who runs the show for us at the 'Mike'. I'm hoping that he takes a big step here going into his senior season, and we fully expect that."

Ellis expects that of himself, too. He led the Razorbacks in tackles (102) in 2015 and was tied for second on the team in tackles for loss (eight). Next to him will be a true sophomore (Dre Greenlaw) who started last season at weakside linebacker and whom Ellis calls "a freak," and a battle for the strongside linebacker spot, where Ellis said Khalia Hackett and Randy Ramsey are competing hard.

The talent, Ellis says, is there. Nine of 11 starters return, and many of those returners have "so much potential and upside," that it gives him optimism the Razorbacks can make the necessary steps to become a quality SEC defense.

Smith wants to cut big plays in half (the Hogs allowed an SEC-high 41 plays of 25 yards or more last season). Ellis believes it to be possible.

"It wasn't anything wrong we were doing in terms of missed assignments," Ellis said. "Really we just didn't communicate, and as a result we were off just by a little bit on a lot of those big plays. I think if we communicate better, those big plays will take care of themselves."

Ellis, who graduates in December, feels like the defense can reach the levels it did late in 2014. He also feels the program continues to move in a positive direction under head coach Bret Bielema, who has changed the culture drastically since arriving prior to the 2013 season.

"We see the upward trend," Ellis said. "When I got here, there was no excitement. Now everybody's excited for the season. The players can see that this season could be a special one."

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