Arkansas Razorbacks Football

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema has a target on his back. Of course, he put it there himself. That's what happens when you're outspoken on topical football issues and don't have a filter.  

That said, there's no denying Bielema has a platform—player safety—and he's 100 percent committed to campaigning for it. 

On Friday, Bielema tweeted a photo of a new helmet that his players will be wearing. Created by Riddell, the helmets are designed to prevent concussions. 

The ad states, "The SpeedFlex's unique shell design is engineered to disperse energy and reduce the risk of trauma, while Riddell's InSite Player Management Software alerts the sideline to significant, single or multiple impacts that possess attributes that may result in a possible concussion."

Of course, Bielema put his signature stamp on the tweet: "Player safety [is] always Priority [No.] 1." 

Every sound bite, every tweet is an opportunity for Bielema to let others know what he's all about. He's all in with the player safety platform, and that's needed in today's game. 

Bleacher Report's Michael Felder correctly pointed out nearly two years ago that the NCAA and its membership were failing athletes when it came to practical player safety improvements. By using these advanced helmets, Arkansas is becoming part of the solution. 

That's something everyone can get behind. 

The problem, however, is that Bielema hasn't always taken that approach. 

Bielema's campaign started with pace-of-play, but long before the so-called "10-second rule" was proposed in February. His desire to slow down college football offenses can be traced back to SEC Media Days in 2013. Via David Brandt of the Associated Press: 

All I know is this: there are times when an offensive player and a defensive player are on the field for an extended amount of time without a break. You cannot tell me that a player after play five is the same player that he is after play 15.

Bielema's stance on pace-of-play, and later the 10-second rule, put him in the vocal minority. But it was his explanation of why 10 seconds should be allowed to run off the 40-second play clock for substitution that got him in trouble. 

It also hurt his cause. 

When asked last month what evidence there was suggesting that uptempo offenses increased injury risk, Bielema replied, "Death certificates. There's no more anything I need than that." (H/T Kurt Voigt of the Associated Press.) 

Specifically, Bielema referenced the passing of former Cal football player Ted Agu, who died during a training run earlier in the month. Although Bielema said Agu had the sickle cell trait, no official cause of death was released at the time. 

If one of those players is on the field for me, and I have no timeouts, I have no way to stop the game. And he raises his hand to stop the game, and I can't do it. What am I supposed to do? What are we supposed to do when we have a player who tells us he's injured?

Linking a supposed cause of death to a style of offense was a stretch at best. If nothing else, it was insulting given the timing.  

Bielema was lambasted by fans, media and Cal athletic director Sandy Barbour. He later issued a statement backtracking on his comments.

Still, the Arkansas coach stuck by his player safety platform. In an interview with Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated, Bielema explained his thought process:  

I always make the guarantee when I'm in the parents' home. I say I can't guarantee playing time or a degree, but I'm going to guarantee that I'll help you get both. And the second thing I can guarantee is that I'll always look out for the safety and the well-being of your son. When you're halfway across the country, that means something. It means you're going to look out for their safety.

It would be tough for a recruit and his family not to like that recruiting pitch. At this point, perhaps those are the only people Bielema has in his corner.                              

There wasn't a solid case for the 10-second rule from its inception. There's also a non-scientific study via cfbmatrix.com that slower, more powerful offenses, like the one Arkansas runs, are more likely to cause injury. 

But Bielema has a strong opinion about an increasing concern in today's game. Improving player safety, like the helmets, should be a progressive movement everyone can get behind. That doesn't mean Bielema's always been right or tactful, but he has been persistent. 

Bielema, for all the criticism he invites, is a major voice for that movement. That, by itself, deserves some credit.

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football at Bleacher Report. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.  

Maybe it wasn't all bluster.

Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema, who has made news the past two seasons with his vocal lobbying for player safety, announced on Twitter that the Razorbacks would be wearing new "Speedflex" helmets from Riddell that are designed to help prevent concussions:

Here's a transcription of the small text in the photo:

The Speedflex's unique shell design is engineered to disperse energy and reduce the risk of trauma, while Riddell's InSite Player Management Softward alerts the sideline to significant, single or multiple impacts that possess attributes that may result in a possible concussion.

Structurally, the helmet is designed to withstand hits in a way that reduces trauma. Perhaps as importantly, it purports it can help alert coaches and trainers on the sideline when a potential concussion has occurred—even if it's unbeknownst to the player—which would, in turn, keep players from re-entering the game with their brain at risk.

Bielema and Alabama head coach Nick Saban were at the vanguard of the proposed "10-second run-off" rule this offseason, trying to slow down the tempo of college football by forbidding teams to snap the ball with more than 25 seconds on the play clock.

He explained his rationale to Andy Staples of Sports Illustrated:

I always make the guarantee when I'm in the parents' home. I say I can't guarantee playing time or a degree, but I'm going to guarantee that I'll help you get both. And the second thing I can guarantee is that I'll always look out for the safety and the well-being of your son. When you're halfway across the country, that means something. It means you're going to look out for their safety.

The proposed rule was wildly unpopular among other college football coaches and was not passed by the NCAA's rules committee. Though we are all on the same team here—i.e. we all want football to be safer—the 10-second rule got mired in such jumbled rhetoric that its passage would have been next to impossible.

Bielema took heat not for wanting to make the game safer but for the way he went about it. By invoking the death of a California defensive lineman, Ted Agu, in his argument, he came off Machiavellian and unfeeling in the pursuit of getting his way.

Actions speak louder than words, and pioneering a new brand of helmet technology is a meaningful, vocal statement.

If it works, hopefully the rest of the nation will catch up.

Follow Brian Leigh on Twitter: @BLeighDAT

Your first reaction when reading that headline might have been something like, "Why are you writing an entire article about how a team is going to replace a kicker?" Well, special teams is a huge part of winning football games, and that is often forgotten.

With four-year starter Zach Hocker gone, one of the biggest positions the Arkansas Razorbacks have to fill is at kicker.

Hocker was a major part of the Hogs from 2010-13. During his career, he made 61 of 79 (77.2 percent) field goals, 171 of 173 extra-point attempts and had 354 points. Hocker was also accurate when it came to long field goals, hitting 19-of-30 attempts over 40 yards and 5-of-7 over 50. If it wasn't for a down junior year, all of his numbers would have been much better.

But all that production is now gone, and head coach Bret Bielema has to somehow find a replacement kicker that won't make what has been a strength a weakness.

Going off of the depth chart from HawgSports.com, Hocker's replacement would be the emerging John Henson. Henson has backed up Hocker his whole career and has only attempted three field goals, making two of them, both of which were under 30 yards.

Henson is a capable kicker, and it wouldn't come as a surprise if he won the job, but the starting spot could very well be won 3-star recruit Cole Hedlund, who was a part of the Hogs' 2014 class. 

Rated the No. 2 kicker nationally, Hedlund racked up awards following his senior season, where he connected on 24 of 26 field-goal attempts and all 101 extra points. His accolades included being named an All-American, first-team MaxPreps All-American, first-team All-American by USA Today and an Associated Press Class 3A first-team all-state selection.

Here, you can check out for yourself just how advanced he was as a high school kicker:

When watching his highlights, what immediately stands out is his leg strength. Hedlund hit as long as a 57-yard field goal at the high school level, something that is rarely seen. One of the main parts of a kicker's game when being evaluated during the recruiting process is his leg strength, and Hedlund has no shortage of it.

Accuracy is also an extremely important part of a kicker's game. 

From 2011-13, he converted a very impressive 56 of 66 (84.8 percent) field goals. A field-goal percentage of 85 is enough to raise coaches' eyebrows from across the country. He gives Bielema and the Hogs a reliable kicker that they can send out with the game on the line and expect to hit the big kicks, even from 40 or 50 yards out.

As stated, it's rare that you see a kicker who hasn't even played in a collegiate game with the leg strength and accuracy that Hedlund has. 

While it wouldn't be a shocker if Bielema ended up replacing Hocker with Henson for a season to allow Hedlund to hone his skills further before taking over the starting duties, his pure talent as a kicker is going to make it very hard to keep him off the field from day one.

When a team loses a kicker that was as big a part of a team as Hocker was, it can result in production falling off considerably. However, getting Hedlund was huge, and the starting job appears to be his to lose.

His talent is undeniable, and he has the skills to possibly be one of the best kickers the Razorbacks have had in a long time. The kicking game is often looked over when talking about building winning football programs, but Bielema has a golden leg in Hedlund that will make replacing Hocker a whole lot easier.

Is Hedlund your choice, or should Bielema go with the veteran Henson? Leave us your thoughts in the comment section.

All stats and rankings courtesy of 247Sports.com.

Bryan Heater is the featured columnist for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Follow him on Twitter: @BHeaterRivals.

Bret Bielema kicked off his second season as Arkansas' head coach on Sunday, when the Razorbacks kicked off spring practice in Fayetteville.

At the top of mind for all Hog fans is the quarterback position, where incumbent starter Brandon Allen will attempt to fend off the challenges of several signal-callers for the starting spot, including his brother Austin, senior AJ Derby, redshirt freshman Damon Mitchell and true freshman early enrollee Rafe Peavey.

It's a wide-open race.

Allen was less-than-stellar in 2013, completing 49.6 percent of his passes (128-of-258) for 1,552 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 picks, as the Razorbacks sputtered to a 3-9 record including nine straight losses to close out the season. Allen was especially inconsistent against conference foes, where he tossed nine picks and only eight of his touchdown passes.

Job No. 1 for Bielema is to have the quarterback picture come into focus this spring.

The elder Allen is going to have a leg up on the competition based on his experience from last season, even though there's nearly as much negative as positive experience to build off of. That's ok though. Sometimes knowing what not to do is more important than knowing what to do.

But Allen's younger brother Austin may present the biggest challenge for the job.

He threw for 7,676 yards, 75 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions from 2011-12 at Fayetteville (Ark.) High School after his brother moved on to the Hogs. After a redshirt year becoming accustomed to what Bielema and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney want to do with the offense, he is now in a perfect position to unseat his brother and win the starting job.

Bielema made a name for himself at Wisconsin as a coach with an old-school, power approach, but Chaney is more flexible and spread the ball around at Tennessee when he had Tyler Bray taking the snaps.

The wild card is Peavey, who needs to push everybody this spring in order to raise the level of competition and separate the winners from losers. That would accomplish two things, it'd give Peavey a chance to win the job himself and—more important for Bielema—dwindle the competition down and bring the quarterback race more into focus by the close of spring practice.

That's the most important piece of the puzzle for the Hogs.

A team that's as one-dimensional as Arkansas was last season can't afford to have first team reps taken away from the eventual winner due to a crowded field. The Hogs' offense has to evolve, and it isn't going to do that spinning its wheels looking for a quarterback for the second straight season.

Bielema needs to get his quarterbacks down to two and, at the very most, three if Peavey is still involved by the end of spring practice.

You can't have a power running game without an offense that at least poses the threat of taking the top off of a defense, and Arkansas needs to develop that threat this spring, not during fall camp.

Someone needs to step up, and if nobody does, it could be another long year in Northwest Arkansas.

* Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer for Bleacher Report. All college statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com and all high school statistics and recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @BarrettSallee

The Arkansas Razorbacks have plenty to work on in the offseason. While there are a lot of positions head coach Bret Bielema and his staff have to focus on, the running back spot is not one of them.

With Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams carrying the ball, the Hogs have one of the best tandems in the entire country. However, Korliss Marshall, a converted safety, showed big-time potential in a limited role in 2013. 

Despite showing that potential, Bielema is still considering moving Marshall back to safety, per Otis Kirk of 247 Sports (subscription required). Bielema may be thinking about moving him back to the defensive backfield, but he should keep him right where he is.

Those who watched Marshall when he did get the ball last year saw a guy who could be a huge part of the Razorbacks' backfield in the future. He had just 17 carries as a freshman, but on those limited touches, he displayed the ability to be an impact player.

On 17 attempts, Marshall manged to gain 146 yards for an eyebrow-raising 8.6 yards-per-carry average. If you can get anything out of that, it's that Marshall has speed and elusiveness. When he did get the ball, he showed a quick burst and the ability to make defenders miss. 

Marshall's burst is something that really stands out about him as a ball-carrier. It seems like by the time defenders are able to get first contact, he's already five yards downfield. Backs that can pick up that kind of yardage on average are invaluable, and Marshall did that when he got the ball. 

He had a long run last year of 32 yards, and even if you took that away, Marshall still averaged 7.1 YPC on his 16 other attempts. At times, his burst looked even better than Collins' and Williams'. 

That's really saying something.

An adjective that describes his running style is electric. He has the speed to take it the distance whenever he touches the ball. Marshall also displayed his game-breaking speed as a kickoff returner, where he had a long of 87 yards. 

Though there aren't any longer clips of him in 2013 due to his limited role, you can see his speed and ability to impact games with big plays in highlights of his at Osceola:

Another big reason why Bielema should keep him in the backfield is his versatility, which can be seen in his highlight video. Marshall has good hands, and can run out of the backfield and do damage catching the ball.

He didn't catch any balls in his first year, but expect that to change if he stays at running back. He's also versatile as a ball-carrier, having the ability to get the tough yards up the middle or bounce it outside and do damage in space. 

However, as big of a factor as his ball-carrying skills are, a huge reason why Bielema should keep him put is because of the depth at running back.

Williams will be a junior in 2014, and with him having a lot of talent, there's a chance he could leave after next year. If that happens, the Hogs could rotate Marshall in behind Collins, making for a very electric duo. 

He still has a lot of fine-tuning to do to his game. This offseason will provide him with time to better learn the offense and work on his ball-carrying skills, because though he has a lot of talent, he can stand to improve upon his vision and getting yards after contact.

Marshall is a diamond in the rough. Bielema and his staff discovered that diamond, and it would be a shame to see it wasted by making the wrong decision. They always say when you're taking tests to stick with your first instinct. 

Don't second-guess yourself, Bret. You were right the first time.

Bryan Heater is the Arkansas Razorbacks featured columnist. Follow him on Twitter @BHeaterRivals.

Coming out of high school, Arkansas Razorbacks running back Alex Collins was considered a can't-miss prospect. Head coach Bret Bielema and fans knew that Collins was going to be a special player, and he showed it with one of the best freshman seasons for a running back in Arkansas history. 

Collins finished 2013 with 1,026 yards on 190 attempts (5.4 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. He was just the second Razorback ball carrier to rush for over 1,000 yards his first year; the first was Darren McFadden. 

However, not even McFadden, or any other SEC back in league history for that matter, ran for over 100 yards in each of his first three games as Collins did. 

His spectacular freshman year resulted in numerous postseason accolades. Collins was named the Associated Press' SEC Freshman of the Year, was picked for the SEC All-Freshman team and earned a spot on the 2013 Sporting News Freshman All-American Team. 

Collins is one of the most talented backs in the country, regardless of experience. The scary thing about it is that he was just a freshman.

Things are only going to get better for Collins, barring a serious injury. After a historic freshman season and with an offseason ahead of him to work on his game, Collins is primed for an even bigger year as a sophomore in 2014. 

There's no doubt that his skill level and talent is above a large percentage of players in college football, but that doesn't mean Collins can't make some improvements to really make a statement next year. 

Believe it or not, Collins could get better at gaining yards after first contact. That's not to say he doesn't get yards after contact, because he had numerous runs in 2013 where he shed tacklers and added another five, 10 and even more yards. But, there were times that if he could have made one guy miss or break his tackle, he could have turned a 10- or 20-yard gain into a long touchdown. 

That's being a little nitpicky, though, because Collins, overall, is very good at making tacklers miss and keeping his legs driving once hit. He has an innate ability to juke defenders when it appears they have him cornered and make what would've been a small gain or loss into a big run.

Here, you can see for yourself some of those runs during his freshman campaign:

Collins can also stand to get stronger, which is something a lot of younger players have to work on. He doesn't need to add too much and have it negatively affect his ability to make quick cuts, speed and acceleration. 

Perhaps one of the biggest factors that goes into a player improving upon his success each year is experience, which is invaluable. The fact that Collins ran for more than 100 yards in his first three games with no college experience speaks volume to just how good he is. 

With a year of experience, Collins now has a much better grasp of the offense and what it takes to succeed in the toughest conference in the country. 

One of those things that it takes to succeed and that Collins is particularly good at is ball-carrying vision. It's a point that has been hammered home when talking about him, but that's because he excels at it. Most running backs require time before they learn to identify holes opened up by the offensive line and hit them. There are even NFL backs who struggle with it, but Collins' vision is very advanced.

It's his vision that allows him to get all those long runs and is one aspect of his game that stood out. Collins waited for his blocks to be set, and once his line opened up a space, he accelerated through the hole, averaging more than five yards a pop in his first season.

Still, there were times when he wasn't patient enough, running into the backs of his blockers or right into the path of a defender. Many backs have problems being patient, and Collins having trouble with that at times in his first year was no surprise. However, it is one of his best qualities, so it's more of a matter of being more consistent and doing it every rush.

His ball-carrying vision and decision-making when it comes to identifying the hole are only going to get better, which should lead to more big runs and an even bigger year in 2014.

There's also the factor of the O-line being much more experienced. Last year, Arkansas had two seniors and a junior, but the Hogs also had two true freshmen, Denver Kirkland and Dan Skipper.

Going off of the Razorbacks' depth chart from HawgSports.com, they will have two seniors, a junior and two sophomores. It hurts to lose center Travis Swanson, but emerging senior Luke Charpentier is a good replacement. Arkansas also loses tackle David Hurd. His replacement on the depth chart would be Austin Beck, who will be a redshirt junior. 

The O-line is getting better and deeper under Bielema and line coach Sam Pittman. Just going off size, the Razorbacks line is menacing, averaging a height of 6'6" and a weight of 303 pounds. The line paved the way for Collins and Jonathan Williams, who ran for 900 yards and four touchdowns. That was with two true freshman in Kirkland and Skipper, who were also learning throughout the season like Collins.

Charpentier and Beck have played in numerous games during their career, so it's not as if the Hogs are filling the holes with first-timers. Kirkland and Skipper are emerging stars, both of whom will be even better themselves in 2014 after being starters in the nation's best conference as freshman.

They were beat off the snap at times, leading to Collins and Williams gaining minimal yardage, and also did a lot of learning on the fly. They both improved as the season went on and are building blocks on an O-line that is becoming a major strength for Arkansas.

With the line being more experienced in 2014, Collins should have a lot more holes and opportunities to break loose. As experience is going to make Collins better, it also will make the O-line better, which will lead to bigger numbers for Collins. 

One of the main factors that could be the difference between Collins making a big jump next season is the passing game. 

There were games last year in which Collins was bottled up because defenses zeroed in on him with quarterback Brandon Allen struggling to make plays with his arm. Allen had trouble all season with his accuracy and decision-making, leading to defenses loading the box to stop Collins and Williams and forcing Allen to make plays through the air.

Allen did improve as the season progressed, but he will be in a heated battle with freshman Rafe Peavey and his brother Austin Allen for the starting spot. The Hogs don't have to have a prolific passing attack, but if they can find a quarterback who will make good decisions and plays with his arm, it would help open up the run game for Collins and allow him to work his magic in open spaces.

Every so often, running backs come along that not only possess the ability to juke defenders to get around them, but to also run them over.

Collins is one of those backs with a unique blend of speed and power who only come around so often. His first year was indicative of the special talent he is. Next season should be a much better year for the Hogs after a disastrous 2013, and lucky for them, Collins is there to help guide them out of the SEC's cellar.

After a historic freshman year and with an offseason to polish his game, 2014 is set to be even bigger for Collins. All fans need to do is sit back and enjoy the spectacle that Collins is.

Bryan Heater is the featured columnist for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team. Follow him on Twitter @BHeaterRivals.

All stats courtesy of ESPN.com.

If Alabama coach Nick Saban wanted a running mate in the campaign to end hurry-up offenses, he couldn't have picked a worse candidate than Arkansas' Bret Bielema.

Bielema spoke to the White County (Ark.) Razorback Club in Searcy on Thursday night, and didn't do himself—or his cause—any favors in the battle to slow down hurry-up offenses.

According to Kurt Voigt of the Associated Press, Bielema expects the rule, which would prevent offenses from snapping the ball until 10 seconds have ticked off of the play clock except in the final two minutes of each half, to pass when it goes up for a vote in front of the NCAA playing rules oversight panel on March 6.

Harmless? Well, so far anyway. After all, as a representative of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Bielema was in the committee room when the potential rule change was discussed, according to George Schroeder of USA Today.

But maybe Bielema should have stopped there, because when he opened his mouth further, his argument took an inappropriate turn.

When asked what evidence there was to suggest that hurry-up evidence presented an injury risk, which is the only way rule changes can be passed this offseason, Bielema crossed way over the line.

"Death certificates," Bielema said according to Voigt. "There's no more anything I need than that."

Per Voigt, this was in reference to former Cal football player Ted Agu, who passed away during a training run earlier this month. In the meeting and in a follow-up interview with SI.com's Andy Staples, Bielema points out that Agu suffered from sickle cell trait, although Staples notes that no cause of death has been released.

Did Bielema discuss bringing Agu's passing into this discussion with his family? Does he know with 100 percent certainty that Agu's death was directly related to Cal's hurry-up offense? If not, it's not his place to bring him into the discussion.

Bielema went on to complain about what happens when he's out of timeouts.

"If one of those players is on the field for me, and I have no timeouts, I have no way to stop the game," Bielema said. "And he raises his hand to stop the game, and I can't do it. What am I supposed to do?"

Well, Bielema can do exactly what Auburn did to Bielema last year. 

In a play that drew the attention of the nation, Auburn linebacker Anthony Swain dropped to the ground long after Arkansas converted a fake field goal for a first down with two seconds to go in the third quarter of the game between the two SEC West foes. 

Ironically, Bielema subtly referred to that play when discussing up-tempo offenses in Searcy on Thursday night.

"If we want to get to the point where we’re flopping on the ground, like somebody did against us this year ..."

— Kurt Voigt (@Kurt_Voigt_AP) February 21, 2014

Maybe Bielema should take a closer look, because that play—which took place with two seconds left in the quarter, in the red zone, long after the previous play ended and while both teams were subbing—had absolutely nothing to do with tempo. It has everything to do with what players do when they have a minor injury or, if you believe Swain was faking, what they do when they're confused on the personnel package that was subbed in.

It also could be used as an argument that Bielema's 10-second rule would be utterly meaningless in the red zone, because it's almost impossible to sub out and get set that far away from the bench in 10 seconds anyway.

Is this a campaign against the no-huddle, or football in general? The line seems to be a bit blurry for Bielema.

Instead of helping his cause against hurry-up, no-huddle offenses, Bielema hurt his cause and his reputation with his comments on Thursday night. 

Maybe he should just stay away from hot microphones until this rule is either passed or shot down—which should happen when the rules panel meets on March 6.

Follow @BarrettSallee