Maybe the Arkansas Razorbacks were right not including a depth
chart in their media guide.
Just one day into the Razorbacks practicing in pads together as a team saw an
etched in stone 2009 depth chart erased like a clean slate the first day of school.
Last season Seth Oxner of Monticello started every game at center. Wade Grayson
of Harrison was Oxner’s backup but actually an offensive guard starting the final 10
games.
Both return as veteran incumbents. But you would not know it by Monday’s full
workout as a team after Coach Bobby Petrino waged separate noncontact freshman and
varsity practices last Thursday through Sunday.
Grayson, a senior working strictly at center until getting some reps Monday at
guard, and Oxner, a fourth-year junior working some guard in Sunday’s practice,
shared center during the varsity only sessions the first four days.
However, redshirt freshman Travis Swanson of Kingwood, Texas was logging some
first-team center work Monday, and junior walk-on Clay Bemberg of Little Rock
Central got some second unit center time freeing Grayson for guard.
Alvin Bailey, the only redshirt freshman practicing with the varsity the first four
days while the other redshirt freshmen and incoming freshmen practiced together,
continues to operate in Grayson’s old guard spot.
For now...
Everything in the interior line seems preseason temporary. New offensive line coach
Chris Klenakis, hired last winter from the University of Nevada, says he will use
the early preseason to mix and match and evaluate.
“We have a lot of situations where we are looking for the right five,” Klenakis
said, “the right combinations. You had Alvin Bailey redshirted last year and now he
will play and is in the mix and it creates good competition. And Travis Swanson is
another young man who redshirted last year and has shown some progress at spring
ball and is doing a good job as well.”
Even one basically off the charts, walkon sophomore David Hurd of West Monroe, La.,
got charted Monday among the second-team tackles.
“David Hurd played some tackle spot,” Klenakis said. “That’s what camp is for. You
are looking for those right combinations. You can’t ignore kids in camp. You have
got to give them reps and they’ve got to be ready to play. Because you never know
when they will get ready during the season.”
Given, 3-year letterman Grayson’s experience and Oxner’s 13 straight center starts,
it’s hard to see them not in the mix when the Sept. 4 season opener nears versus
Tennessee Tech.
