Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

Three-star running back Kaleb Blanchard chose Arkansas over Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Louisiana Tech and is proof that, despite a coaching change, Razorbacks recruiting coordinator Tim Horton is still on the job. read more >

It's funny that when names such as former Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee and a host of professional coaches — some retired, and none of whom were ever coming — were being bandied about as the replacement for Bobby Petrino, the one name we didn't hear over the 11 days since Petrino's firing was John L. Smith. Yet, of the two coaches who left the Hog staff after the 2011 season for a head coaching job — Smith and McGee — Smith was the one with extensive head coaching experience in Division I college football. Had Smith still been on Bobby Petrino's staff the day Jeff Long put him on paid administrative leave, then fired him five days later, he would have been considered the perfect interim coach for the Razorbacks. He still is the perfect interim coach, even if he had to leave his alma mater, Weber State, after just five months on the job in Utah. read more >

For all the uncertainty surrounding the Arkansas football program the last three weeks, linebackers coach Taver Johnson knew exactly what to expect when he got up Monday morning. With or without a head coach, Johnson was hitting the road recruiting. Coaches are able to get out and do spring evaluations at high schools and the Arkansas staff is headed out to do just that. read more >

Arkansas players have a pretty clear understanding of what Saturday's Red-White game means for them. Those with solidified starting roles are using the game to further establish themselves entering the summer. Other Razorbacks view the day as a tryout for spots somewhere on the depth chart, either as a starter or key backup. But the final spring practice isn't only for evaluating the players. It also feels very much like an audition for the coaching staff. read more >

Jeff Long's experience as a former college football coach has come in handy of late. No, Long isn't drawing up plays he would like to see in Saturday's Red-White game. He isn't breaking down film as the Razorbacks evaluate personnel at linebacker and on the offensive line. But Long, who spent time on the staffs at Duke and Michigan before getting into athletic administration, has addressed Arkansas players and assistant coaches multiple times since April 10, the day he fired coach Bobby Petrino. read more >