FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas wanted linebacker Alonzo Highsmith to take control of the defense this spring, assuming the leadership role vacated by departed veterans like Jerry Franklin, Jerico Nelson and Jake Bequette.
But the senior, who started 13 games in his first season in 2011, didn’t even make it to the first practice.
Arkansas announced that Highsmith suffered a partially torn tendon in his pectoral muscle during the team’s pre-spring bench press test Tuesday night. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said Highsmith underwent surgery to repair the tendon Wednesday and will miss spring practice.
“We’re going to miss him,” Petrino said after Arkansas finished its first practice Wednesday. “It was big for him to be here, but guys are going to have to step up and really provide leadership. That’s what I was waiting to see was him take over that group. Be the leader. Make all the calls. Run it. Now he’s just going to have to make sure that he does it this summer and early in the fall.”
Highsmith, who stepped into the starting lineup during his first practice last summer, was opening the spring as Arkansas’ most experienced linebacker. He started every game last season and finished third on the team with 80 tackles, including a team-high 12 1/2 tackles for losses. Highsmith also notched 4 1/2 sacks and scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery against LSU last November.
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Petrino said the injury is “not uncommon.” He added four of his players have suffered similar injuries during his career. It will take some time to recover, but Petrino is optimistic Highsmith will be back in the summer.
“Obviously it does hurt us,” Petrino said. “But we’ve just got to move on and get somebody else ready to go.”
Highsmith’s absence will leave Arkansas loaded with inexperience at linebacker this spring.
Junior Braylon Mitchell, who has seven career tackles, lined up at weakside linebacker with the first-team defense during Wednesday’s practice. Robert Atiga, a junior college player who transferred to Arkansas last summer, worked alongside Mitchell with the starters.
Mitchell said he was in Highsmith’s weight-lifting group when the senior suffered the injury Tuesday. He said it didn’t seem like “that big a deal” at first, but realized the severity of the injury — and what it means for spring practice — when he wasn’t on the field Wednesday.
“Alonzo is a big leader and a big part of the defense and me having to come in and take his shoes, a lot of leadership is going to fall on myself,” Mitchell said. “That’s a personal thing for myself to step in and help this defense. We have a lot of good guys on this team.”
Arkansas also has seniors Terrell Williams and Matt Marshall among its linebackers. Tyler Gilbert, Jarrett Lake and converted safety Daunte Carr are also listed on the three-deep depth chart at linebacker this spring.
Petrino said Highsmith’s injury will give the younger and inexperienced players more repetitions during spring practice. But there’s no doubt Highsmith’s absence will be felt as the Razorbacks continue to make the transition to new defensive coordinator Paul Haynes this spring.
“The thing that it hurts us really with is him taking over and running the defense,” Petrino said. “Like last year, Jerry Franklin could tell them what to do, tell everybody else what to do. That’s what we wanted to be able to get Alonzo to do is really take charge and make all the calls. Now he’s going to miss those reps these 15 practices. The good thing is it’s something that does heal well and you can come back from it quickly. He’ll get all the work in this summer and then in two-a-days.”
Four Notes From Spring Practice
1. Impressive Numbers — Arkansas unveiled its top speed and strength testing numbers from the pre-spring period, which wrapped up Tuesday night. It’s clear RB Knile Davis was the most impressive player. Davis — who is coming back from last August’s ankle injury — had the team’s top 40-yard dash time (4.33 seconds), third-best squat (570 pounds) and fifth-best bench press (415 pounds).
“My testing numbers were pretty good and I’m just proud about that,” Davis said. “I was trying to get them to let me do more (in squats), but they cut me off.”
2. Hair and Beard Man — DE Austin Flynn made his Arkansas practice debut Wednesday and there were two very noticeable features about the junior college transfer – his long hair and thick beard. Flynn said he has grown his hair out for more than a year and hasn’t touched the beard for four months. But he’s not expecting it to last much longer now that he’s with the Razorbacks.
“I’m just waiting for the big boss man to tell me to cut it all off,” Flynn said. “I’m just waiting for him to call me over and say, ‘Austin, you need to clean up.’”
3. New Group — QB Tyler Wilson spent Wednesday’s practice throwing to a relatively new group of receivers with the first-team offense. The senior said it’s different without Greg Childs, Joe Adams and Jarius Wright, but is confident Arkansas will be fine.
“We’ve worked together for four years and we’ve worked together in the offseason and all winter,” Wilson said. “So it was pretty good (Wednesday). … There’s always the first day jitters for a lot of guys and there were more dropped balls than we usually see, but I expect those to be cleaned up (Thursday) and the days to come.”
4. Testing Highlights — Davis wasn’t the only Razorback to turn in impressive testing numbers. The biggest surprise came in the 40, when backup kicker Cameron Bryan tied DE Chris Smith for the seventh-fastest 40 time (4.4 seconds). They were behind Davis, WR Maudrecus Humphrey (4.34), WR Marquel Wade (4.35), CB Darius Winston (4.36), WR Cobi Hamilton (4.37) and RB Ronnie Wingo (4.38).
DT Alfred Davis had the team’s top bench press (460 pounds), followed by DT Lavunce Askew (445), G Alvin Bailey (440) and DT Byran Jones. Jones and DT Robert Thomas were tied for the top squat (600 pounds), followed by Davis, RB Dennis Johnson (560) and Bailey (555).