Arkansas Football: Razorbacks Open Spring Ball with Questionable Knile Davis

Today the Arkansas Razorbacks open up their spring camp. That means quarterback Tyler Wilson will look to pick up where he left off, pacing the SEC in passing yards and commanding an explosive offensive attack.

At first blush, losing guys like Jarius Wright, Greg Childs and Joe Adams seems devastating but during his stint in Fayetteville, Bobby Petrino has added some depth and serious talent at the wide receiver spot. Cobi Hamilton, Marquel Wade and tight end Chris Gragg should step right into the void and continue the tear that the Hogs offense has been on in recent seasons.

On the defensive side of the football, we will get to see new coordinator Paul Haynes, brought in from Ohio State, take his turn at trying to fix the problem that has plagued Arkansas since—well, it seems like, forever: getting stops.

The squad played better in spots a season ago. While giving up 628 yards to Texas A&M, 462 to Vanderbilt and 494 to LSU were glaring issues, the real problem was allowing nearly 400 yards to the likes of Auburn, Ole Miss, Tennessee and the 457 yards to Troy.

Something had to give. With Haynes coming in, the Hogs should see a new appreciation for defense given the premium placed on that side of the ball by Haynes' previous employer, Ohio State University.

Look for improvements in the secondary this spring, as that is Haynes' forte, but expect the entire defensive philosophy to shift for the Hogs. He's going to coach the guys up and then work on building depth for the Hogs defense, as he points out in an interview. If Haynes can get the guys into the right position to make plays, good things can start to happen for the Razorbacks.

While the addition of Haynes and the movement to improve the defense is a big deal in Fayetteville, the biggest story for Bobby Petrino's squad is the much-anticipated return of running back Knile Davis.

Davis fractured his ankle in fall camp in 2011 and Arkansas surely missed the 1,300-yard back during its 2012 campaign. However, Petrino said Davis has already ran a 4.33 40 this year (per John Taylor of NBC Sports) and is ready to insert himself into the Arkansas offense as the added dimension.

How much Davis can contribute this spring is still up in the air though, as Petrino and the Hogs staff want to protect one of the most important players to their 2012 campaign. There's some debate as to whether Davis gets to go during full-contact situations, but the young man is definitely eager to prove he is 100 percent.

With so much on the line, expect Petrino to treat Davis with kid gloves until the running back can prove that he is ready to take the pounding required to finish an SEC season.