Arkansas Football 2011: The Best Position Battles of Spring Ball

Spring practice is underway for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and the team is preparing for a run at the national championship in 2012.

In order to have a successful run, they need to fill empty positions, and this could lead to position battle in the spring.

Here are some of the position battles in the Razorbacks camp.

Quarterback

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AUBURN, AL - OCTOBER 16: Quarterback Tyler Wilson #8 of the Arkansas Razorbacks rolls out and looks downfield for a receiver during the game against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 16, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. The Tigers beat the Raz

Ryan Mallett is gone. The Arkansas Razorbacks start a new era at quarterback after losing Mallett to the NFL draft, but the cupboard is not dry.

Tyler Wilson is the front runner and for right now, is penciled in as the team’s No. 1 quarterback. He relived Mallett in the game against Auburn and performed quite nicely, but he is not a lock for the starting job.

Brandon Mitchell is up against Wilson in a friendly rivalry to grab the top spot in the rotation. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino has credited both quarterbacks for an excellent spring, but stresses the need for a quarterback that has the ability to audible out of bad plays at the line of scrimmage.

That could be the difference in picking the quarterback for Arkansas to start the season.

Offensive Line

The Razorbacks lost some key personnel on the offensive line, and this will leave plenty of positions open to compete for in the spring.

The position battle gets more interesting with the emergence of newcomer Brey Cook. The true freshman came to the campus early and is already in line to be the starter at left tackle. Transfer Jason Peacock will be his main competition on the line, and both will get ample opportunities in the spring.

The Hogs lost three starters on the line, so the fact that they have two players ready to jump into a starting role is good news for Razorback fans.

Defensive Backs

If the Razorbacks have a weakness, it’s on defense. They have improved every year, but in a pass-happy SEC, having a stable secondary is vital. Ramon Broadway’s injury a year ago paved the way for some young players to get some playing time. This spring, one of them will have to stand up and take control of the starting job.

Isaac Madison has been singled out by Petrino as having an excellent start to the spring.  He is very familiar with the position and should get the starting nod, but he will get plenty of completion. Madison suffered an injury already in the spring that could open up the job.

While Madison could be locked in at the corner, Eric Bennett is fighting for a spot at safety. The physical defensive back will have to fend off Elton Ford, but overall, the Hogs are improving in the secondary.  

Running Backs

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FAYETTEVILLE - SEPTEMBER 25: Ronnie Wingo Jr. #20 of the Arkansas Razorbacks celebrates with teammates D.J. Williams #45 and Chris Gragg #80 after a first half touchdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on September

After the performance from a year ago, Knile Davis will be the starter in the Razorback backfield, but he will need some help. That is when the competition comes into play.

Dennis Johnson is a fourth-year junior running back, granted a hardship last year after suffering a life threatening injury. Johnson is a tough kid that is loaded with talent, but he has company.

Ronnie Wingo Jr. is another talented runner with size and speed. The coaching staff has challenged Wingo to be a more physical runner, and he has delivered in the spring practices. Petrino may find a way to use all of the talented backs, but for now, there is still plenty of competition in the spring.

Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews and predictions. Feel free to contact Matt at [e-mail].