Maybe the numbers won’t just get smaller this year

One glaring weakness in an Arkansas defense full of them last season was how slow they seemed at times.

Too often, Razorback defenders could only watch other guys’ numbers get smaller as they ran away from them.

In the SEC that will get you beat by average teams. The good ones will stomp a hole in your backside and walk out the water.

With the new recruits, the Hogs look faster. The upperclassmen have noticed and told Bielema that over the weekend.

“They said they are all fast,” he relayed to the media about the comments from the senior leadership committee on the incoming freshmen.

Speed kills. Especially in the SEC.

First, it was Steve Spurrier at Florida going for speed, speed, speed. Then Tennessee got on board and, finally, Alabama.

Shoot, Jimmy Johnson built first Miami, then the Dallas Cowboys later on speed. At both places, there were guys in positions that were under-sized, but, gosh, they could run. The ones who couldn’t play were gone pretty quick, regardless of how fast they were.

Arkansas’ lack of speed has been glaring.

Bielema and the PR folks can spin it however they want, but something had to change. In four years, the record is below .500 and the league record is at the point that the Hogs would have to win 12 straight league games to get to .500.

The youngsters on the team have the most important intangible: Speed.

Oh, and they are also smart. The incoming group in summer school hasn’t made a C or below.

“I’ve never had that,” Bielema said. “Usually there are some C’s, D’s and some F’s. There is usually the odd one who doesn’t even know how to log into his computer.”

Now they just have to transfer it to the field.

And hopefully catch more folks.