Senior Kiero Small is Arkansas' starting fullback.
But did anyone notice who else was on the field at fullback for the first touchdown of the season last Saturday?
Redshirt freshman tackle Grady Ollison, making his debut, was a blocking back during Kody Walker's 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Ollison - a Malvern native - did his job, too, using his 6-foot-5, 286-pound frame to help the Arkansas front get plenty of push to help Walker cross the goal line on third-and-goal.
Ollison worked with the third-team offense during camp, but Arkansas offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said he is a great athlete who still can help the Razorbacks as he matures as a lineman. So his role, for now, is in a beefy goal line package that also included Small and Walker last Saturday.
""He’s got great feet. I think he’s working hard. I think he’s bought in. He’s trying his hardest," Petrino said. "He’s just someone we have to keep putting more weight on.
"But until we get that weight on him, let’s try to find a couple of roles where he can help us. So one of them is playing fullback.”
Ollison, whose uncle Tony Ollison played for the Razorbacks, came to Arkansas as a defensive tackle last summer. But Arkansas moved Ollison to tackle, believing he has the size, build, and skills to excel at the position. It hasn't been a quick transition, but Ollison is growing at the position.
"He is a guy you look at and say, ‘As soon as we get enough weight on him, that kid should play on Sundays for a long time,'" Petrino said.
— Robbie Neiswanger • Arkansas News Bureau
