(Shaq McCroy)
The Arkansas football team hit the outdoor practice fields in Fayetteville for their first spring practice of 2025 on Monday afternoon.
Head coach Sam Pittman's new-look offensive line was put on display for the first time after he lost two starters from last year's line to SEC programs and another to SMU. Pittman and offensive line coach Eric Mateos replaced the lost production with a few proven veterans and some projects.
RELATED: Arkansas Spring Practice Notebook No. 1
One of the players that lacks experience but seems to have the tools is Oregon transfer Shaq McCroy. The 6-foot-8, 362-pound tackle stood out among the offensive line group Monday just from his size, but his athleticism will also catch the eye.
"The guy that’s probably been as impressive as any of them in his ability to move is Shaq McRoy," head coach Sam Pittman said Thursday. "I don’t know that Shaq’s the fastest lineman that we have, but he’s one of them. Which, I recruited him — we did — here hard out of high school and I just never believed that he could move at 370 pounds like he can."
McCroy redshirted and didn't play in any games last season at Oregon, but that could change this year. During Monday's practice, McCroy was lined up at second team right tackle for the majority of team periods and he performed well (as much as you can on the first day of practice).
Three returners were with the first team offensive line during the first practice Monday. Fernando Carmona Jr. was starting left guard, which is notable after Carmona started all 13 games at left tackle last year. Keyshawn Blackstock was first team right guard, and E'Marion Harris was back at right tackle again.
The other two starters were newcomers in Central Florida transfer Caden Kitler at center and Georgia Tech transfer Corey Robinson II at left tackle.
Ole Miss transfer Kavion Broussard was second to left tackle and JUCO transfer Bubba Craig was next to him at left guard. Second team center Brooks Edmonson out of Bryant (Ark.) is now on scholarship, and talented sophomore Kobe Branham lined up at right guard with the second team offense.
"I think we’ll know fairly quickly who our top 10 offensive linemen are," Pittman said. "Where they play, per se, it might take a little while. But I can tell you, athletically, Corey Robinson is — he can move now. And we got what we wanted there. Carmona, we’re looking at him a little bit more inside, whether that be guard or center.
"Caden Kitler is a guy that I’ve been real pleased with at center. He was at Central Florida and they’d asked him to go to Florida State when their line coach went down there too. That was a big deal for me, as well. Bubba Craig is a new guy where we don’t know for sure if he’s going to be a guard or a tackle. Broussard is another guy, very athletic, that we got in, that we like a lot."
At this point in time, it's hard to lock in anyone at any spot. Carmona moved inside to guard, but he's also likely going to get looks at center along with Kitler and Edmonson. According to Pittman, the addition of Robinson via the transfer portal is allowing them to try new things out, plus he said Carmona is likely to move inside on the next level (NFL).
"Then we go, ‘Well, that can allow us to help (Carmona) a little bit more with his future and help the team,'" Pittman said. "So, he took it great and we didn’t really say we’re going to move you, we went in there and talked about, what do you think? He said, ‘Well, I think they’re going to move me inside in the league, coach.’ I said, ‘Well, you’re going to want to try it now, you want to try a little center, you want to try guard.’ So, that’s how that went."
Quarterback Taylen Green said Monday that he has gotten snaps with Carmona, nicknamed "Junior," at center.
"That speaks to that he’s willing to do anything it takes to win," Green said. "That's what being as Arkansas Razorback is, you know, doing what it takes to win, whether you like it or not. I’m not saying he doesn't like it. But he’s just being a leader, even though it's a different position, you still know when Junior is on the field. He has a presence about him. He's like really loud and vocal, and that's what you know I like as a quarterback."
Robinson, Harris, McCroy and Broussard all seem to be solid options so far at tackle. Robinson leads the pack and McCroy is the most intriguing prospect. Maryland transfer Marcus Dumervil is also in the mix at tackle.
Just from a depth perspective, it already feels like the Razorbacks are in a much better position up front than they were last season.
"This will be, in my opinion, the most upgraded room that we have, as far as size, speed, physicality," Pittman said. "But we’ll have to find out exactly about them all in spring ball. But I really like that group and how they look and how they work."
The Razorbacks will hold their second practice of the spring Tuesday afternoon in Fayetteville. Stay tuned to The Trough premium message board for the latest news and notes.
