Considering we won't get to watch any more of it, I felt like it was time to hand out some awards for spring ball...
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With just two more practices remaining, Arkansas’ second spring ball of the Sam Pittman era is coming to a close.
The Razorbacks actually held an open scrimmage — which replaced their traditional Red-White spring game — this past Saturday, but were on the practice field again Tuesday and will be again Thursday and Saturday.
Each of those practices are closed to the media with no interviews scheduled afterward, but Pittman did open up 11 of the first 12 practices to the media and HawgBeat was there for all of them.
Here are our major takeaways from this spring…
Based on what HawgBeat saw from the 6-foot-3, 298-pound defensive during open practices, a case could be made that he was the Razorbacks’ most impressive player this spring. Sporting a new, single-digit jersey number — No. 9 — and entering his fourth season at Arkansas, Carter made a living in the backfield.
Quarterbacks aren’t live in practice and the Razorbacks rarely tackled to the ground at other positions, but Carter consistently got pressure for what would likely be sacks in games and hit running backs behind the line of scrimmage for would-be tackles for loss.
The coaching staff and other players have also been high on fifth-year senior Isaiah Nichols, who is still the first-team guy, but Carter has caught their attention, as well, and could push Nichols for that starting spot.
“(He) changed his body,” linebacker Bumper Pool said. “He was already strong, but got even stronger. Has a little more twitch to him. … His progress has been great.”
Carter made a huge jump between 2020 and 2021, improving his Pro Football Focus grade from 47.3 to 67.1 despite playing even more meaningful snaps. With new defensive line coach Deke Adams cleaning up his technique, he could be in store for another big jump in 2022.
Luckily, Pittman said following the scrimmage that Carter’s injury didn’t appear to be a torn ACL or anything catastrophic, which is good news for Razorbacks — especially considering the lack of depth at the position.
Morgan was a 5-foot-11, 235-pound wrecking ball who willed himself from a two-star walk-on to second-team All-American. What he lacked in God-given athleticism, he made up for with hard work and instincts, helping him become the heart of Arkansas’ defense.
It remains to be seen if his replacement — Alabama transfer Drew Sanders — has those same traits, but there’s no question he has what Morgan lacked. Listed at 6-foot-5, 232 pounds, Sanders is taller and faster, and those skills have shown up in practice.
On Saturday, Sanders made plays all over the field. One of them, while not flashy, may have been the best of the scrimmage. Malik Hornsby escaped the pocket and couldn’t get to the edge before Sanders ran him down behind the line of scrimmage. Pittman described it as a ‘wow’ moment because Hornsby doesn’t typically get caught in space.
Those are the kind of plays that make HawgBeat believe Arkansas might be even better at linebacker in 2022 — but don’t just take our word for it. Tight end Trey Knox has been matched up with him in practice and came away very impressed.
“I haven’t seen anybody move the way that he does,” Knox said. “In space, it’s hard to block when somebody is flying at you and can juke you out or run through your face. He has a knack for the ball.”
Combine him with Bumper Pool, who actually graded out higher than starters Morgan and Hayden Henry last year, and the Razorbacks should have a pretty salty duo. The key will be depth behind them, which could come in the form of redshirt freshman Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr., redshirt sophomore walk-on Jackson Woodard and true freshman Jordan Crook.
A four-star, Rivals250 recruit coming out of Georgia powerhouse Cedar Grove High School, Dubinion has lived up to the hype through the first few practices of his collegiate career.
Listed at 5-foot-10, 189 pounds, he has been very impressive in the limited action seen by the media. Even though the Razorbacks haven’t tackled much in practice, it’s been difficult to just thud Dubinion because of his ability to cut on a dime.
With guys like Dominique Johnson, Rocket Sanders and AJ Green returning, cracking the running back rotation in 2022 won’t be easy, but Dubinion is too talented to keep off the field and should get carries in games as a true freshman.
“He’s really a shifty runner,” Pittman said. “He’s a mature kid. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll help us next year — in games. Not just special teams, but he’ll be one of the backs toting the mail because he’s a good player.”
All four of those running backs are SEC-quality athletes, so Pittman will have his hands full trying to get the ball in each of their hands — much like last year with Johnson, Sanders, Green and Trelon Smith, not to mention quarterback KJ Jefferson.
It appears that fifth-year senior Luke Jones is getting every opportunity to win that job, but Pittman and his staff don’t seem to be any more settled there after 12 practices than they were before spring ball.
Over the second half of spring, HawgBeat noticed projected starting left guard Brady Latham getting reps at left tackle — with Jones at left guard — but he has also gotten reps at every position on the offensive line and could fill the Ty Clary role as the ultimate Swiss Army knife.
Pittman is also hopeful that redshirt freshman Devon Manuel, who has slimmed down to a “light” 366 pounds, might make a push for the starting job. He has been the second-team left tackle throughout the spring.
Another name to keep an eye on is Ty’Kieast Crawford, the former four-star recruit who transferred in from Charlotte. With Dalton Wagner dealing with a back issue, he got extensive reps as the first-team right tackle this spring, but Pittman mentioned they also plan to give him a look at left tackle moving forward.
While Jones has been the “most consistent” of that group, Pittman said the Razorbacks are still evaluating their options and potential combinations up front.
“You come back and you go, ’Is this hurting us?’” Pittman said. “Then you go back and say, ‘Is this the best look, can we get the most yardage with these five guys in these positions?’ I don’t know the answer to that yet. I do know this — we’ve tried a lot of people.”
(story continues below)
Spring Superlatives: Breakout star, transfer MVP, top freshman, more
HawgBeat hands out some awards as spring ball winds down.
With just two more practices remaining, Arkansas’ second spring ball of the Sam Pittman era is coming to a close.
The Razorbacks actually held an open scrimmage — which replaced their traditional Red-White spring game — this past Saturday, but were on the practice field again Tuesday and will be again Thursday and Saturday.
Each of those practices are closed to the media with no interviews scheduled afterward, but Pittman did open up 11 of the first 12 practices to the media and HawgBeat was there for all of them.
Here are our major takeaways from this spring…
Breakout Star: Taurean Carter
You never want to see anyone go down with an injury, but seeing Taurean Carter down on the turf following the third play of Saturday’s scrimmage inside Walker Pavilion was particularly tough considering his performance up to that point.Based on what HawgBeat saw from the 6-foot-3, 298-pound defensive during open practices, a case could be made that he was the Razorbacks’ most impressive player this spring. Sporting a new, single-digit jersey number — No. 9 — and entering his fourth season at Arkansas, Carter made a living in the backfield.
Quarterbacks aren’t live in practice and the Razorbacks rarely tackled to the ground at other positions, but Carter consistently got pressure for what would likely be sacks in games and hit running backs behind the line of scrimmage for would-be tackles for loss.
The coaching staff and other players have also been high on fifth-year senior Isaiah Nichols, who is still the first-team guy, but Carter has caught their attention, as well, and could push Nichols for that starting spot.
“(He) changed his body,” linebacker Bumper Pool said. “He was already strong, but got even stronger. Has a little more twitch to him. … His progress has been great.”
Carter made a huge jump between 2020 and 2021, improving his Pro Football Focus grade from 47.3 to 67.1 despite playing even more meaningful snaps. With new defensive line coach Deke Adams cleaning up his technique, he could be in store for another big jump in 2022.
Luckily, Pittman said following the scrimmage that Carter’s injury didn’t appear to be a torn ACL or anything catastrophic, which is good news for Razorbacks — especially considering the lack of depth at the position.
Transfer MVP: Drew Sanders
This is no disrespect to Grant Morgan, who was phenomenal and one of the best stories in college football the last two years, but Arkansas might have improved at the linebacker spot despite his graduation.Morgan was a 5-foot-11, 235-pound wrecking ball who willed himself from a two-star walk-on to second-team All-American. What he lacked in God-given athleticism, he made up for with hard work and instincts, helping him become the heart of Arkansas’ defense.
It remains to be seen if his replacement — Alabama transfer Drew Sanders — has those same traits, but there’s no question he has what Morgan lacked. Listed at 6-foot-5, 232 pounds, Sanders is taller and faster, and those skills have shown up in practice.
On Saturday, Sanders made plays all over the field. One of them, while not flashy, may have been the best of the scrimmage. Malik Hornsby escaped the pocket and couldn’t get to the edge before Sanders ran him down behind the line of scrimmage. Pittman described it as a ‘wow’ moment because Hornsby doesn’t typically get caught in space.
Those are the kind of plays that make HawgBeat believe Arkansas might be even better at linebacker in 2022 — but don’t just take our word for it. Tight end Trey Knox has been matched up with him in practice and came away very impressed.
“I haven’t seen anybody move the way that he does,” Knox said. “In space, it’s hard to block when somebody is flying at you and can juke you out or run through your face. He has a knack for the ball.”
Combine him with Bumper Pool, who actually graded out higher than starters Morgan and Hayden Henry last year, and the Razorbacks should have a pretty salty duo. The key will be depth behind them, which could come in the form of redshirt freshman Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr., redshirt sophomore walk-on Jackson Woodard and true freshman Jordan Crook.
Top Freshman: Rashod Dubinion
With a tip of the cap to Crook, who has caught the attention of coaches and teammates alike, HawgBeat is naming running back Rashod Dubinion the best of Arkansas’ 18 early enrollee freshmen.A four-star, Rivals250 recruit coming out of Georgia powerhouse Cedar Grove High School, Dubinion has lived up to the hype through the first few practices of his collegiate career.
Listed at 5-foot-10, 189 pounds, he has been very impressive in the limited action seen by the media. Even though the Razorbacks haven’t tackled much in practice, it’s been difficult to just thud Dubinion because of his ability to cut on a dime.
With guys like Dominique Johnson, Rocket Sanders and AJ Green returning, cracking the running back rotation in 2022 won’t be easy, but Dubinion is too talented to keep off the field and should get carries in games as a true freshman.
“He’s really a shifty runner,” Pittman said. “He’s a mature kid. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll help us next year — in games. Not just special teams, but he’ll be one of the backs toting the mail because he’s a good player.”
All four of those running backs are SEC-quality athletes, so Pittman will have his hands full trying to get the ball in each of their hands — much like last year with Johnson, Sanders, Green and Trelon Smith, not to mention quarterback KJ Jefferson.
Position to Watch: Left tackle
Arkansas returns four of five starting offensive linemen from last season, but the lone hole to fill is at perhaps the most important position: left tackle. Myron Cunningham exhausted his eligibility and is not preparing for the NFL Draft while the Razorbacks search for his replacement.It appears that fifth-year senior Luke Jones is getting every opportunity to win that job, but Pittman and his staff don’t seem to be any more settled there after 12 practices than they were before spring ball.
Over the second half of spring, HawgBeat noticed projected starting left guard Brady Latham getting reps at left tackle — with Jones at left guard — but he has also gotten reps at every position on the offensive line and could fill the Ty Clary role as the ultimate Swiss Army knife.
Pittman is also hopeful that redshirt freshman Devon Manuel, who has slimmed down to a “light” 366 pounds, might make a push for the starting job. He has been the second-team left tackle throughout the spring.
Another name to keep an eye on is Ty’Kieast Crawford, the former four-star recruit who transferred in from Charlotte. With Dalton Wagner dealing with a back issue, he got extensive reps as the first-team right tackle this spring, but Pittman mentioned they also plan to give him a look at left tackle moving forward.
While Jones has been the “most consistent” of that group, Pittman said the Razorbacks are still evaluating their options and potential combinations up front.
“You come back and you go, ’Is this hurting us?’” Pittman said. “Then you go back and say, ‘Is this the best look, can we get the most yardage with these five guys in these positions?’ I don’t know the answer to that yet. I do know this — we’ve tried a lot of people.”
(story continues below)
