Sam Pittman feels good about O-line

FAYETTEVILLE — The first preseason practice is today at 5 p.m. and one area that will be observed with interest is the offensive line.

It was an issue last year, but the Hogs added four players from the transfer portal and returned two starters from last season. Sam Pittman seems to like what he has this year there under new assistant Eric Mateos.

“I think we have the guys in the right spots,” Pittman said. “I think we have to create a battle with Ty’Kieast Crawford. I think … well, we are going to move him into right guard. He’s played a lot of ball there. But we’re going to move him in to see if he could potentially start for us there. There’s nothing against (Joshua) Braun. We like Braun and all that. But we have to give kids opportunities to start. So if you think about it you’re going,

“‘What are you going to do with Joe More? Well, Joe More’s played a lot of ball and he’s a very, very strong kid. Very, very smart. What are you going to do with them. So our choice was we could either put him at right guard and keep Ty’Kieast out there where he is or we could move Ty’Kieast and move Joe in. We may move that combination at some point but that’s today, how we think we could have our best depth right there. So I think we have the guys. There’s not a lot of movement that we’re thinking, ‘Well, we’ll move him to left tackle at some point.’ You always want to have at least three guards, at least three tackles and at least three centers. That doesn’t have to total nine if that’s what we’re talking about.”

More is one of four transfers from the portal. The other three are center Addison Nichols (Tennessee), and tackles Keyshawn Blackstock (Michigan State) and Fernando Carmona (San Jose State). Others who ran first team at the guards in the spring were Braun and Patrick Kutas.

“But that’s today,” Pittman said. “That’s how we think we can have our best depth right there. So I think we have the guys. There’s not a lot of movement that we’re thinking, ‘Well, we’ll move him to left tackle at some point.’ 

“You always want to have at least three guards, at least three tackles, at least three centers. But that doesn’t have to total nine if that’s what we’re talking about. I think as important of what we need to find is, who are our centers that we believe that we can go win SEC games with? Obviously, you can’t just have one there. So my biggest question was, who’s two? Who’s three? Obviously (Amaury) Wiggins is two, but then who biomes that third center? And is he on the travel list as it is right now?”

Among the other scholarship offensive linemen are Josh Street, Kobe Branham, Luke Brown and E’Marion Harris. Among the walk ons are Tommy Varhall, Brooks Edmonson, Aaron Smith, Tim Dawn, Alex Johnson, Jonas Nantze. Zuri Madison is another scholarship offensive lineman, but lost for the season due to injury.

Ben Sowders, Arkansas’ strength and conditioning coach, is impressed with what the Hogs have for the offensive line.

“I think we made tremendous strides on the o-line,” Sowders said. “We’re definitely stronger as a whole unit and a football team. We got numbers to prove it. But, you guys know that at the end of the day, the weight room only gets you so far. You have to take what you did and what you made and you got to put it on the field. The biggest thing I can say is we challenged them both physically and mentally, we got them stronger but I tell them all the time, ‘If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.’ So, my job is to put them in adverse situations and see if you can accomplish what we’re asking for you to accomplish. We made it very tough on them this summer, tougher than what we did last summer. Tougher than what it was last offseason and we’re stronger, so now we have to take what we’ve done and apply it to the field. But, all our numbers are up.

“Coach Pittman and Coach Mateos up front, phenomenal job. To have those guys in our program coaching guys every single day only makes us better. Did a great job getting out of the portal. You’re talking about Blackstock, Carmona, Nichols, who else out of the portal, Joe More has gotten a lot better. They’re strong, they’re powerful and to be honest, they’re good athletes. If you’re strong and powerful and you’re a good athlete up front, you should have success.”

Sowders feels that Carmona is definitely an SEC-type player.

“I’ll tell you one story,” Sowders said. “This will sum everything up.  Yes, he looked the part. Do I think he could get a little bit bigger? Yeah, I think he needed to add a little bit of size on, which he has. I think it’s the 3rd week of the off-season, February.  We’re running sprints, skill guys are having trouble making his time and he challenged him and one of them challenged him to come down there and run and he ran and made the rest of the time, so that tells you all you need to know about him. He’s going to lead from the front.”

A freshman walk-on player who has caught Sowders attention is Nantze from Shiloh Christian.

“I think Jonas Nantze, a local kid here, he’s put on 10 or 12 pounds this summer,” Sowders said. “I think he’ll have a chance on down the line. He’s done a really nice job, but just really, really fortunate.”

Arkansas will open the season Thursday, Aug, 29, at 6:30 p.m. against UAPB on ESPNU.