I ached to ask one question as Sam Pittman addressed a media day gathering that reminded me of the 1970s — such an intimate gathering that the 6-foot social distancing guidelines from last fall were not needed.
Most everyone in the Broyles Center media room leaned forward when the magic question surfaced about 75% through Pittman’s question-and-answer session.
Who will be the surprise of the 2021 Arkansas football team?
Pittman, the second-year coach, didn’t give a name, but he did pinpoint the position with his answer.
“We have to find a No. 2 running back,” Pittman said. “Whoever that is, I think we'll talk a lot about him.”
To be a surprise, it has to be someone off the radar just a tad. It can’t be someone already penciled in as a starter. Those can’t be good surprises, only the other way.
That KJ Jefferson will be able to handle the rigors of playing quarterback in the SEC won’t surprise. I think he is more than adequate for this team’s needs, in ability, leadership and as a passer.
Yes, I read and hear many question whether or not Jefferson is up to all of those things, but I won’t be surprised if he is, only if he is not.
It’s players who are going to earn time at the positions where starters can’t carry the load from start to finish in a game that can surprise. Trelon Smith is a quality player at running back, maybe one of the team’s most talented players.
As I’ve written before, an SEC running back (or tailback if you want to be specific) is among the most talented athletes in the world. They have speed, size and unique ability to change direction. They have vision. They have heart.
Smith checks all the boxes, even at 5-9, 190 pounds. His only real minus might be as a true home-run threat. Can he leave in the dust an SEC defensive back with an angle like Fred Talley? But he’ll do, maybe in a big way.
The question, as identified by Pittman, centers around who is going to give him a rest. In an uptempo offense as called by coordinator Kendal Briles, there are times when a second man is not only necessary, but absolutely required. Plus, no team makes it through the SEC with one back. Two is probably not enough.
Briles said after the spring in a one-on-one interview that one of the advancements noted in the spring was Smith’s help in promoting a faster tempo. In other words, when he goes down with the ball, make sure it goes to the right official so the referee blows the next play good to snap.
Don’t dilly-dally. Don’t disrupt the play at the end of your run.
It sounds so simple, but it also simply put means Smith has to be in perfect condition — and a backup has to be ready for the next possession. Ideally, the defense gets a three-and-out and the Hogs are ready to increase the tempo, maybe with a second back or a third.
You get the point. But who is it going to be?
We didn’t get an answer like Arkansas pitching coach Matt Hobbs provided in January when he told me that we’d all be writing about Kevin Kopps in three months.
There are options, although some were not even on campus for spring practice. Consider:
• Rocket Sanders, 6-2, 225, Fr. — Signed as a wide receiver, but quickly prepared to play running back after arriving on campus in January. He’s got size, speed, moxie and a desire to be great. He’s not Darren McFadden, although he’s wearing McFadden's old No. 5. The results in the spring shouldn’t be listed any higher than promising.
• Josh Oglesby, 5-8, 175, Jr. — A sprinter on the track team, Oglesby sparkled in some early practices last fall, but went out with a broken foot. He has speed and ability to cut on a dime. Again, there are a lot of positives, but he’s not done a thing in a game. He’s similar to Smith in ability, but there are lots of unknowns.
• Dominique Johnson, 6-1, 236, So. — Stolen from Missouri late in the recruiting process in Pittman’s first class, Johnson seemed a little heavy last fall. He shed a few pounds and stepped up his game in the spring. He ran more behind his pads, or lower. He may be the big back Pittman covets. He will run between the tackles and deliver some punch. If physicality is the desired quality for the backup, this might be the winner.
• A. J. Green, 5-11, 200, Fr. — Some think Green, a summer arrival after a spectacular football/track career at Tulsa Union, will emerge here. But the key for a true freshman will be how much he adapts to playing with the big boys. Some, like Felix Jones or McFadden, just accelerate and never look back. For sure, Green has a gear to accelerate. Can he hold on to the ball when the big boys splatter him? He has some Felix Jones qualities. Maybe he’s this football team’s Kopps.
• T. J. Hammonds, 5-10, 191, Sr. — The question concerning Hammonds has always been ball security. He has wiggle, enough size and skill to catch the ball. He’s electric in the open field and is a home-run threat. He has been on campus almost as long as Kopps. He’s one of those super seniors back for one last go-round because of covid-19 relief.
Oh, there are other questions that seemed on target, but they were less juicy. Pittman had answers to most.
I was interested in the availability of massive offensive tackle Ty’Kieast Crawford, a transfer from Charlotte in January. He’s eligible after working his way through some academic issues in the spring. He also missed time because of a concussion.
Listed at 6-5, 350 on the roster presented Thursday, Crawford is cleared in all ways for practice Friday. Pittman said he’d begin work as the third teamer at right tackle behind Dalton Wagner and Marcus Henderson.
My question: How long will such a talent toil on the second team with no massive bodies at right or left guard? Ty Clary now packs 315 on his 6-4 frame. Clary figures to start at right guard. That leaves left guard as a possible landing spot for Crawford.
Brady Latham (6-5, 305), Luke Jones (6-5, 310), Beaux Limmer (6-5, 300) and Shane Clenin (6-6, 325) are others with experience at guard. Only Crawford has the size that Pittman has always coveted at guard. Do you remember Sebastian Tretola?
Short-yardage running requires guards who can plow forward, not get knocked back. Big men on the goal line are the requirement in most SEC games.
However, Crawford won’t move there until he proves he’s not in the top two at tackle, where those quick feet are much needed in pass sets. Don’t confuse his athletic ability with Shawn Andrews or Jason Peters, but it’s close enough to check out his progress there for a bit.
There are not many SEC right tackles in this world, a beast who can make the field seem to shake when they run. Players like Henderson and Crawford provide hope for the future of a Pittman offensive line.
Pittman said this team reports in shape after what he calls one of the best summers of conditioning and lifting he’s been around. Players were given targets for both weight and lifting. All were hit, or within 5 pounds.
No one disqualified himself in an attempt to become that backup running back. It’s the critical thing in the next three weeks.
Pittman said the improvement the Hogs will show this season will be tied to an ability to run the ball on third-and-short. He doesn’t want to have to call a slant pass to move the chains this season.
“We are going to turn and hand the ball off,” he said.
That’s a great mindset, but who will take that handoff after Trelon Smith?