FAYETTEVILLE — As Arkansas’ offensive line coach from 2013-15, Sam Pittman wanted to identify his eight best offensive linemen by about two weeks before the season opener.
Two Saturdays before the Razorbacks are set to open the 2022 football season against Cincinnati, Pittman was quick with the names of eight linemen he feels good about playing against the Bearcats on Sept. 3.
The first five or six linemen are easy to identify. Arkansas returns four starters from 2021 in center Ricky Stromberg, right guard Beaux Limmer, left guard Brady Latham and right tackle Dalton Wagner. Luke Jones is another veteran up front who is expected to start at left tackle, and Pittman has been complimentary of the play of Ty’Kieast Crawford, who is likely to split snaps with Wagner at right tackle.
The seventh and eighth linemen, Pittman said, have battled injuries throughout camp. Those are Marcus Henderson, a back-up center who has worn a no-contact jersey this month due to a pectoral injury, and Devon Manuel, a left tackle who has been out for more than a week with an undisclosed injury.
Freshman tackle Andrew Chamblee is pushing to be in the top eight. Pittman indicated that after Chamblee are redshirt sophomore guard Jalen St. John, freshman center Patrick Kutas, redshirt freshman center Josh Street and freshman guard E’Marion Harris.
“After eight we get pretty young,” Pittman said. “That doesn’t mean that we get bad, it just means that they’re inexperienced.”
Arkansas’ younger linemen have gotten a chance to grow during camp due to injuries. Henderson, Manuel and Street (ankle) missed Saturday’s scrimmage inside Razorback Stadium, and center Ricky Stromberg left with what Pittman said he believed to be a hyperextended elbow.
"The offensive line is probably the one spot that's that's been beat up the most so far," Pittman said.
The Razorbacks’ coach takes an optimistic tone when discussing the injuries. None of the injuries threaten to keep players out of practice for long. Most, if not all, of the linemen are expected to return by the time Arkansas begins its game preparation for Cincinnati on Thursday.
The absences also provide the coaching staff to evaluate players who might not otherwise practice with and against players so high up the depth chart. That will make the team better, Pittman said.
One example is Kutas, who would likely battle St. John for the second-team left guard position in most practices. He is probably the team’s sixth-string center, Pittman said, but he was taking second-team snaps at the position Saturday.
"If you want to teach somebody how to play O-line, put him at center because he has to know everything at that point," Pittman said. "He doesn't have to just know his spot. He has to know everything. He's kind of the quarterback up there and I've always thought that it'd be a great place to play what you consider one of your best or your best young kid, because he has to learn the game in there."
Wagner said Kutas is ahead of most freshmen at this point in camp.
"It's really unique for an offensive lineman to come in with the knowledge he has and the ability he has," Wagner said. "I can think back to probably most years I've been here, with the exception of Ricky, Beaux and Brady, most of us weren't ready to play. He reminds me a lot of Ricky when he first came in with his innate ability, his understanding of his body and overall kind of aptitude for the offense is a really, really unique thing.
"He's done a tremendous job no matter where he's been at. You're going to lose some reps, but, overall, he's positive on everything. I know the coaches are high on him and the offensive line loves him in there."
Pittman seems pleased with his line. He said the group has always been good at run blocking — the Razorbacks ranked seventh nationally and led all Power 5 teams with 227.8 rushing yards per game last season — but has improved in its pass protection after opposing defenses recorded 30 sacks a year ago.
“They’ve been playing together for a while now and really understand each other,” Pittman said.
“I think we’re going to be fine on the O-line. We're six and seven deep right now, and more than that if we’re healthy.”
Wagner said the receivers are making the line have to play better with their ability to get open deep down the field.
"What's usually a five- or six-second protection turns into 10 seconds because these guys are making routes happen down there," Wagner said. "You've got to protect them and make sure we can get the ball up."
Pittman said Jones has been a good addition to the first-team line. He battled Latham for the starting left guard position a year ago and played in every game, so there is familiarity.
“He’s one of the most popular guys in the room,” Pittman said. “They love the kid and they’re a very, very, very tight-knit group.
“I don’t know how you get that cohesiveness unless your position coach makes it that way in his room and the kids accept it. To me, that’s what’s going on in there.”
Other notes from Saturday’s closed scrimmage:
• Pittman said quarterback KJ Jefferson was not intercepted and did not have any snaps hit the ground. Because of Jefferson’s growth and the play of the receivers around him, Pittman said he thinks the Razorbacks will have a “much different offense” this season. “We didn’t know what we had going into the Rice game last year,” Pittman said of the 2021 season opener. “We do this year.”
• According to Pittman, notable offensive highlights Saturday included a 30-yard catch and a 15-yard run by running back Raheim Sanders; a touchdown catch by tight end Nathan Bax in red-zone work; touchdown catches by Sam Mbake, Matt Landers and Quincey McAdoo; a separate 25-yard catch by McAdoo; a touchdown run by Jefferson; a 25-yard pass from Jefferson to Warren Thompson; and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Malik Hornsby to Ketron Jackson.
• Defensive players who Pittman said stood out were defensive ends Landon Jackson, Dorian Gerald and Jordan Domineck. Pittman said Jackson “was all around the QB all day” before he aggravated an ankle injury.
• Arkansas did not have any kickoffs out of bounds Saturday, Pittman said, after struggling in that area in its first scrimmage last week. Cam Little is the leading candidate to be the Razorbacks’ kickoff specialist, but Texas State transfer Jake Bates is also in the mix.
• Hudson Clark and LaDarrius Bishop started at cornerback Saturday. Other cornerbacks battling for playing time, according to Pittman, are Dwight McGlothern, Malik Chavis, Khari Johnson and Keuan Parker. Pittman said Clark has been the best player at the position in the first two weeks of the preseason.
• Receivers Isaiah Sategna and Bryce Stephens are in a couple of position battles, Pittman said, as second-team slot receivers and to be the team’s starting punt returner.
• Running back Dominique Johnson (knee) and center Marcus Henderson (pectoral) will begin doing individual work next week as they make their way back from injuries. Henderson is expected to be able to play in the season opener. A timeline for Johnson’s return is not known.
• Tackle Devon Manuel might be about a week away from returning from an undisclosed injury, Pittman said.
• Defensive tackle Marcus Miller could return by mid-to-late next week after undergoing a knee scope early in camp.
• Receiver Jaedon Wilson is nursing an injury to the AC joint in his shoulder. Pittman said Wilson is not expected to be out long.