Razorbacks football report
Texas and Ole Miss.
Pittman was asked about the projection of those three opponents and a nine-game slate after Thursday’s spring practice opener.
“I think renewing the Texas rivalry for our fans, and I’m supposing — I don’t know this, but I’m supposing — the University of Texas fans. It’s a close proximity,” Pittman said.
Pittman said he figured Missouri Coach Eli Drinkwitz felt the same as he did in not wanting the teams’ Battle Line rivalry to fall off.
The permanent Arkansas vs. Missouri series started in 2014 and the Tigers lead the series 7-2 since it started. Missouri is 5-0 at home in that stretch, including a 29-27 win last year in Columbia, Mo.
“I did not want to lose the rivalry with Missouri,” Pittman said. “I think it’s a great rivalry.
“And the other one was Ole Miss or Oklahoma or whomever, and they gave us Ole Miss. Certainly, I think all three of them are really good football teams. They keep us pretty close. It’ll be close for the fans to go see games every other year. I would be really excited about the nine-game schedule.”
QB talk
Incoming quarterbacks Jacolby Criswell and Malachi Singleton split reps behind seniors KJ Jefferson and Cade Fortin through the first two workouts.
Criswell, a 6-1, 224-pound redshirt junior from Morrilton, transferred in from North Carolina this winter. Singleton is a 6-1, 232-pound early enrollee freshman from Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb.
“Those guys are extremely talented,” Jefferson said Friday. “Jacolby has been in a system like this, so he knows what it takes. Great ball guy. Loves football.
“Malachi is coming in, so he’s still trying to find his role right now and get [acclimated] to college ball and the speed of trying to slow the game down for himself. So, with those guys, we just try to wrap our arms around, me and Cade Fortin, just try to wrap our arms around those guys, keep bringing them on.”
Singleton dropped a nice deep ball in to redshirt freshman Isaiah Sategna for an impressive catch and would-be touchdown in one-on-one work on Friday. Criswell threw a dart of a completion to Sam Mbake on an in-cut route on Friday versus tight coverage.
Kade Renfro, who is recovering from knee surgery, has been involved in drill work throwing passes each of the first two days.
Front flex
The Razorbacks have taken looks at many different players with the first couple of units on the offensive line through two practices, as Sam Pittman suggested on Thursday, and some have worked at both tackle and guard, such as three-year starter Brady Latham.
The left tackle spot is the one Pittman and line coach Cody Kennedy want to nail down.
Sitting on 77
Arkansas will have eight scholarships available when the NCAA transfer portal opens back up for 15 days, starting on April 15, the day of the Hogs’ spring showcase.
Identifying and landing more help with pass rushers or standout defensive linemen, defenders at the linebacker and secondary levels, perhaps another tight end, wideout or offensive lineman, are all possibilities for the Razorbacks.
Coach Sam Pittman said the Hogs will have a strategic plan in place for adding players from the next portal opening. He specifically mentioned linebacker, offensive line, defensive line and tight end as areas of portal interest.
“I think we just don’t want to take somebody that we don’t think can help the football team,” Pittman said. “We’ve done a pretty good job in the portal as far as taking guys that can help us.
“If we find anybody at really any position, probably unless it’s quarterback and maybe running back, we would take them, but we are actively looking for those four positions that I talked to you about, along with possibly a safety.”
Coming up
The Razorbacks will squeeze in three more practices prior to spring break, with workouts set for today, Tuesday and Thursday.
There is no media viewing window nor interviews scheduled for today’s practice, but there will be media opportunities after the fourth and fifth workouts later in the week.
Arkansas will head to spring break on Friday and return with a practice on March 28. At that point, the Razorbacks are scheduled to work on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for two weeks in a row, followed by practices on April 11, 13 and 14 leading into the spring showcase on April 15.
The Razorbacks’ Pro Day is scheduled for March 29.