With a nod to rapper Sir-Mix-a-Lot's iconic 1992 song "Baby Got Back," Arkansas football Coach Sam Pittman likes big offensive linemen and he cannot lie.
"Obviously, everybody I would assume knows I like big linemen," Pittman said recently. "I'm not saying a 275-pound man can't block a 315- to-330-pound man. I'm not saying that, but I would like him to have a little bit more anchor."
While we wait to see whether the 2020 Arkansas and SEC football season is actually played, one can't help but notice that Pittman has the program moving toward the anchors.
He added a trio of 2020 signees on the large side in Marcus Henderson (6-4, 315), Jalen St. Johnson (6-5, 320) and Ray Curry (6-4, 310).
Pittman has a pair of 2021 offensive line pledges in Wynne's Terry Wells (6-5, 306) and Rivercrest (Texas) Bogata standout Cole Carson (6-4, 285). and added a 2022 commit in Duncan, S.C., Byrne center prospect in Eli Henderson (6-5, 290),
Henderson looked over Fayetteville this past weekend on an unofficial visit (no contact with coaches) and came aboard Monday night around 10 p.m.
It's also hard not to look ahead to a 2022 recruiting class that could move the ball down the field in terms of getting to where Pittman wants to be up front and overall.
Arkansas has offered nine in-state juniors and landed three pledges from Greenland defensive end JJ Hollingsworth (6-4, 250), Dewitt tight end Dax Courtney (6-6, 212) and the out-of-state pledge in Henderson.
Pittman and offensive line coach Brad Davis have to be excited about what could be in that 2022 class.
That's because Arkansas has a pair of the nation's best 2022 offensive linemen in Joe T. Robinson's E'Marion Harris (6-6, 305) and Maumelle's Andrew Chamblee (6-7, 300) and a fellow four-star prospect in defensive tackle Nicholas "Nico" Davillier (6-5, 275).
All three are ranked in ESPN's Top 300 nationally with Chamblee at 217, Harris 261 and Davillier 265.
Chamblee is regarded as the 27th-best offensive tackle prospect, Harris at 32 and Davillier 14th nationally in terms of defensive tackles.
"I thought we needed a bigger football team," Pittman said. "I think if you look at our team, we do have speed. But I thought we needed to get bigger to compete in this league, and we're certainly headed that direction."
The Razorbacks have also offered Little Rock Parkview running back James Jointer (6-0, 205), Clarendon athlete Quincey McAdoo (6-3, 175) and the Fayetteville duo of linebacker Kaiden Turner (6-2, 218) and receiver Isaiah Sategna (5-11, 175).
Arkansas will have to fend off Alabama, Miami, Oklahoma, Oklahoma,Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Michigan, Michigan State and others to land this crop.
But there is a path back to relevance and it starts in-state as it usually does for the Razorbacks.