Razorbacks report

Arkansas to debut at No. 19

An Arkansas football helmet sits on the ground prior to a game between the Razorbacks and Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, in Lexington, Ky.
An Arkansas football helmet sits on the ground prior to a game between the Razorbacks and Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, in Lexington, Ky.

FAYETTEVILLE -- The University of Arkansas earned a preseason ranking higher than the one the Razorbacks held to finish last season when The Associated Press slotted them at No. 19 in its debut poll on Monday.

The Razorbacks are coming off a 9-4 season under Coach Sam Pittman in which they finished the year at No. 21 following four trophy game wins.

The AP rankings are compiled with votes from a nationwide panel of 63 sports writers and broadcasters.

Arkansas will face five other teams who join them in the AP preseason rankings, including the Sept. 3 season opener against No. 23 Cincinnati, which finished 13-1 last year.

The Razorbacks will be ranked and playing a ranked team in its season opener for the first time since 1980, when the No. 6 Hogs opened with a 23-17 loss at No. 20 Texas.

Arkansas will open against a ranked opponent for the first time since hosting No. 4 Georgia in 2020.

The Razorbacks are also scheduled to play No. 1 Alabama and No. 6 Texas A&M (on back-to-back weeks), No. 21 Ole Miss, and No. 25 BYU. Arkansas has four other games against teams receiving votes in the poll: LSU, Mississippi State, Auburn and South Carolina.

Other SEC teams in the rankings are No. 3 Georgia and No. 20 Kentucky.

Alabama received 54 first-place votes, while No. 2 Ohio State got 6 and defending CFP champion Georgia earned the remaining 4.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette uses the AP rankings as its poll of record each season until the College Football Playoff rankings are released, starting in late October.

The Razorbacks were No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches preseason rankings released last week.

Early work

The Razorbacks had their earliest practice in workout No. 9 of camp on Monday, with a start around 7:30 a.m. and media-viewing opening about 7:50 at the practice fields outside Walker Pavilion. Coach Sam Pittman flew to Little Rock for his appearance at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's debut meeting after the practice.

The Razorbacks worked in light shoulder pads and shorts to prepare for a heavier day today following Saturday's scrimmage and a day off the practice field on Sunday.

Pittman's third edition is 19 days out from the season opener against Cincinnati.

In and out

One of the biggest news items of the day was the return of several players who have missed time recently, led by safety Jalen Catalon, who was in Texas attending a funeral over the weekend.

Also returning were defensive tackles Cam Ball and Taylor Lewis, who missed about a week apiece after going through what Sam Pittman suggested was concussion protocols. Ball got work with the second unit alongside transfer Terry Hampton. Defensive back Jacorrei Turner (shoulder) came out of his green no-contact jersey, while center Marcus Henderson (pec) remained in his.

Offensive tackle Andrew Chamblee, who came out of Saturday's scrimmage work with a shoulder problem, was back at work, taking reps with the second-team offense at left tackle behind Luke Jones.

Offensive tackle Devon Manuel, who Pittman said has been "beaten up" lately, was not spotted during the workout, leading to Chamblee's time with the twos.

Fastball starts

Raheim Sanders had a couple of runs during the fastball start, and KJ Jefferson hit Matt Landers about 10 yards down the left sideline, with Jalen Catalon in position to make an immediate hit on the final play for the first unit.

Malik Hornsby went 0 for 2 with the second group, with a pass for Ketron Jackson Jr. being broken up by LaDarrius Bishop, and AJ Green failing to latch onto a low throw over the middle.

Quarterback Cade Fortin had a couple of runs with the third group and Rashod Dubinion got to the edge on the right.

Kennedy's turf

Offensive line coach Cody Kennedy said his primary recruiting areas are in Georgia and his native Alabama, but he suggested there's nowhere he won't go for specialty recruiting.

"If there's a large human somewhere that's running people over, I'm probably going to fly in and see them," Kennedy said. "I'm on a big O-line tour, usually on a national scale of big guys that can play for us and fit our mold in our room. But yeah, Georgia is the short answer."

Back in 1902

Coach Sam Pittman related a jab on Saturday he got in on seventh-year senior Dorian Gerald and transfer defensive end Jordan Domineck earlier in camp.

Pittman prefaced the story by saying Domineck, who came in from Georgia Tech and wears No. 14, has looked great the last three or four practices.

"He just didn't know how to practice like we like to practice," Pittman said, then added, "I actually put it up in front of the team and said, "Since 1902, this is the worst D-line rep I've ever seen,

"I told them I went back in the archives to 1902 of every high school, every college ... I was mad. But he got the hint and man he came on."

Pittman later added Gerald to the story but said he also added some positive reinforcement.

"By the way, I made up with those guys on the 1902 because I found clips during practice when they were hauling it, and I put it back on there," he said. "And one of them was Dorian. Because he was on the 1902 team. And so was Jordan. And so I made it up to them because I kept trying to find one where they were just busting it, and they did."

Pounds downs

Offensive line coach Cody Kennedy praised freshmen mammoth linemen E'Marion Harris and Devon Manuel, who are 6-7 and 6-9, respectively, for slimming down considerably.

"Devon Manuel probably started at about 405, if we're being real," Kennedy said. "E-Harris started at about 385.

"Both those kids today are sitting about the 325, 330 range. Those kids have absolutely busted their tails. And they knew it. They felt it."

Kennedy said strength and conditioning coach Jamil Walker and his staff and the nutrition department, led by Julia Zalewski, deserve a lot of credit.

"But the kids get credit, too," Kennedy said. "They made their mind up this offseason that they couldn't do things in the spring that they wanted to go achieve.

"Man, they put their head down and did it. E-Harris, Devon Manuel, those two kids are doing a great job. They need a pat on the back. I told them I was going to do it in the meeting room today."

Top returners

Coach Sam Pittman touched on the players in the running to return kickoffs and punts after Saturday's scrimmage, and freshman Isaiah Sategna from Fayetteville is in the mix.

Pittman also included receivers Jadon Haselwood, Matt Landers, Bryce Stephens and Harper Cole, running back AJ Green and nickel back Myles Slusher as players with return potential.

"Right now I think you're looking at Landers ... as a kickoff [return] guy, as well as those other guys," Pittman said. "And then on the punt return, you're looking at Bryce and probably Sategna as trying to fight that one out there.

"I don't have any problem playing a freshman back there. This kid, any time you compete like he has out of high school and all the state championships he's played on in track and he's played on a really quality high school team, as long as we give him enough reps, I'm not going to worry about him. He's a special guy."


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