Sam Pittman previews Arkansas fall camp

um afternoon excited to be here excited to be back um for the season to start the players report um here this afternoon and um I do want to say something our Fields look fantastic we got a new field manager Douglas is it Douglas Bradley is that correct and man he's done a great job with our fields we sure are thankful uh for him we got a good football team the team's excited to be in and and uh I'm ready to answer any questions you may have for me well players report today obviously but you've seen them what do they look like how's the summer eight weeks cycle going and any notable improvements yeah it's went fantastic and I think Ben uh solders is going to talk to you a little bit later here at 2:30 uh but we've he'll tell you about all the growth that we had this the strongest team we've had by far um leanest team we've had by far um uh and and I just really like Trey the the camaraderie the togetherness of the team um they're fun to be around they're fun to uh you know they're working you know anytime you can work and and uh you really don't know it because you're enjoying what you do we I I feel like Ben's made this the toughest uh summer that we've had I felt like we did the same thing in Spring ball uh we're going to do the same thing in Fall Camp um but I don't know how you you can get your depth charts right and all that if you don't do that kind of you know you have to be in tough situations to understand how to handle them and we don't want that to be on a Saturday afternoon we want to have have it in the summer uh in Spring ball and now um I'm going a little bit everywhere on what your question is but to say um we've had some really great strides I think the guys that came in after Spring ball are are some guys probably need to talk about at some point uh because I think we really hit I think there was about 11 guys that came in 10 or 11 uh after Spring ball was over that I think will help us but our numbers are way up the guys that we brought in are are some of the stronger guys on our team um and I'll let Ben kind of get specific um with some of those guys in in their game you it got 5:30 I think the first week or that's at least on our schedule when our availability is and then it drops down into the mornings what was the reason for going afternoon late afternoon and then morning yeah I'll be honest with you I think we have acclamation we have plenty of time Trey um uh in our acclamation period to get used to the heat uh weather uh so I really did not want to go in the afternoon uh this week however School school because school's still uh in session um we would lose too many guys if we went um uh in the morning so I would rather go in the morning the whole time obviously uh moving the game up and moving uh getting into Camp two days earlier um cost us a little few more days of school so we're going to go the first four we're going to try to keep those four first four before the break exactly the same and we had we went to the afternoon now we're gonna go outside inside we'll we'll we'll start outside and come inside after after our second special team period um but I'm not trying to I'm trying to have good practices and and it's I know it's going to be really hot so I I am concerned about that I have the right to change that and bring some of that insight as well but I I do think I don't think we have to worry about this 25 practice period of going well we got to get acclimated to the heat we're still going to have plenty of time when school starts to do that so uh the only reason we did it is because school's still in session we have too many guys that would Mis practice if we went in the morning you say you guys are bigger I wonder if philosophically your run game might be more of an EMP like you could be more physical with the Run game this year certainly the plan um it was that way from um uh when we when we went into the portal um um Bobby uh obviously likes to throw a lot of play action well it's not any good if you can't uh threaten them with the Run game I like all the schematics uh that we're doing up front with our line doing a lot of different you know other other than just you know running full full Zone type schemes we're doing a lot of different pin and kickout pin and pulls um and of that if we can run the football which we felt like we had a a good spring of of physicality on both sides of the ball um then I think we can do the play action as well so uh we want to get back to that physical football it's hard to do if you don't practice that way and if you don't have the quite the kids ready at their position to do that but uh I feel really good um in our two day to deep uh in all our areas uh that we have uh were a little thin in some places after that it felt like you came out of spring feeling pretty good about your linebackers but I wonder the additions that you added you know uh you feel feeling even better about your def linebacker yeah great question I think I think too you know you got Steph dicks Larry worth who obviously did not go through Spring ball both very uh physical specimens I mean the their numbers I think Trey that'd be a good question to ask for for uh Ben uh their numbers you know coming out of uh of the summer program uh I also really like the addition of Wyatt Simmons and Brad Shaw two freshman now I don't talk about freshman a lot you know but those guys uh so I think our depth at linebacker and who starts and all that still obviously up for grabs we don't know anything about um worth and dicks on the field other than what we saw from where they came from but U I do think that was that was something we had to address and uh not that we don't have good players we just they're just young and uh so we'll figure out how how how that goes we have a lot of linebackers in that room therefore we're going to do a lot of two spotting here early guys because obviously we got to find out who's two and three at quarterback got to find out who can play at linebacker know I think again like I said I think we have 10 guys that came in in the April portal and those guys we have to get on the field to figure out if they can help us whether that be as depth or whether that be as starters the the message of better camaraderie and chemistry it was evident in the spring you know you just mentioned it earlier today was that something that you as coaches like realized needed to improve either by who you target into the portal or just talking to the team after they kind of got to campus and everything well I think um all the culture we start that but it really happens by the kids I mean it really does because if you look at it you know we might be with them two and a half hours a day and there's 24 in a day and whether they hang out with each other what they how they are in the locker room how they are um you know um in their Lounge uh do they hang out together I think that happens with people and you know a few I can say a whole bunch of them cam Ball's one of them Atlanta Jackson's one of them ton green came in and took the team once he once he earned the starting spot he he took the team it wasn't anything about me me me it was about us us us Carmona Blackstock Nicholls those guys are guys that are about team oriented and if you if you look at our o line and our d lines camaraderie a lot of times you know you're battling you get tired of each other they're close they hang out together so I think it has a lot to do with u who we get on the team possibly who's not on the team uh a lot of things go in with culture uh you guys are in the workforce and you're with people and you're going I guarantee your mind can think of that guy or that lady you're going man if she wasn't here how much different or he wasn't here how much different would it be you don't have to saying Hey I want to tell you who that person is right now I'm not calling nobody out but uh sometimes you get that in your culture becomes uh very powerful it can become powerful either way and right now um it is very very strong in a positive way along the offensive line in the spring we saw you know pretty much the same Five Guys running with the on is there going to be an emphasis this fall maybe to to mix and match or is it still very important to get those five guys working together as much as possible I think another good question I think I think we have the the guys in the right spot I think we have to create a battle with taes Crawford um I think we we're we are going to move him into Right Guard and he's played a lot of ball there but uh we're going to move him in to see if he could uh potentially start for us there now uh there's nothing against Brawn we like Brawn and all that but we have to give kids opportunities to start so if you think about it you're going what are you gonna do with Joe Moore you know so Joe Moore's played a lot of ball so what are you very very strong kid very very smart what are you going to do with him so our choice was we could either put him at Right Guard and and keep taist out there where he is or we can move taist and move Joe in it now we may move that combination at some point but that's today that's how we think we could have our best depth uh right there so I think we have the guys there's not a lot of movement that we're thinking well well we'll move him to left tackle at some point you always want to have at least three at least three guards at least three tackles at least three centers but they that doesn't have to Total nine if if that's that's what I'm uh if that's what we're talking about so I think as important what we need to find who are our centers that we believe that that we can go win SEC games with and you just obviously you can't just have one there so my biggest question was who's two who's three obviously Wiggins is two but then who becomes that third Center and is he on the Travel list as it is right now coach uh did is Bale did he go on scholarship and also can you talk about the play kicking competition I know you Pi up a new guy this summer yeah um Devon bell went on scholarship um the the same day that we had a scholarship available um I really have a lot of a lot of conf a lot of confidence in Devon Bell we said all last year we had two punters that could punt for most anybody and and uh I really like uh Devon Bell he was so uh grateful um when he got the scholarship uh as you guys know I'm not really a flashy guy with that kind of stuff but but uh he was very very happy there you know you have three kickers there then you got Ramsay and Shipley and and veto and uh obviously we went we went and got Ramy um in the April portal and uh that's that to me that's one of our big we have to find out you know and so we've got to put them in some pressure situations and to be honest with you we got to put them in the stadium it's just different and uh so that's going to be a battle those between those three guys and uh we need to find out fairly quick you know I think we need to find out before school starts who who we think next two weeks two two and a half weeks who's going to be that guy fedo probably gonna kick off well could um um he certainly could um that again that could be a battle as well you don't mind having like a kickoff guy and then field goal an extra point have two different kickers to carry I think if you ask God he would rather it be that way to be perfectly honest with you um Cam little came to me last year Otis and he he said I want to kick off and I said well hell if you earn it then you can I want to do do a lot of I will lose some weight too but hell um uh so he went out there and he earned it and uh and did a great job so I don't have anything against that uh obviously whoever our best guy is that's what we'll do but no I I I wouldn't have a problem of traveling those you I I feel like what you'd like to do is that guy be your backup if he wins the job at least be your backup field goal kicker Sam SEC media picked you guys 14th are you guys using that as a motivational thing coming I don't know we haven't had our team meeting yet we might they picked a lot of people 14th we might Sam as a as a followup to Otis's question you mentioned baale going on scholarship is there anybody else any other Walk-Ons you've put on scholarships and how many spots maybe do you have have left to fa I one right now uh I have one scholarship and uh I don't know if I put another guy on you know put Josh Street on would would came to my mind but that was a year year and a half ago I can't remember Pat you remember anybody that I have uh Devin Devon was just is kind of a trade you know we we we usually give three scholarships excuse me for special teams where it be your your hold your Snapper your punter and your kicker um so we were trying to stay status quo with that so once we had a hunter going to the portal we were ready to go with with Devon and you mentioned 10 or 11 new guys coming in since the spring how do you go about meshing those guys in you think they've done enough over the summer to be able to fit you know pick hit the ground run in and fall camp or is there going to adjustment period how does that go yeah you guys are on it man a really good question again um we're g to have um we're going to two spot a bunch of drills a bunch um got 120 kids coming into Camp um we've got to find out about these guys and you know how you you know there there is such thing as having a good mental rep and all that but a mental rep we don't know what rep they got when it's a physical we can see it uh so we're going to have to do a lot of two spotting early we want to I don't think it's going to put any more burden on the kids simply because their their reps are not going to change um but we're going to get a lot of looks at these guys and that's probably the biggest concern about you know coming out at 105 in the future is that that's going to eliminate some of that two spotting it's going to eliminate some of the development of the younger guys the development of the guys that you don't know quite as much about uh that's probably the biggest concern about going to 105 that in injuries as the season goes um but right now we're at 120 and we're going to TW spot a lot so we can find out who we have we're also going to tackle a lot this fall uh so we can give kids opportunity to show us what they are and so we can give them opportunity to beat somebody out coach how about five years now for you what's a what's an adjustment or two maybe in your preparation for the season that you feel like maybe you didn't know five years ago but you feel like it's part of what you do now oh man we got we got a long time to answer that question you know I think we learn all the time um um you know I go back to some of the decisions you know I think I'm just going to let my mind and my eyes see what I see and and and go from there and you know the one thing about it is if you're always worried about what if something happens wrong with what you decide then you'll never take a chance you know and so my first two two and a half years I think I just decided what I wanted so that's one of them be be be uh positive into preparation understand where we're going to go if we decide to do something if we decide to go for it understand where we're going uh are you are we confident if I hear a doubt of confidence on the head just say okay let's punt the ball or let's kick the field goal whatever it may be uh that um organization wise I think I'm better with this overall staff not just the football staff but the overall staff and importance of of all what they do um I think I have a better grasp of nil than I had before um and uh handling that better you know there's a lot of stressors in our job you you've got them too uh and trying to eliminate as much stress makes you uh make better decisions and and uh I feel really good I feel good about where we're at I feel good about the staff and U uh so I've learned a lot of things um I'm still going to make mistakes in other words you're going to make a decision that's going to turn out and not be the correct one have more patience than I used to have um I'm not as as dictatorship as I used to be you know I think I've I've uh learned it a little bit that way hope so yeah Sam you brought up the 105 a minute ago what's your overall take on that it seems like you know it's good obviously more kids can get on scholarship but if they're going to limit you to 105 you're losing you know 15 players or whatever or 15 roster spots what's your overall take on that well I really don't like it to be perfectly honest with you uh now let me tell you this Bob that you're going to be able to chop up your scholarships which now it's 85 fools you're going to be able to you know reward some other guys the problem is are we going to go 85 and 20 nobody in the SEC wants to lose the walk-on program nobody I mean hell we got the burlsworth trophy I mean nobody and if you go down and look at the list of guys who have won that as starting out as Walk-Ons you know and have won that trophy it's an incredible list of kids that H we had one in Grant Morgan you know imagine Grant didn't play at the University of Arkansas because we couldn't we couldn't eventually help him or or we can't nowadays every Walk-On's probably going to get a little bit of money and something like that imagine he went D2 or whatever like I did um we don't want to lose the walk-on program and so as I understand that we're not going to have to but if the Big 10 or the Big 12 is going to 105 full scholarships at what time is the SEC going to do the same thing so I just don't think it's enough our number was 110 I felt like that was fair um you know we can't go out and and get another player during the season like the NFL can and I know they start with a significant lower number than we do but they also can go replace a guy we wouldn't be able to do that so I wish it was close I wish it was 110 and I don't want to lose the walk-on status of our kids I think it's important especially in our state to have Walk-Ons from your state on the team you brought another veteran guy in and uh Anthony Switzer one of the late guys to where do where do you see him fitting in safety nickel good point uh right now we've been in our OTAs and walks and and things we we've uh put him and Larry worth at two spots we put him at the Willie uh Inside the Box uh linebacker what however you want to say it depending on formation Sam or what put him inside the Box uh and we've also put him out at the hog position as as a nickel uh him and Larry both so I think that's try to be honest with you that's one of our biggest things is to see where they're going to play for us and exactly how good they are um but to answer your question I think switch can play play inside the box I think he can play hog and I think he can play boundary and field safety so we've got to figure that out and again I'd like to figure that out to where we could have at least two full weeks of practicing in that one position but I think we've got to figure out where he would fit is he one of our best 11 if he is where is that fit and we've got to give him and Larry and stepen dicks for that matter all those guys that opportunity return a lot of guys on the defensive interior um plus and far expected to play a bigger role what about Danny s um am I saying that right s s s yeah I found that out today too I just called him Danny she gonna be able to help yall yes I like the kid you know I think right now you're looking um at least five guys there on the interior and uh but I like Dan he's got really good quickness strong as he's strong uh came in here uh you know it's if your kids are in shape you can find out how good they are you can find out the real person I don't know how how much Danny's been in shape but he is now and uh so I really like him he's got a low Center gravity he's big he's close to 400 I don't know what he is 3 390 380 something and and uh moves well so I think he's going to be able to help us and U and really on the outside Trey you're you're you're looking at you know Quincy roads and Jun Cod you know other than Nico and and uh Atlanta Jackson so uh probably finding the fifth guy there is going to be major important to us as well I want to ask about your safety that you got the veterans Clark and um Johnson but what's it looking like behind those well I think you know the the the name that pops up right off my mind is TJ matf now TJ ran 22 on on on his catapult so uh he obviously was a lot faster than you know he got Miguel Mitchell um who we' like uh went in the portal to get him and if you look at that and then you think about and I'm talking about other than JJ and and HUD if you look at that and then you go okay what about Switzer you know what what's his capabilities there what about Cy now cuy um is obviously a corner and we were gonna give him every chance to win a corner position he also has a body that he could play safety too I think if you look in totality of what we did in the portal um trying to get depth at the safety spot that's where we didn't get near the numbers there I think we got quality um but we didn't get to near the numbers there that what we did in other positions I think we're good there I don't know that we're way past too deep and then the tight end spot the growth you've seen from has and the rest of that Bunch well uh gums gums sticks out in my mind right away you know LC is 242 too and looks good and and and uh doing well um POA is a guy that's got to come on we got to find out you know we liked him in the spring we need to love him and so uh that's another one having Tai Washington back is going to help us as well I think um obviously you guys knew he played some good ball and then unfortunately got hurt and so I think those four guys are are uh are going to put a good good group together and then we'll wait and see where Shamar and them guys come end up you you mentioned Tai wash there I guess he's back just how are you healthwise I think Jaden Allen maybe had something just how are you there's um there's U three guys here Justin Logan has the shoulder Jaden Allen's got a knee carage repair and uh and uh who was other fell who yeah Zuri Madison had his ACL so those guys probably will not play this year other than that um Juju Pope got a hamstring that that'll that'll probably limit him for the first week week and a half and uh I think that's about it and I noticed you have a you have a fullback on your roster now Kyle th him over there you've got a 250lb running back and brayan Russell uh then I'll see so you got uh Andreas at tight end 260 I mean what do those guys maybe bring to the offense can does it give you more flexibility to do stuff with you know some bigger bodies like that I think so I mean I think if if you look at our offense we're trying to be a phys we're trying to get back to that physicality and that that size you know and and uh I think I think uh JJ I think J quendon is is perfect for what we're trying to do and then if you look at him and Hill and and Reed and and brilin they're all a little bit different um and of course our dub um so I like where we're at there but I think we just tried to get bigger so we can run the football coach appreciate you that's it Go h