Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: You're listening to the Whole Hog Sports podcast. And now here's your host, Matt Jones.
[00:00:08] Speaker B: It's Arkansas football game week. We've got the depth chart for the Razorbacks today. We'll talk about it, but first, a word from Kendall King.
[00:00:14] Speaker C: At Kendall King, we're proud of over four decades of design.
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[00:00:41] Speaker B: A little bit of a shorter show for us today than usual. We had a longer show planned, but because of the events over at the university today, it disrupted our schedule here. For those of you who don't know, there was a report of an active shooter on campus. Fayetteville police said that they could not find any evidence of that, but the reporters and everyone who was on campus, they were told to stay in a lockdown mode. And Christina Long was one of them. She's here with us on ZOOM today. She was going to be in studio with me.
You know, this has just affected our schedule here this afternoon. Christina, glad you're here.
You know, the big news today is that the depth chart came out for the Razorbacks ahead of this game Saturday against Alabama A and M. When you saw the depth chart, was there anything that stood out to you?
[00:01:32] Speaker A: Yeah, there were a few kind of standout pieces here. Nothing I would classify as a crazy surprise. I think the biggest surprise to me was seeing C.J. brown at one slot receiver over Raylan Sharp. Coach Pittman said that some of that has to do with Raylan Sharp was a little bit banged up throughout fall camp, so didn't get to totally kind of show it all of camp. And then C.J. brown, he said, was one of the most consistent players that they had and that he did really well in that slot spot. So he had been kind of on that other outside position that Jalen Brown is listed at starter four. So we kind of knew he would be up there in the mix, but he kind of came on late as in the slot, so that was one that kind of stood out.
Coach Whitman noted that all of these receivers that are on here, you're gonna see them a lot throughout the season. You're probably gonna see them a lot in this game as obviously they're expecting to get to use a lot of different players when they Play Alabama A and M.
So I think that was the one thing that stood out to me most.
[00:02:30] Speaker B: Then that's the thing with the depth chart is that really outside of what, the quarterback position? I mean, if you are not the starter at your position, it doesn't mean you're going to. You're not in the rotation. And then I think maybe sometimes we make a little bit too much of the depth chart, I think at, you know, pretty much everywhere, whether it be running back, receiver, tight end. I guess offensive line would be kind of like quarterback as well, potentially. But most of these positions, just because you're not a starter doesn't mean you're not playing.
[00:02:58] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. I mean, these are all things we're going to see kind of multiple people in the rotation. I mean, one of the things that we were kind of holding on to see was how they were going to line up at defensive back. So. But obviously that's a position where you're going to get people in and out of the road to them there. So they've got Julian Neal and Kanai Walker as they're starting corners. They got Miguel Mitchell or Caleb Wooden at one of the safety spots and then Larry Worth at the other safety spot and then Jordan Young at nickel, which we pretty much knew that he would be the one nickel. So, you know, I. I wouldn't call any of those big surprises. I think all the guys on that too deep, you're going to see. I think they feel pretty good about all of them. They might change, you know, who the starter is throughout the year.
Something else that was interesting was Keyshawn Blackstock making the two deep at defensive tackle. You know, we just found out the other day when Coach Fitman was on his radio show last week that Blackstock was going to move from offensive line to defensive tackle and get a look there. And so then for him to be on the two deep behind camp ball is notable. I think part of that is, you know, obviously the depth concerns that they have with David Okey, who would have been in that spot most likely being out for at least this game, maybe the first couple weeks.
But the freshman Kevin Otis is at three behind them, and he's a guy that they feel like could play if they needed him to.
[00:04:13] Speaker B: Say Pittman was asked about injuries today. It sounds like Xavian, sorry, is going to be able to go this weekend. Even Raylan Sharp will probably be able to go based on what he said. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I mean, it kind of sounds like David OKE is really the only one that. That sounds like he's out for this game.
[00:04:29] Speaker A: Yeah, that's kind of what he said. You know, Xavian Story had. Had missed a little bit of practice time, been a little limited with a hamstring, but they said he's going to go today and should be fine for this weekend. So it doesn't sound like they've got any big health concerns going into week one, which is always good. I mean, he likes to play, you know, a fairly physical fall camp. You know, they don't take any unnecessary risks, I would say, but they might do things a little bit more physically than some other schools.
But he feels like they made it out okay. So that's definitely notable.
[00:04:56] Speaker B: I want to drill in a little bit here real quick on, on the right side of the offensive line with this either or at right guard and right tackle, Kobe Branham or Imarian Harris at right guard or Amari and Harris or Shaq McCroy at right tackle. How do you think that's going to shake out this weekend?
[00:05:15] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, Marion Harris is a guy they just really want to get on the field. Sam said they actually want to get him some reps at left tackle too on Saturday just because they, they've kind of throughout practice TR put him in a lot of different spots because they just really like his versatility. I mean, I think Kobe Branham is probably going to be your right guard and I, I would guess that Harris would be a right tackle going forward. I think they like Shaq McRoy. He's obviously the biggest body that they have and I think they, they've been impressed with his athleticism at his size.
But it does seem like Harris is a guy they want to have on the field and left tackle is, is, you know, that belongs to Corey Robinson.
So I think that's the left tackle thing is more just to kind of get him some experience elsewhere and try him different places because he's that flex guy that you can throw in where you need to, especially when you get later in the year when some guys might be banged up and things like that. So I think it's going to be Branham at right guard and Harris at right tackle would be, you know what I would guess.
[00:06:13] Speaker B: I thought it was very interesting listening to Sam today talk about just trying to figure out how they're going to scout Alabama A and M. They've got a first year head coach, Sam Shade, who's been at Miles College, a Division 2 program for the last few years.
He said that that's Kind of what they've been looking at is Miles College film, trying to get a feel for. Obviously it's different players, but maybe for formations and tendencies that this coaching staff might have.
[00:06:41] Speaker A: Yeah, I imagine scouting an FCS team and then like you said, Miles College, when you're looking at a new coach, is not high on the list of things coaches expect to do or want to do necessarily.
But no, I mean, he said that what was funny was he was saying that the film that they were able to get is from kind of a different camera angle than a lot of the film that they get for. For other teams for their usual opponents, which is kind of funny.
But. Yeah, I mean, I think he was saying that he's not super familiar with Coach Shade. He doesn't really know him, but he said whenever they've got. They got an unfamiliar opponent like this, he likes to look through their staff and see if there's any connections, see anybody he knows. And he said, you know, there were guys with some NFL experience and things like that on there. So.
Yeah, I mean, I think they probably didn't start their game prep until, you know, maybe last week or the week before for an opponent like this. But I think, you know, they're. They're comfortable with what they're gonna be able to do. They're going to be focused on getting out in front early and getting some extra guys in the game.
[00:07:36] Speaker B: I've heard Sam Pittman talk about this in the last few weeks, and then it was the first thing out of his mouth today was that he's happy to be starting the season in Fayetteville. You know, last time they started a season at Razorback Stadium was 2022 against Cincinnati. They played Western Carolina and UAPB the last two years down at War Memorial. They're back in Fayetteville. And there just seems to be maybe a desire to start the season on campus on his part. And it's one of those things when you hear a coach keep saying it over and over and over in these different venues where you hear him, you know that it's important to him.
[00:08:12] Speaker A: Yeah. And. Well, and he's not been shy about his desire to have their. All their games in Fayetteville, to keep playing home games and do away with this Memorial Game. And I've even been feeling just, you know, as a spectator. It's fun that they're going to start the season in Fayetteville because it feels like every year you get so excited about football and you get so excited about first game, but then you don't actually get to go to the environment that you picture at least, you know, for somebody like me who doesn't have, you know, a lot of deep seated great memories of War Memorial and those games over the years, you know. And so I'm excited that they're going to be opening at home because I think sometimes it would feel a little anticlimactic when they would open in Little Rock. Sometimes. But no, I mean, I think he's not been shy about that and I think it makes total sense that he would be wanting them to open at home.
[00:08:59] Speaker B: I've heard coaches in the past and I think Pittman's one of them, talk about having the appropriate amount of respect for your opponent. Obviously Alabama A and M is not going to be on par with Arkansas and if this is a close game Saturday, it's going to shock just about everybody.
I know that some of the questioning today surrounded using backups in this game. I wonder what kind of feel do you get that they want to have? What kind of balance do they want to have? At what point do they get their starters out of the game and get onto the Arkansas State game the week after?
[00:09:33] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean that's always kind of the goal with some of these FCS openers, which I know you don't like these, these FCS games, but. No, I mean, I can't remember. Do you remember at what point they actually pulled some of the starters from uapb? Was it just the second half or was it. Did they start sooner than that?
[00:09:49] Speaker B: I think. Well, I believe the first team was playing or the first team offense at least was playing in the second like at the end of the second quarter. I think they scored a touchdown in the closing seconds of the second quarter and I'm pretty sure it was the first team offense. Of course, you know, the second half they basically Mercy ruled. That game had like 12 minute quarters last year.
I don't remember how many first teamers played into the second half, but that was one of that. Like last year that was kind of like the perfect game, wasn't it? I mean, where you don't allow them to score. You score on every possession, you're able to get your starters out at a, you know, pretty good point in the game. I think they were able to play their third team offense at one point or on that last drive in the game. So I guess if it went like last year, they wouldn't play very deep into the second half if at all.
[00:10:36] Speaker A: Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking is it would probably be mostly a first half thing and, you know, let everybody see what they've got, let them get some reps. And then, yeah, second half, if you. If you've taken care of business the way you expect to, then, yeah, you start to see some of those other guys.
[00:10:49] Speaker B: Anything else stand out from what Pittman had to say today?
[00:10:53] Speaker A: The only other injury note I wanted to talk about was Antonio Jordan. He said, has a high ankle sprain. He's a freshman they've been excited about, but he was. That's not a major deal just because he was. He was a freshman that people were really excited about because he came on campus, he didn't enroll early, and he looked really good and he, you know, looked more mature, looked, you know, physically not like a freshman. And I think after that, it tailed off a little bit. You know, I think he, he had such a strong start, and then I think you saw him kind of have some of the type of practices that you would expect freshmen to have.
I still think that you might see him this year, but it was, you know, of note that he said he's got a, I think a high ankle sprain.
So not sure exactly how long that'll hold him out, but that is something to know because this, you know, this would have been a game where we might have seen him, you know, in that second half. So. And people I know, some fans were looking forward to getting to see him in action at some point. It just might have to wait a little bit longer.
[00:11:49] Speaker B: Christina, good stuff. Glad everybody's safe over there on campus today.
[00:11:54] Speaker A: Yeah, me too.
[00:11:55] Speaker B: All right, we'll see you tomorrow.
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