Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman announced his team captains ahead of the Razorbacks (2-1, 0-0 SEC) Southeastern Conference opener against Auburn (2-1, 0-0 SEC) on Saturday.
During his weekly radio show, the Head Hog said linebacker Stephen Dix Jr., right tackle Keyshawn Blackstock, offensive lineman Josh Street and defensive tackle Cam Ball will wear the “C” on their chests at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
It should be noted that Pittman opted for a new team captain approach entering the 2024 season, as the Razorbacks will select players on a game-by-game basis.
Last week against UAB at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas chose safety TJ Metcalf, cornerback Jaheim Singletary, wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa and punter Devin Bale to lead the team.
Dix transferred to Arkansas from Marshall over the offseason, and had his best game as a Razorback last weekend against Alabama-Birmingham. He was one of the team’s leading tacklers (tied with Jayden Johnson) with 10 total tackles, five of which were solo.
Pittman told reporters Monday that Dix's physicality and eye for the football has helped the defense early in the season.
"He has a knack of finding the football," Pittman said. "Sometimes, we lose sight of where the football is with all the dressing going in. He doesn't seem to be one of those guys. He’s very physical and is a guy that will continue to get more and more reps. He’s played well for us."
Blackstock is another transfer for the Razorbacks, coming to Fayetteville after a brief stint at Michigan State. He has anchored the right tackle spot through the first three games of the season, as he’s earned an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 66.9 in 210 snaps played.
A native of Covington, Georgia, Blackstock said during Wednesday’s radio show that he’ll have a crowd of 13 family and friends attending the game.
Street is an Arkansas native who has been with the Razorbacks since 2021. He played his senior season at Bentonville and was at Danville High School before that. A preferred walk-on, Street redshirted as a freshman in 2021 and has seen playing time mostly with the special teams unit during the last two seasons.
The interior of Arkansas’ offensive line has dealt with some injury issues, with center Addison Nichols missing most of last weekend’s game due to an ankle injury. Pittman said Monday that Street has been in competition for playing time at the position as a result.
Ball is a Georgia native, coming to Arkansas out of Atlanta which is roughly one hour and 45 minutes from Auburn. He had four tackles against UAB and has 11 total on the year so far. The former three-star recruit has been with the Razorbacks for four seasons, as he signed with Arkansas out of high school in the class of 2021.
Saturday's game will be a coming home party for defensive coordinator Travis Williams, who played at Auburn from 2001-05 and coached linebackers for the Tigers from 2016-20 (co-defensive coordinator 2019-20). Pittman said he hopes that will provide some extra motivation for the defense.
"Obviously, the whole team knows that he played there, and he’s well-liked, well-respected in the building, and on defense, obviously as well," Pittman said. "We didn’t play well, so we’ve got to get that fixed, so if that’s a little more inspiration to the kids, then we’ll certainly use it."
Arkansas and Auburn are set for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama. The game will be televised on ESPN.
