FAYETTEVILLE — Spring practice is set to officially begin Thursday for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team, and some key players will be making their return after suffering injuries last season, while others will remain on the sideline for now.
Head coach Sam Pittman provided updates on a handful of Hogs in his pre-spring press conference Tuesday with a variety of news, so HawgBeat will take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly:
The Good:
Last season, now-sophomore tight end Luke Hasz thrusted himself into the spotlight after racking up 16 catches for 253 yards and three touchdowns. In a matchup against Texas A&M on Sep. 30, though, Hasz suffered a broken clavicle on the first drive of the game. He'll be prominent figure for an Arkansas offense looking to exit out of the doldrums of the SEC.
"Yeah, he’s back ready to go and really looking good in all the running and things of that nature, and lifting," Pittman said. "Nothing holding him back."
Junior running back Rashod Dubinion was a late-season injury victim, as he tore his meniscus against FIU and required surgery. It was a down season in 2023 for Dubinion, who recorded just 260 rushing yards and one touchdown off of 82 carries. Fortunately, Pittman said that the Georgia native is 'good' to start practice this spring.
Junior right tackle Patrick Kutas went down with an ankle injury against Florida, but is back and looking to move to the interior in 2024. In 552 snaps last season, Kutas finished with a 54.9 Pro Football Focus Grade, a 47.1 pass block grade and a 58.7 run block grade.
"Yeah, we’re moving Kutas inside," Pittman said. "I think with our guys that we got out of the portal, it allowed us to do that. We’re going to keep Ty’Kieast (Crawford) out there at tackle."
Backup center Amaury Wiggins didn't receive much playing time during his redshirt-sophomore campaign last year, but will help provide solid depth for the Hogs throughout the offseason. Pittman believes he may be able to return on Thursday, Friday or Saturday after having cartilage trimmed over the offseason.
"It’ll be a couple days, but he’s about ready," Pittman said. "It’ll be three weeks Thursday, I believe, three week Friday, since he had his trim, so I think he’ll be back sooner than later."
Finally, sophomore defensive back Jaylon Braxton is set to make his full return after sitting out the final two games of the 2023 season due to a shoulder sprain. One of the most talented defenders on the team, Braxton totaled 20 tackles, nine passes defended and an interception last season. Pittman didn't mention him directly, but noted that anyone not talked about was likely good to go.
The Bad:
During Hasz' absence, redshirt sophomore tight end Tyrus Washington stepped up in his place. He went on to catch 11 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns, including a two-touchdown, 90-yard performance against No. 16 Ole Miss. But like Hasz, Washington also suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Florida.
New offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has a history of using tight-ends in his gameplan, so having Washington and Hasz healthy gives the Razorbacks a big mismatch in the passing attack.
"Tyrus Washington will be able to catch some passes after spring break," Pittman said. "He’ll probably miss totally the first five days. But then we’ve just got to make sure he doesn’t go on the ground with that shoulder. But he’s coming along, he’s ahead of schedule with shoulder. We need to be really smart with him this spring."
The Ugly:
An incoming three-star freshman offensive tackle out of Kentucky, Zuri Madison fell victim to a season-ending ACL tear over the offseason according to Pittman.
"Zuri Madison had a scooter accident and he tore his ACL," Pittman said. "That was maybe two or three days ago. Maybe last week. He just hit curve and put his leg out straight and the ACL couldn’t handle that pressure. It’s a shame, because he’s really a talented guy.
"He’ll get stronger and bigger and those things and he’ll be back. As you know, an ACL injury takes a while, so he probably won’t be back til either the end of this season, maybe get prepared in a bowl situation or come back next spring."
Pittman went on to mention two players no longer with the program, one on offense and the other on defense. Offensive tackle Andrew Chamblee is stepping away from football and focusing on academics after finishing with a 52.2 Pro Football Focus grade last season.
"Andrew Chamblee just lost the love for the game," Pittman said. "Decided to start his professional, you know, start college as a regular student career."
The final roster change comes in the form of defensive end Jashaud Stewart, who was arrested in December of last year on first-degree criminal mischief and residential burglary charges. Pittman said he is no longer a member of the team and didn't go into any further detail.
Spring practice for the Razorbacks begins on Thursday morning, and Arkansas will hold 14 practices prior to the program's annual spring game on Saturday, April 13. Be sure to subscribe to HawgBeat and tune into our premium message board — The Trough — for the latest information, videos and more.
