After having a veteran offensive line group in 2022, the Arkansas Razorbacks had three starting spots to be filled up front for the 2023 season.
The Hogs returned redshirt senior Brady Latham, who is expected to stay at left guard. Fellow redshirt senior Beaux Limmer is also back and he's shifted from right guard to starting center.
"Limmer is playing at a high, high, high (level), and Latham," head coach Sam Pittman said Thursday. "I think Latham and Beaux are both playing really well."
While Limmer and Latham are both locks to start, the other three spots aren't concrete just yet.
To this point, redshirt sophomore Devon Manuel leads the race for the starting left tackle spot. At 6-foot-9, 310 pounds, Manuel has moved well in practice and Pittman seems to be pleased with Manuel's production so far.
"He’s building his confidence because his technique and his hands have become really good," Pittman said. "You know, he has to be consistent as well. Always been a great athlete, but right now he believes he’s a good player, and he is. It’s come with success on different reps because of his technique and hands."
On the opposite end of Manuel, sophomore Patrick Kutas remains the leader for the right tackle spot. A 6-foot-5, 313-pound native of Memphis, Tennessee, Kutas will turn 19-years-old Saturday.
"He just has to be consistent," Pittman said of Kutas. "I mean, when you look at his reps, he’s as good as anybody on that field at certain times. A great player is a consistent player so he has to be a little more consistent. And that’s going to come with reps."
Kutas is former three-star prospect who Pittman has compared to Andrew Thomas, a former Georgia Bulldog coached by Pittman. Thomas was the No. 4 overall pick by the New York Giants in the 2020 NFL Draft.
"They’re maturing, they’re maturing," quarterback KJ Jefferson said last Friday of Kutas and Manuel. "Growing up really fast, they’re understanding football, they’re slowing the game down. That’s the main thing, they’re slowing the game down. A lot of things are clicking for them, they’re moving fast, they’re overly communicating, they’re making calls here and there."
The current leader for the right guard spot is Florida transfer Josh Braun, who played just 24 snaps last season.Braun did start seven games and he appeared in 13 at left and right guard in 2021 for the Gators.
"Josh has earned the right to be with the ones," Pittman said last Friday. "We like him at guard, he's got a lot of competition there for that spot."
The main contenders for trying to earn a starting spot are senior Ty'Kieast Crawford, redshirt freshman E'Marion Harris and redshirt freshman Andrew Chamblee.
Crawford is pushing Braun for the right guard spot and he's looked good so far. The 6-foot-5, 326-pound native of Carthage, Texas, played some tackle last season and he started the Liberty Bowl against Kansas at right guard before getting hurt on the team's first drive.
Filling in for Crawford at right guard in the Liberty Bowl was Harris, who has been playing right tackle in practice. Harris stands at 6-feet-7-inches tall and he's dropped down to 292 pounds.
"Harris, we think he can play several spots," Pittman said. "But he obviously has the opportunity to play for us."
Chamblee has been running as the second team left tackle in practice. He's a 6-foot-6, 303-pound product of Maumelle High School and a former three-star prospect.
A key offseason addition for the Razorbacks was Coffeyville Community College transfer Amaury Wiggins. After having an ankle injury limit him in the first few practices, Wiggins was a full participant Thursday.
The addition of Wiggins was big for the Hogs, because it allows the previous backup center — Kutas — to stay at right tackle if something were to happen to Limmer at center. It's not out of the picture for Wiggins to also play at guard, though.
"Our plan was to move him to guard and see if he’s one of our top 5 players," Pittman said. "We haven’t had that opportunity yet. Today was the first day that he was back, so we needed him to get the rust off back at center. But at some point in this camp, we are going to look at him at guard."
Redshirt sophomore walk-on Josh Street rounds out the group of guys that make up 10 solid linemen for the Razorbacks rely on.
"Josh Street’s come on, too," Pittman said. "I think, right now, he’d be the 10th lineman in there in the two-deep. He’s done a really nice job, as well."
Arkansas will hit the practice field Friday morning ahead of the team's first closed scrimmage of fall camp Saturday. Stay tuned to HawgBeat's premium message board, The Trough, for the latest updates from Arkansas fall camp.
