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Football season is almost upon us. Players report for fall camp in exactly one week, with the first practice the following day.
With that in mind, here’s a look at Arkansas’ biggest position battles that must be sorted out over the next month.
Quarterback - Ben Hicks vs. Nick Starkel
At SEC Media Days last week, head coach Chad Morris said he’d like to name a starting quarterback sooner rather than later. How quickly that is remains to be seen, but this is a battle that will surely be talked about by fans and the media well into the season - especially if the winner in fall camp begins to struggle.
Although it may not be the sexiest quarterback competition in college football, it is certainly one of the most interesting. Ben Hicks has the advantage of playing under Morris at SMU and going through spring ball, while Nick Starkel has SEC experience and two years of eligibility remaining.
It’s widely believed that whoever wins the job will be better than Ty Storey and Cole Kelley last year. The coaches would probably like to settle on Hicks or Starkel during fall camp to develop some continuity rather than shuffle between the two like last season.
Offensive line - Shuffling
The coaches feel much better about the depth they have on the offensive line this season and Morris claims to have a good idea of which five or six guys they’re looking at as starters, but exactly how they’ll line up Week 1 is still up the air.
Myron Cunningham seemed to be a prime candidate at left tackle, with fellow JUCO transfer Chibueze Nwanna expected to also compete for a starting job. However, returning left tackle Colton Jackson has been praised for his progress and Cunningham has seen a few reps at guard. Noah Gatlin and Dalton Wagner each have starting experience and will compete again for the right tackle job.
Another position along the offensive line to watch is center, where Ty Clary is still the starter but could be pushed by redshirt freshman Silas Robinson. His snapping appeared to be more consistent during spring ball, but if he regresses, Robinson might overtake him.
