3/24/2024 football Edit

Arkansas set for three more weeks of spring practice

Mason Choate • HawgBeat

Publisher

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas football team is gearing up for three more weeks of spring practices following a week off for spring break.

Led by fifth-year head coach Sam Pittman, the Razorbacks knocked out five practices prior to spring break, four of which were open to the media. There are 10 practices remaining, which includes the annual Red-White Spring Game on Saturday, April 13.

Last year's "spring game" was a glorified scrimmage that featured the Razorbacks working on situational things up and down the field such as third downs, goal line and more. Pittman said that they plan to play a real spring game this year.

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"The reason we scrimmaged last year was because we planned on fewer scrimmages, so we needed a scrimmage in the spring game," Pittman said March 14. "This year, we’ll play a game."

As always, the Red-White Spring Game will be open to the public, but Pittman and company are also opening things up to the fans on two other occasions. Over the next three Saturday's — including the Red-White Spring Game — the Razorbacks will open practice to the public inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

"We’re so worried about people knowing this and that and the other about us," Pittman said March 5. "And I’m talking about our opponents, not our people in the state. But if our state knows it, our opponents know it. So I think we’ve been worried for so many years about all that, and I have too, but the bottom line is we’ve got to get ready to play Pine Bluff, and that started in January.

"By the time we play Oklahoma State, they’re going to know a lot about our team anyway cause we just played a game. So it was more about us, and do we believe that we can grow the love back for Arkansas, or grow the love back for the Razorbacks by opening it up and us benefiting from it as well. I don’t know what the answer will be in the fall, but I’m assuming that it’ll be much more lenient with access to the players and coaches and things of that than what it has been in the past."

The other six practices will be held Tuesday and Thursday mornings over the next three weeks. After observing the first five practices, Pittman said he thought the Hogs' defense was further along than he initially expected.

"We’re tackling better than maybe I thought we would," Pittman said. "And our young linebackers are a little bit better than what I thought they might be right now. Up front on the line, we need to find a couple more guys, to be honest with you, to get us to eight where we think we can go win with all those guys. I do think they’re on our team."

Continuing to highlight the spring drills is the quarterback battle for the Hogs, which hasn't been much of a battle so far. Boise State transfer Taylen Green has taken virtually all first team offense reps, while redshirt freshman Malachi Singleton and redshirt senior Jacolby Criswell are battling behind Green.

According to Pittman — and most of the offense — Green's leadership has been a welcomed addition to the offense for first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.

ALSO READ: Taylen Green’s leadership makes strong impression in spring practice

"He’s obviously extremely fast," Pittman said of Green on March 14. "He throws a ball well. His accuracy is going to continue to improve. But he can really run and he’s got great leadership. He can throw the football too. Accuracy, obviously every time we throw it, myself Bobby, him, we want to throw it right where we want to throw it every single time."

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