FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Razorbacks held their first scrimmage of fall camp Saturday in a closed setting. Head coach Sam Pittman seemed fairly pleased, but made it clear that there is plenty of work to be done before the season starts.
"We’re not there yet," Pittman said. "The first part of fall a lot of times it’s you’re not worried about playing together as a team. You’re worried about surviving practice. I mean it was hotter than hot out there. Then the next mode you go is you’re worried about your position and where you’re at on the depth chart."
Pittman did add that he thinks his team is farther along at this point in fall camp this year than his team was last year.
"We’re not a unit yet," Pittman said. "We’ve got some good players and we’re not a consistent unit anywhere yet. But we’re further along right now than we were last year at this point."
During today's closed scrimmage, the team ran 110 plays and worked through different specific scenarios.
"We went 1 offense vs. 2 defense, 2 offense vs. 1 defense, 3 vs. 3, they came back and did good on good, 1-on-1, 2-on-2, 3-on-3, somewhere around close to 30 plays in those two racks apiece," Pittman said. "And then we had a third-down situation where we stayed out there eight plays in a row. We had a high-red (zone) situation, low red situation, then a 2-minute."
Pittman mentioned that the team thudded rather than tackling in today's practice. He said freshman offensive lineman Andrew Chamblee was the only player to exit the scrimmage and not return.
"We thudded, but it was a thud, now," Pittman said. "A thud that will knock them down. I think we did the right thing."
Here are some takeaways, stats, big plays and individual players that stood out during Arkansas' first scrimmage of fall camp:
Stats & big plays:
~ Toledo transfer WR Matt Landers had a 50-yard touchdown catch and a 65-yard catch. Both came from KJ Jefferson.
~ Redshirt senior WR Warren Thompson caught a 40-yard touchdown from KJ Jefferson.
~ Oklahoma transfer WR Jadon Haselwood had a 25-yard catch from KJ Jefferson.
~ Senior TE Trey Knox had catches of 20 and 35 yards. Both came from KJ Jefferson
~ Freshman TE Ty Washington had a 25-yard catch from Malik Hornsby.
~ Hornsby saw 10-12 reps at wide receiver and made two catches.
~ Sophomore running back Raheim 'Rocket' Sanders had a 20-yard catch.
~ On defense, Zach Williams, Drew Sanders and Dorian Gerald all had sacks. The number of sacks were unclear, but Bumper Pool mentioned that Sanders had three sacks.
~ Redshirt senior DB McKinley Williams had an interception on a Cade Fortin pass that was tipped.
~ JJ Hollingsworth recovered a fumble on a bad snap.
~ Sophomore kicker Cam Little was 4-5 with makes from 45, 52, 41 and 49 yards. The missed kick was in the 30-40 yard range during a two-minute drill.
OFFENSE TAKEAWAYS
How KJ Jefferson did:
Jefferson said he felt like he did a good job, but there a few little details that need to be cleaned up.
"I think I had a pretty good performance starting out," Jefferson said. "Some things I do need to get better, go over small details and stuff like that. And as an offensive unit, I feel like we had a pretty explosive day today. We came out, took shots early, but just got to clean up the little mistakes and the little details, all the penalties that we had. We just can't hurt ourselves. So moving forward, we're focused on cleaning up the mistakes and keeping it explosive."
Sategna, young receivers shine:
Pittman talked a lot about freshman receiver Isaiah Sategna and how much he likes him. He said Sategna's speed is what really jumps out to him.
"I tell you what, he can cut on a dime now," Pittman said. "The guy’s got great ball skills. He’s just a really good player. Sometimes if you’re not the biggest guy, you have to have special skills, and he has them. He can separate, really good hands. He doesn’t say a word now. He just comes to work everyday. I really like the kid, and I like him a lot. When he runs by people. I like him a little bit more. That’s what he has, he’s got super speed."
Pittman also talked about how freshmen receiver Sam Mbake and Quincey McAdoo have impressed him as well.
"Mbake caught a nice pass or two today and Quincey McAdoo, man, I just really like Quincey McAdoo," Pittman said. "He’s faster than what I thought he was when we recruited him and he’s tough. I mean, he’s Arkansas. I really like him."
Trey Knox might be a big-time tight end:
Knox caught a 20-yard and 35-yard pass from KJ Jefferson in Saturday's scrimmage. The talk about Knox during camp has been him adding weight and being a better blocker, but he still has the skills of wide receiver.
"I think Trey gives us everything we like to have in the tight end position," Pittman said. "And he’s working his way trying to get in shape...I think he’ll have some type of career playing tight end. I really do. I think he’s a good player."
Knox's starting quarterback, Jefferson, said he really likes the connection the two have.
"Just chemistry based off the plays that we do run, I know I can count on Trey to be at the right spot, the right position at the right time," Jefferson said. "Just being able to know Trey, down the field or anything like that, I know he can go up and body a DB or something like that. Just being able to give Trey a chance down the field and also on his routes I know they’re going to be crisp. So just being able to get the ball and put it on him quick and let him make a play."
Offensive line looking strong, especially at left tackle:
As expected when returning four of five starters from last year, the Razorback offensive line looks sharp. The one spot that didn't return a starter, left tackle, is one that Pittman and crew haven't worried much about with Luke Jones holding things down.
"I told Cody (Kennedy) the other day, ‘You know, we don’t talk a whole lot about him,'" Pittman said. "And if you don’t talk about an O-lineman a whole lot, that’s a good thing, because he’s not sitting out there getting embarrassed. Luke’s done a really good job. I mean, he really has."
Jefferson echoed what Pittman had to say, adding that he doesn't worry about his offensive line much.
"Luke is holding up pretty good," Jefferson said. "I don’t worry about those guys up front. He’s been here, he got great work. That front five they’ve been together so long and I mean they just all bond together. I’m not too much worried about my left side at all."
DEFENSE TAKEAWAYS
Drew Sanders shows off athleticism:
Bumper Pool said that Sanders had three sacks, despite a lot of the talk about Sanders surrounding the fact that he will play away from the ball most of the time. He is probably a guy that they feel they almost need to send him towards the passer.
"His skillset is so versatile that whenever he makes a mistake doing something he gets — not down on himself — but he wants to be a perfectionist," Pool said. "So just continuing to tell him ‘Hey, listen. You’re doing so many good things. You don’t need to get down on yourself because there’s a certain mistake that you make having to go back from on the edge to back to linebacker.’"
Where the cornerback battle stands:
Pittman gave an update on what the battle at cornerback is looking like through a week of fall camp.
"You have (Hudson Clark) and certainly have Malik Chavis, those two guys are running most of the time out there with the 1s," Pittman said. "And then you got Nudie, Dwight McGlothern, and then you got (LaDarrius Bishop). Those guys are right there and who knows what’s going to happen in the next 21 days. I will say this, Keuan Parker has really played well and so has Khari Johnson."
Pittman really likes Nico Davillier:
The freshman defensive lineman from Maumelle has impressed the head Hog through the first week of fall camp. His motor and willingness to do whatever is asked of him has earned him playing time.
"Nico Davillier made some big-time plays today as a young guy," Pittman said. "He’s going to play for us now. There’s not gonna be no redshirt. I mean, he’s going to be on the field. He’s a good player."
Defensive line is shaping up despite injuries:
Despite a few injuries on the defensive line — Taurean Carter, Marcus Miller, Cam Ball — the Hogs are looking good at that spot with improved depth from last season.
"A guy I really like on the defensive front and is playing his butt off is Terry Hampton," Pittman said. "He's playing really good football right now for us. He just shows up all the time, everywhere."
Pittman mentioned that Jashaud Stewart is playing as good as anyone on the defensive line right now.
"Well, as of right now (Stewart's) playing the best of them, I think," Pittman said. "He’s gotten bigger, stronger. Zach (Williams) has played really well as well. I think Jordan Domenick, he had a great last 3 or 4 days...Landon Jackson’s always had a motor. I think he’s been out long enough to where he’s got to get back in football mind, shape, whatever. He’s gonna be a really good player for us."
SPECIAL TEAMS TAKEAWAYS
Who will be kick and punt returners:
Pittman said the team is close to deciding on who will return kicks and punts this season and added the names they are considering.
"Sategna is one of them," Pittman said. "(Myles Slusher) is one of them. Haselwood is one of them. 14, Bryce Stephens, is more punt than kickoff...Harper Cole is also back on the punt returns. But right now I think you’re looking at (Matt) Landers — I didn’t say Landers, but you’re looking at Landers as a kickoff guy, as well as those other guys, and then on the punt return, you’re looking at Bryce and probably Sategna as trying to fight that one out there on the punt return."
He also added AJ Green as a name missed for retuning kickoffs.
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