Sign up for an annual HawgBeat subscription and get $50 for Arkansas gear on the Rivals Fan Shop ––> details
College Students, get a year of HawgBeat coverage for just $11.95. Request details via email from your school account (.edu) to nchavanelle@yahoo.com.
FAYETTEVILLE — Regardless of how many sacks it allows or how it grades out, Arkansas’ offensive line will look much different in 2020.
Fans are hoping for huge strides in those areas, of course, but even before the first snap against Nevada on Sept. 5, they should be able to notice a change in the sheer size of the linemen.
Getting bigger up front has been a focal point under first-year head coach Sam Pittman, which is a stark contrast from the previous staff’s focus on speed over size.
“That’s a huge deal…and most of you know I like big, athletic guys - I don’t know who wouldn’t,” Pittman said. “But we put a heavy emphasis on strength, on gaining weight, obviously gaining the right type of weight.”
Most players are back home now because the coronavirus pandemic has everything on hold, but they did get nearly eight full weeks of offseason workouts in with new strength and conditioning coach Jamil Walker.
Using their weights listed in last year’s media guide and on what would have been the spring football roster, the Razorbacks’ offensive linemen gained an average of 7.2 pounds. Of the 14 linemen on the roster, six of them gained at least 12 pounds and only two - Luke Jones (-6) and Dylan Rathcke (-12) - lost weight.
Not surprisingly, Ricky Stromberg had the biggest jump of the group - and on the team as a whole - by putting on 32 pounds. He started as a true freshman last season despite being listed at just 266 pounds and is now up to 298.
Walk-on Austin Nix has eclipsed the 300-pound mark thanks to putting on 23 pounds, while starting center Ty Clary is pushing 300 thanks to putting on 13 pounds. Shane Clenin, Ryan Winkel and walk-on Drew Vest added 12 pounds apiece.
One player Pittman said he’d like to see a similar jump from before the season is starting left tackle Myron Cunningham, who has put on three pounds and is now listed at 293.
“If he can get up to 310, 315, he’d be…I think he’s got a lot of talent, but it’s going to be hard to set on a bull at 285 pounds, especially when the D-end weighs 275 pounds,” Pittman said. “I just don’t think you can survive without big people on the offensive line or the defensive line. This is a big-person league.”
