It is quite literally the best time of the year. Fall camp brings a lot of excitement and hope for a new season and it all kicks off tonight at 6:15 p.m. Your HawgBeat Razorback experts will be out on the practice field for the 20-minute open portion and then they'll grill the Head Hog with questions.
Before practice starts, Nikki and Hutch answer the biggest questions surrounding the team this fall camp:
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Which assistant has the most work to do before the season to get his group ready?
NIKKI: I do think both secondary coaches Mark Smith and Ron Cooper have a lot of work to do to get their young true freshmen and redshirt freshmen ready for the season but I actually think Dustin Fry has the most work to do and I think he can accomplish the most progress this fall camp. First of all, he's got to figure out the starting five, hopefully including Myron Cunningham, then he's got to make sure they're all prepared for the season while continuing to develop the five behind them and the five behind them. To his benefit, he's got a lot more depth to work with this season but he does have the most work to do from last year.
HUTCH: Considering the struggles on the offensive line, there’s no doubt Fry has his work cut out for him over the next few weeks. I’ll touch on that unit later, but for now, I’ll answer with John Chavis. The long-time SEC defensive coordinator specifically coaches the linebackers and has a great centerpiece in two-time second-team All-SEC selection De’Jon Harris. Bumper Pool figures to be the other starter, but D’Vone McClure could push for playing time, as could true freshman Zach Zimos. The biggest challenge for Chavis - in addition to turning around the defense as a whole - is developing some depth at linebacker. It would be great if Harris doesn’t have to play 100 percent of the snaps. That’d not only help keep him healthy, but it’d also keep him fresh.
More on Arkansas's starting OL for fall camp
Strongest position on the field?
NIKKI: Barry Lunney Jr. in my opinion is sitting pretty with the strongest overall room on team. It's mostly because he's returning the offense's scoring leader, C.J. O'Grady, who is looking very much ready at 256 lbs, but O'Grady also has a solid group of supporting cast members including Grayson Gunter, Chase Harrell and 2019 4-star signee Hudson Henry. If Hudson is anything like older bro Hunter in college then we could see a lot of him in 2019. Henry has already added 13 pounds since signing day. Morris has the tools he needs to run two tight end sets effectively and showed he could really utilize the position well last season. With added talent at wide receiver, I think that'll make the tight end group even more effective.
HUTCH: With guys like O’Grady, Gunter, Henry and even a reshaped Harrell, I think tight end is easily the most talented group on the team. However, for argument’s sake, a case could be made for running back. When healthy, Rakeem Boyd is a legitimate All-SEC talent, as he showed over an impressive six-game stretch last season. When healthy, Devwah Whaley is an excellent No. 2 running back in the SEC, as he showed as a freshman behind Rawleigh Williams III. When healthy, Chase Hayden and T.J. Hammonds have explosive play-making ability. Notice a theme? This group is in good shape when it’s not banged up. If anyone goes down, true freshman A’Montae Spivey - who I liked based on seeing him live last season - could be asked to take on a bigger role than expected.
Read HawgBeat's 2019 Preseason Position Rankings
Which group is the weakest link?
HUTCH: I promised I’d touch on the offensive line and, unfortunately, it has to be in response to the “weakest link” question. It seems like this has been the case ever since Sam Pittman left for Georgia. Over the last three years, the Razorbacks have allowed 102 sacks - nine more than the next most in the SEC (93 by South Carolina) and 26 more than the average of the other 13 SEC teams over that span. On top of that, Arkansas will be without its best offensive lineman from last season, as Hjalte Froholdt graduated and was drafted by the Patriots. Bringing in a guy like Myron Cunningham from the JUCO ranks should help, but Fry has to figure out where to put him, as he’s not even penciled in as a starter on Day 1 of fall camp. There’s no question the unit has more depth this season, but I’m still concerned that it’ll be the weakest link on the team.
NIKKI: While I believe the OL can make decent strides during fall camp, the linebacker room overall has to be the team's weakest link. If you exclude Scoota Harris, or if god forbid he gets hurt this season like he did in the spring, the group is seriously lacking quality depth. The linebacker group needs to be better than they are on paper this year and they'll need to elevate their play to help out a young and inexperienced secondary.
Hear from John Chavis and the assistants heading into Fall Camp
Who’ll win QB 1 for game one and how long will it take for the coaches to announce him?
NIKKI: I started off thinking Ben Hicks would start the season but I've convinced myself overtime, since Nick Starkel joined the team, that Starkel will come out on top, and in fall camp, not a quarter or mid-way through the season. I bet Starkel is hungry as hell to start again in the SEC and fall camp is his time to shine. He almost won the starting job over Kellen Mond and he might still be an Aggie if he didn't get hurt early on. There were QB battles every year that Hicks was at SMU and that typically means there's inconsistency that the coaches don't love so, I expect Morris to show Hicks respect by waiting until Monday of game week to announce Starkel as QB1, despite him clearly being the leader by week three of fall camp. #hottake
HUTCH: Chad Morris and Joe Craddock have both told the media that they hope to name a starter much sooner than they did last season. I’m thinking they’ll name one in the middle of fall camp, so about two weeks before the Aug. 31 opener against Portland State. If that’s the case, I feel like it’ll be Hicks. There’s a sense of familiarity and comfort there that I think the coaches like. I was encouraged by what Craddock said earlier this week about Starkel picking up the offense quickly over the summer, but I’m not convinced he’ll have it all down by Week 1. I’ve thought all along that Hicks would begin the season as the starter, but Starkel would replace him by Week 4 - giving him at least the San Jose State game as a warm-up before facing his former team in Arlington.
Read more on what OC Joe Craddock had to say about the upcoming QB battle
Biggest impact true freshman?
HUTCH: The most obvious choice here is Trey Knox. When he steps off the bus, you immediately think, “That looks like an SEC football player.” Plus, he was an early enrollee and got to go through spring practice. Granted it was because of an injury to Mike Woods, but Knox even ended the spring as a starter. There’s a reason schools like Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State offered him out of high school. I’m predicting Knox to have a huge year that lands him on the SEC’s All-Freshman Team.
NIKKI: Knox is absolutely the most impressive true freshman so far, and he's received the hype to match, but as far as importance and impact in 2019, I have to give it to Greg Brooks Jr. and/or Jalen Catalon. John Chavis runs his defense with the nickel in play a lot and both true freshmen are in a position to greatly impact games, positively or negatively. They need those two to step in and step up quickly.
Get to know your 2019 true freshmen better before the season with class superlatives
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