FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Cornerback is one of the only positions on the Razorback roster that has yet to be finalized.
Arkansas corner Hudson Clark has been one of the most talked about Hogs since fall camp starter, and he has locked down a starting spot in the secondary.
The second cornerback spot is still to be determined, and head coach Sam Pittman said three players are in a battle: Dwight McGlothern, LaDarrius Bishop and Malik Chavis.
"I couldn’t tell you who would run out there at corner today," Pittman said Thursday. "We’ve got to find that guy. We’re confident in all those guys, but we’ve got to find that guy. It’s more important to the kids who runs out there the first time, honestly, than it is to the coaches. If they’re that close. But we’ve got to make that decision here some time, Monday or Tuesday I would guess."
Last season, Clark led the returning corners with a 63.5 grade from Pro Football Focus. Chavis earned a 58.6 rating at safety and Bishop had a 58.5 rating at corner. Bishops 450 snaps were the most, though, as Clark played 338 and Chavis saw just 132 snaps.
McGlothern played for LSU last season and his 69.3 PFF grade is higher than any of the returning Razorback corners. He is arguably the most talented of the four, but he has consistently been on the second and third team defense in practice.
Pittman was asked if he would consider rotating the trio of McGlothern, Bishop and Chavis, and he said the real issue has been injuries preventing them from being on the field regularly.
'The problem with the corners has been nagging injuries," Pittman said. "If we were healthy, you know, you probably have a pretty good idea of who's your top two corners, but we just haven't. None of them has been healthy, you know, groin pull here, hamstring here, quad here, just things that's taken them out of practice...They're all healthy right now. So hopefully in the next day or two, we'll make a decision."
The player that has seen the most first team reps during media viewing periods since the start of fall camp has been Bishop, who played the most of the three returning Hogs, starting nine games last year.
With Cincinnati coming to town next Saturday, Sept. 3, the Hogs will need to settle on a starter soon, like Pittman said. Realistically, they will probably rotate the trio of Bishop, McGlothern and Chavis in Week 1 and see who fares the best.
The Bearcats and the Hogs will go head-to-head at 2:30 p.m. CT next Saturday at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
