Arkansas is in the midst of the bye week a little banged up, with mounting injuries causing depth issues at seemingly every position on the Razorbacks football team.
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said during the SEC Teleconference on Wednesday there is a silver lining to being bitten by the injury bug; getting the younger players on the depth chart reps and experience.
"We’ll feel much better about putting guys in the game...because of the reps that, like you mentioned there, Keuan (Parker) and Trent (Gordon), have gotten," Pittman said. "I think that will help us down the road. Obviously we’re a little over halfway through the season but I do think it will help us as we move forward."
In the last few weeks, the coaching staff has had to do a patchwork job in the secondary, sending freshman wide receivers Sam Mbake and Quincey McAdoo to practice at cornerback, and moving starting cornerback Hudson Clark to safety.
"(Clark) he has to be available to play corner, as well," Pittman said Wednesday. "But I do like him. I think he’s getting better back there at safety and things of that nature, but I do think that he’ll have to play both spots."
If Parker, Gordon and the other guys further down the depth chart can continue to come along and play well, it may help boost a position group that has been disappointing this season.
Parker came to Arkansas from Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and redshirted last season, making no appearances on the field.
Pittman said back in September that Parker is one of the best cover cornerbacks on the team. Parker played a season-high 48 snaps and made a tackle in Saturday's win over BYU.
"I thought he did a nice job," Pittman said. "Got thrown into a tough situation there with a good quarterback from BYU and hadn’t played much ball, and I thought he did a really nice job in his time that he played."
Gordon saw action in eight games and made two tackles in 2021, but found himself buried on the depth chart. He's had the opportunity to make plays in the last few games, recording 12 total tackles, five against Mississippi State and seven against BYU.
"I think Keuan Parker, Trent Gordon, they did a huge job stepping up whenever we went three down having six DBs out there," Clark said after the BYU win.
Pittman said he expects everyone who doesn't have an extensive injury — safety Jalen Catalon, corner LaDarrius Bishop and defensive lineman Taurean Carter — to be available when Arkansas plays Auburn on Oct. 29.
Pittman also said during the SEC Teleconference he expects to have Carter back at some point toward the end of the season, if not by a bowl game. Carter suffered an injury in the spring and has not played in any games this season.
Arkansas is scheduled to kick off against Auburn at 11 a.m. on Oct. 29 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.
