Injury Update: Hogs almost 100% after open week
The Razorbacks' top priority during the bye week was to get the team as close to 100% healthy as possible with No. 8 Texas A&M on the horizon.
"We still have a couple of guys who are still on the iffy (side)," head coach Sam Pittman said Monday. "Maybe they’ll be ready, but we’re certainly - besides the guys who had season-ending injuries - we’re certainly going to be as healthy as we’ve been since the first game."
Though Pittman rarely gets into specifics, he did note that senior defensive end Dorian Gerald is one of the "iffy" guys who could be back in time to play the Aggies. Gerald has been out since the Georgia game where he played 29 snaps. An ankle injury has had him sidelined.
"I would love to have him back on Saturday, but it's Monday," Pittman said. "We'll see how he looks today. We just don't know, but certainly we hope we have him back."
Linebacker Bumper Pool is another player who could still be questionable. Pool took a beating against Auburn and had to sit out in the win against Ole Miss. He's had 24 tackles and a sack in 214 snaps in 2020 but his backup, Hayden Henry, stepped up admirably in his place and could do so again if necessary Saturday.
"He played really well," Pittman said during the open week. "He's kind of a throwback a little bit. He's kind of a wild-eyed, kind of a crazy kid, in a good way. He's going to hit you and he's going to tell me about it. We kid back and forth, but he's played really well. Honestly, it's given me more confidence in that group of linebackers."
Cornerback Montaric Brown is presumed healthy as he was practicing during the open week and the Hogs could certainly use their starter back with some extraneous news breaking on Monday. Brown's counterpart on the other side–Jerry Jacobs–opted out of the season, leaving walk-on Hudson Clark and true freshman Khari Johnson even more room to show what they can do.
If Brown is back, he'll likely start opposite Clark with Johnson coming into the game as necessary.
Rakeem Boyd, Treylon Burks and Grant Morgan were all playing a little banged up against Ole Miss but they should all be good to go on Saturday night.
Other Hogs who've been injured in the past few weeks–Myles Slusher, Malik Chavis, Micahh Smith–their statuses are currently unknown.
As for Pittman's list of season-ending injuries, we now count three scholarship players out for good. Linebacker transfer out of Oklahoma Levi Draper had surgery on his shoulder, Koilan Jackson had surgery for an undisclosed injury last week and Josh Oglesby has been ruled out for the season with turf toe. None of them were able to contribute this season. Like the rest of the country, all three will get this year of eligibility back.
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