Not a subscriber? Subscribe for free for 30 days w/code HAWGS30
NEW USERS | RETURNING USERS
Besides recruiting and installing new systems on both offense and defense, the biggest off-season challenge for Sam Pittman and his staff has been increasing players' weight and strength. That seemed like a tough task with the majority of the players spending the last few months away from their pro-level facilities but Pittman's been very pleased with what he's seen since the athletes returned in early June.
"I think they’re really pleased with what’s going on and how the kids returned," Pittman said. "I think that’s the biggest thing. I think we’re in pretty good shape for where we’re at right now and at this point in time of the season. We’ve got a much bigger football team than we had in mid- to late-March."
Due to NCAA restrictions, Pittman's reports on the team's progress are coming from his strength and conditioning staff, not from his own observations, but the coaches will get to see the players again once walkthroughs begin on July 24.
One group that especially needed some beefing up is the Razorback offensive line. Comparing Pittman's former starting group at Georgia in 2019 to Arkansas's line, the Bulldogs averaged 330 pounds across the board while the Hogs didn't have a single player starting or as a backup weighing more than 308 pounds.
The Hogs made some progress on that front after winter conditioning with Ricky Stromberg gaining a whopping 32 pounds (298), Shane Clenin gaining 12 pounds (314), Dalton Wagner gaining three pounds (311), Ty Clary gaining 13 pounds (298) and Myron Cunningham gaining three (293).
That progress could have easily been impeded with the student-athletes returning home during the height of the coronavirus but it sounds like they managed to continue putting on good weight, highlighted by Cunningham.
"I can say this, their mamas must be pretty good at cooking," Pittman said. "It was quality weight. But right now I’m very pleased with the size of our offensive line. To me, bigger’s better as long as we can move, and that’s what we’re trying to get done right now.
"Myron Cunningham was about 285-287 (last season), and he’s about 319 now. He needed it. It’s hard to set the bull when you don’t have enough butt to set it with. I had a nice conversation with him, and I’m thinking he’s going to have a nice season. But he worked hard at gaining that weight and staying in shape."
As one of the presumed bookend tackles for the Hogs in 2020, Cunningham's weight gain will be huge for the team and for his own draft stock as the former JUCO player enters his final season.
Fans won't get to see exactly how many gains the rest of the line has made since the end of winter conditioning but the roster will be updated when fall camp begins August 7.
The offensive line guru wasn't the only one pleased with how the offensive line looked when they returned to campus. Star returning back Rakeem Boyd is also excited about what a bigger, better offensive line can do for him in his last season.
"This year is the best they've ever looked," Boyd said. "They look in shape and they've communicated. We've got workouts, the whole group is together game planning. So as a running back when you see something like that you can't do nothing but smile because you know what is gonna happen during the season. Those guys are in shape. I'm very proud of them. That's probably the most impressive group right now."
When Pittman left for Georgia, the Arkansas offensive line became one of the worst in the SEC at protecting the quarterback but without even coaching a game yet, it seems the new Head Hog has the line moving back in the right direction.
