Pittman details Razorback recruiting strategy at SEC Media Days 2022
One of the biggest weeks of the year for fans and media around the Southeastern Conference kicked off Monday with commissioner Greg Sankey's State of the SEC address opening the Media Days festivities.
Wednesday Head Hog Sam Pittman took the podium and, as expected, didn't leave too much to the imagination with his answers.
After putting together back-to-back top 30 classes, and seeming primed to finish with Arkansas' highest-rated group since at least 2009, Pittman provided some insight into why his Razorbacks have been so successful on the trail since he took over.
"We'd like our program to reflect our state, the great state of Arkansas," Pittman said in his opening statement. "Loyal, tough, hard-working. One of our goals every year is to make the state of Arkansas proud of the football team.
"In my office is a sign that says, You're not coming to play for the University of Arkansas, you're coming to play for the state of Arkansas. And it's true, true to the core."
That ideal seems to extend even beyond the players Arkansas is bringing into the fold, as the Razorbacks are one of just eight Power-5 programs with both coordinators returning for a third season.
Despite both Barry Odom and Kendal Briles being rumored to have received large contract offers elsewhere, the duo comes into 2022 as one of the hottest in the country on many coaching boards. Beyond that, Pittman had praise for the staff's two newest hires in defensive line coach Deke Adams and defensive backs coach Dominique Bowman.
"Both of those guys are recruiters," Pittman said. "Both of 'em are loyal and great men. Our team has received them well. They were both in for spring ball. Both of them are recruiting at a high, high level."
That may be truer for no coach than Bowman, who has earned commitments from five defensive backs since the start of June, as well as holding on to high-three-star hybrid-CB Dallas Young who committed to the previous DBs coach.
In fact, one of Bowman's biggest recruiting wins came just over a week ago when four-star cornerback Jaylon Braxton completed his flip from Michigan State to Arkansas after an official visit that he "loved."
The Razorbacks' ability to walk into the Lone-Star State and land the Braxton's or Brad Spence's of the world is something that Pittman seemed proud of when asked about what message he had for the pair of Big 12 programs as they moved to the SEC.
"We're having recruiting battles with them (Oklahoma and Texas) right now, thank the Lord," Pittman said. "Before we couldn't get in the door, but we're having recruiting battles.
"We are having recruiting battles with Texas. I'm not telling you we're whipping them or anything like that. I'm telling you we're in the conversation. It's so close, you know? You have two storied programs there."
As well as battles on the trail, Pittman highlighted the different recruiting situations he's found himself in throughout his more than 30 years in the game. Among those changes, was most notably the emergence of the transfer portal, a subject he seemed more than comfortable leaning into.
"I remember being the head coach at Hudson Junior College," Pittman said. "They said you had to have 120, 140 kids on your team. I went out west of Kansas, recruited, recruited. At a junior college, you're going to recruit 85, 90 kids every year. It's kind of crazy.
"That's basically what's portal is doing now. With us, we signed 22 and 9. We signed 31 scholarships, which is unheard of, two years ago, if you know what I'm saying."
He continued to say that Arkansas is well aware of that "unheard of" curve, and has implemented evolution into their day-to-day strategy.
"Change happens," Pittman said. "It just depends on if you're willing to deal with the change or are you going to fight the change.
"For us, we're willing to do whatever we can to make our football team the best."