After three years with former offensive coordinator Kendal Briles running the offense, head coach Sam Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks will have a new face calling plays in 2023.
Dan Enos was hired by Arkansas on Jan. 19, marking the second time he's filled the shoes of offensive coordinator in Fayetteville. Enos came over after spending two years as Maryland's offensive coordinator, and he was previously the Razorbacks' offensive coordinator from 2015-17.
Having Enos take over play calling duties is something that has the Razorbacks excited to get to work.
"I’ve really enjoyed it so far," offensive lineman Brady Latham said. "It is different than our last offense, but it’s still football and things are still similar. We’ve been working on it and running it really well and it’s been working really good out at practice. It’s still inside zone, outside zone, stuff like that, but just a little bit different twist."
While the offense might not look extremely different from what the team has been running over the past three seasons, junior running back Raheim Sanders said he sees the Hogs being better situationally.
"I feel like we’re going to be able to complete the third downs," Sanders said. "I feel like we’re going to be more consistent — consistent throwing the ball and running the ball — and I feel like he’s going to use a lot of people, to the tight ends to the running backs to the receivers."
It's worth noting that Enos' offense at Maryland converted on 41.5% of third downs last season, which was good for 43rd nationally.
One change that will be different from Briles' offense is the Razorbacks will be going under center a little bit after very rarely doing so under Briles.
"I feel like being under center, as well, is going to be a different type of thing for me and the running backs, but I feel like it’s going to help me in the long run," Sanders said.
An up-tempo team under Briles — Arkansas ran 77.1 players per game in 2022, which ranked 13th nationally — it seems like they might mix things up a bit moving forward.
"So we do a little bit of everything," Latham said. "We do fast tempo, we do slow it down, we huddle some. I think you’ll see a mix of all of it."
While it won't be easy to replicate the numbers put up under Briles — No. 15 total offense and No. 35 scoring offense — it does seem like the team is bought into Enos' system, just like they've done with the new defensive coaches as well.
The Razorbacks' held their seventh practice of the spring Thursday and they will hold a closed team scrimmage on Saturday. The next open practice will be Tuesday afternoon.
