Arkansas football began fall camp Friday with the team's first practice following what was seemingly a very successful summer session of workouts under first-year director of strength and conditioning Ben Sowders.
With Sowders leading the strength and conditioning program, the team made some changes during the eight-week cycle this summer compared to what it did last year.
"We lifted five days (a week), which we didn’t last year," head coach Sam Pittman said Wednesday. "In a lift day was always a conditioning part of it. There was an emphasis on conditioning, team run and things of that nature twice a week. They’d run each and every day.
"But we went five (days) this year of lifting, where last summer we went four. I think that the culture, the attitude of the team was outstanding, as good as it can be in this climate of portal and NIL. So we’re obviously bigger, which has a lot to do with the nutritionist, as well, but we’re bigger, our body fat count is down, so a lot of good, a lot of positive things and I just feel like our team, we pressed them pretty hard."
Sowders echoed Pittman's sentiment when he met with the media Friday morning. After coming over from Louisville, Sowders said he thinks the Razorbacks are going to push the envelope this fall.
The Razorbacks spent plenty of time running and working out in the afternoons during the summer, but they also got up early for workouts every Friday. Sowders said both of those situations present a tough environment that strengthens the mindset of each player.
"We challenged them every day in some sort of fashion," Sowders said. "Competitive stuff. But we’re going to run out in the heat. Flipside is obviously we’re going to play some early-morning games, right. We’ll play the noon game, so… Or 11 here. So, being able to get them up and get them to work and work together, and we’re all here on time, we did that every Friday."
Putting in the effort during the summer has already delivered results. Arkansas is bigger, stronger and faster than it was last season.
"We’ve got 36% of our guys that wear the GPS that can run 21 miles an hour or faster," Sowders said. "We’ve got 5 guys who can run 22 or faster and then 61% off our team that can over 20 mph. That’s everybody. I’m talking about O-line, D-line, tight ends and your skills. You’ve got over half your team being able to run 20. So we got faster.
"Our strength numbers went up. Very pleased. The gains that we made, the camaraderie, the togetherness that we’ve accomplished. But we’ve got to turn it up a notch as we get into training camp."
The five players who hit 22 miles an hour included three wide receivers — Isaiah Sategna, Andrew Armstrong and Tyrone Broden. Running back AJ Green and defensive back Malik Chavis round out the group of five that hit 22 miles an hour.
While speed likely comes naturally to those five, Sowders and his staff have placed a specific emphasis on the team as a whole getting faster.
"For our skill guys, we wanted to get them bigger and stronger, but obviously put an emphasis on speed," Sowders said. "You know in this league, speed kills. Especially at your skill positions. Explosive plays, typically the team that’s got the most explosive plays in a game, are the most successful teams that end up winning the game. We put a big premium on that."
Speed isn't the only thing that kills in the SEC. To be a top team in the conference, you must win in the trenches. Arkansas went out and got some big boys in the transfer portal, specifically on the defensive line, and that should help translate to a stronger and more physical group up front.
Maryland transfer defensive tackle Anthony "Tank" Booker Jr. squats 645-655 pounds, according to Sowders. Most people have seen the clip of center Beaux Limmer squatting 700 pounds, and Sowders even said that Limmer could've done more.
"Beaux could have done more, but at the end of the day I need Beaux to be the starting center," Sowders said. "It comes to a point where ‘Is the juice worth the squeeze?’ I had to fight… I kind of fought him to do it because he hit 675 so easy.
"So he was like, ‘Coach, let me hit 700. Please let me.’ Beaux is a workout warrior, so grateful for that because he leads by example and we need that up front in the trench, guys like that. Could have done more, but at the same time, I need him to play football."
Other offensive linemen such as right tackle Patrick Kutas and redshirt freshman Brooks Edmonson have cleared 600 pounds on squat, as well.
Moving out of the trenches and to the second level, redshirt sophomore linebacker Chris "Pooh" Paul Jr. has made strides in the weight room.
"He squats in the mid-500s," Sowders said of Paul. "He’s a 340, 345 cleaner. Benching over 365. Had a really good offseason. He went from 215 at the start of offseason, he weighed in at 231. So you’re look at a guy that put on 15, 16 pounds that’s going to play a lot of plays for us.
"He’s running in the 21s, so you talk about another guy who’s put on weight, gotten stronger and gotten faster. All you guys sitting in this room, you know how this league is, man. You can’t play linebacker at 215 and run 20 mph and only be a subpar squatter. You have to check all the boxes. We’re trying to push that envelope every day."
On the other side of the ball, star running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders continues to get better, which has to be hard to do following his breakout campaign in 2022. While he weighs in at 242 pounds, Sanders is all muscle, according to Pittman.
"He’s actually faster," Sowders said. "So, Rocket’s up to right at 21 miles an hour. Last year, he touched like 20.03, so he gained one. But you talk about running back, right. We hit the whole, and he hits a stretch. That’s the difference between a 25- or 30-yard run or a 50-yard touchdown, which goes back to explosive plays.
"But Rocket, man, unbelievable kid, unbelievable human being. Always early. Always comes to work. Stays late. Comes in and does extra rehab with our strength staff. I mean, it’s like, if you could model a guy that you’d want your son to be after, that would be the guy. I mean, he just does everything right. Class act. Wish we had more of him."
All of these results have been earned with consistent effort, according to Sowders. The effort can't stop now, though. Just one practice of fall camp is in the books and there are 24 more to go ahead of the season opener against Western Carolina at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Saturday, September 2.
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