Three Arkansas freshmen likely to miss 2024 season
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Arkansas has three true freshmen that likely won't play in the 2024 season due to injury, head coach Sam Pittman said during his pre-fall camp press conference Tuesday.
Defensive back Jaden Allen, linebacker Justin Logan and offensive lineman Zuri Madison all three are probably looking at redshirting their first season in Fayetteville.
Madison's injury is a torn ACL that he suffered while riding a scooter in early March. The 6-foot-3, 314-pounder is a three-star interior lineman prospect out of Douglass High School in Lexington, Kentucky.
"He just hit curb and put his leg out straight and the ACL couldn’t handle that pressure," Pittman said March 5. "It’s a shame, because he’s really a talented guy. He’ll get stronger and bigger and those things and he’ll be back. As you know, an ACL injury takes a while, so he probably won’t be back til either the end of this season, maybe get prepared maybe in a bowl situation or come back next spring."
Logan, a four-star recruit, was sporting a green no-contact jersey most of the time when he participated in the spring and he didn't play in the Red-White Spring Game. Pittman revealed Tuesday that it's a shoulder injury for the 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker of Kennesaw, Georgia.
A three-star cornerback out of Aledo, Texas, Allen performed well during spring football. The 5-foot-10, 167-pounder regularly saw action with the second team defense, and he even saw reps with the first team defense a few times. Cartilage repair in the knee is what Pittman said is preventing Allen from playing.
"Jaden is such a quick-twitch guy, very, very smart that is a cover corner," head coach Sam Pittman said April 9. "That’s what he is. Body positioning is extremely accurate. He understands what’s going on for a young guy, that’s hard."
Allen recorded five tackles and one sack during the Razorbacks' Red-White Spring Game on April 13 at Donald W. Reynold Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.
As a senior at Aledo High School in 2023, Allen finished with 43 total tackles (30 solo) and 0.5 sacks in 11 games with one interception that he returned for a touchdown and one pass breakup. Allen chose Arkansas over LSU, Tennessee, Texas, USC, Michigan State and others out of high school.
Allen was one of four defensive backs that signed with Arkansas in the 2024 recruiting class. Fellow Texas native Selman Bridges out of Temple, Texas, has the best shot of the group as a former 5.9 four-star prospect. Safety Ahkari Johnson and corner/nickel Tevis Metcalf also gained valuable experience going through spring ball.
Pittman also added that freshman linebacker JuJu Pope, a four-star out of Mississippi, is battling a hamstring that might limit him for the first week or two of fall camp.
Arkansas will begin fall camp Wednesday and the season season will open up Thursday, Aug. 29, against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU.