FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman spent a few minutes touting the up-and-coming players on the roster near the end of his Monday news conference after citing the recent work of linebacker Bradley Shaw and offensive lineman Kobe Branham earlier in the interview setting.
Pittman was specifically asked about true freshman defensive end Charlie Collins, who notched a quarterback hurry on a fourth-quarter series in last week’s 35-14 win over Louisiana Tech.
The Razorbacks (6-5, 3-4 SEC) will conclude the regular season on Saturday at No. 21 Missouri (8-3, 4-3) and will quickly start assessing how the 2025 roster will shape up.
Shaw has worked in more playing time at the deep linebacker position in recent games and Branham has earned a spot on short-yardage formations.
“First of all, for him to get out there as a freshman and in key situations — you’re looking at goal line is basically what he’s playing right now — is a huge complement to him,” Pittman said of Branham. “I fully expect he battles for a starting position in spring ball. … I think he’s special.”
After acknowledging the value of Branham, Collins and Shaw moving forward, Pittman touched on a few other players.
“Kavion Henderson would be another one that just pops out,” Pittman said. “I think he’s going to be a really good player. I like Jaden Allen and I like Selman Bridges, our two freshman corners.
“Now Jaden, he’s going to practice today, he’s back from that cartilage repair.
“Offensively, of course, KJ Jackson we’re very high on him. The wide receiver there, Krosse (Johnson), he’s got a lot of talent as a young player. CJ Brown will keep coming on.”
When a reporter suggested freshman running back Braylen Russell, Pittman nodded in agreement.
“Braylen would certainty be a guy we want to build the future around,” he said.
Captains called
Coach Sam Pittman named a crew of the team’s top talent on his radio show on Tuesday night as the four captains for Saturday’s finale at Missouri.
Pittman said quarterback Taylen Green, receiver Andrew Armstrong, defensive end Landon Jackson and defensive tackle Cam Ball would serve as the captain against the Tigers.
“Well, we’ve had about 40 or 40-plus (captains),” Pittman said before announcing the four players. “That’ll be a great representation for the Hogs.”
Broyles nominees
Defensive coordinator Travis Williams is the Arkansas nominee for the Broyles Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach.
Williams and his Missouri counterpart, defensive coordinator Corey Batoon, are among the 14 nominees from the SEC for the award, and 11 of them work on defense.
The rest of the SEC nominees are Alabama offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, Auburn defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, Florida running backs coach Jabbar Juluke, Georgia defensive line coach Tray Scott, LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker, Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley, Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding, South Carolina defensive coordinator Clayton White, Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks, Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, Texas A&M defensive coordinator Jay Bateman and Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Tim Beck.
Scott is a graduate of Arkansas Tech and also was a graduate assistant there as well as an assistant at Arkansas State.
There are also other nominees for the award, named after legendary coach and athletic director Frank Broyles, who have ties to Arkansas.
Former Razorback quarterback and assistant coach Barry Lunney Jr. is the nominee as Illinois’ offensive coordinator for former Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema.
UNLV’s nominee is special teams coordinator James Shibest, a former Razorback player and coach. Tulane offensive coordinator and quarterbacks Joe Craddock is a former Arkansas offensive coordinator.
SMU defensive coordinator Scott Symons, who has a master’s degree from Harding, also is a Broyles Award nominee. Symons previously was defensive coordinator at Arkansas Tech, co-defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Harding and a defensive quality control analyst at Arkansas State.
Turkey Day plan
Coach Sam Pittman said the Razorbacks will practice early on Thanksgiving Day to give players plenty of free time the rest of the day to congregate in various ways.
Many of the assistant coaches are having players at their homes for Thanksgiving dinner, Pittman said. Some players who live in the area will go home and include their teammates in Thanksgiving.
“Right now, my plans are just to go home and we don’t have any company,” Pittman said of having Thanksgiving with his wife, Jamie. “Which, I love company, but I also love when it’s just Jamie and I.”
The Razorbacks have typically had to travel on Thanksgiving in even-numbered years the past few decades when they have played Missouri or LSU on the road on Black Friday. With the game being on Saturday this year the Razorbacks can have a more traditional Thanksgiving Day.”So we’re just going to have that day, probably watch a little football, take a nap, put some ice on my hip and figure it out,” Pittman said of his personal plans.
Pittman, who has said he will undergo hip replacement surgery in early December a few days after the game at Missouri, said on his radio show last Wednesday that his favorite Thanksgiving is one with just he and Jamie. He added a clarification to that at his Monday news conference.
“Because everybody who’s ever been to our house on Thanksgiving will think I don’t want them there,” he said. “That’s not true.”
Tough slate
The road game at Missouri will be the seventh against a team that was ranked at the time of the game for the Razorbacks.
According to the UA game notes, that number of games against ranked opponents leads the nation.
Arkansas is 1-5 in the prior games against ranked teams, having beaten No. 4 Tennessee (19-14) and lost at No. 16 Oklahoma State (39-31, 2 OT), against No. 24 Texas A&M (21-17), No. 8 LSU (34-10), No. 19 Ole Miss (63-31) and No. 3 Texas (20-10).
Oklahoma State and LSU have since dropped from the rankings, while Tennessee and Texas are positioned for a spot in the first 12-team playoff.
Half shutouts
Arkansas shut out Louisiana Tech in the first half last Saturday, giving the Razorbacks a fourth game with a shutout through two quarters this season.
Arkansas also held Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Auburn and Tennessee off the board in the first half and completed the shutout of the Golden Lions for its first in two seasons under defensive coordinator Travis Williams and in five seasons under Coach Sam Pittman. Arkansas’ shutout of UAPB was its first since a 23-0 blanking of Tulsa on Oct. 20, 2018.
In the four games with first-half shutouts, the Razorbacks went 4-0 and allowed an average of 10.5 points per game, as Auburn, Tennessee and Louisiana Tech all managed 14 second half points.
Early jump
Arkansas opponents posted 17 false start penalties in games at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, an average of 2.83 per game.
That is the most false starts by Arkansas opponents since 2010, when they logged 18 during on-campus games.
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