Pittman talks offensive standouts for Arkansas in spring practice

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman was in good spirits following the Razorbacks’ Friday practice as he discussed the notable developments and early standouts on the offensive side of the ball after two days of spring ball.

Of course, Arkansas’ quarterback competition is a big priority for both the coaching staff and fans eager to see who emerges. While Boise State transfer Taylen Green has taken all of the reps with the first-team offense and appears to be the clear frontrunner, Pittman is pleased with what he’s seen out of the entire group, particularly from a leadership standpoint.

“Obviously, Taylen, we’ve seen some out of him before [practice] with the walkthroughs, the meeting time that he’s put in and that kind of stuff,” Pittman said. “It was different than throwing a guy in with the 1s the first day of practice because the rules have allowed us to do more before practice starts.

“I like where we’re at with the quarterbacks. I think they’re battling in there. I think Malachi [Singleton] had a better day today than he did on Thursday. [Jacolby Criswell] is doing well. I like where KJ [Jackson] is at, and Taylen’s doing a fine job. I like where they’re at. They like each other, and they’re competing hard against each other.

“The only thing I’ve seen a little bit more out of them this year is they all seem to possess good leadership qualities and take ownership of their own mistakes, but yet have really good leadership skills. That’s what you have to have at the quarterback position.”

Regardless of who ends up behind center for the Hogs, they’ll hope to have much better protection than KJ Jefferson received from the Arkansas O-line a year ago. Through two practices, the Razorbacks appear to have found a clear starting group with transfers Fernando Carmona (San Jose State) and Keyshawn Blackstock (Michigan State) stepping in at tackle, and Addison Nichols (Tennessee) at center while returning starters Patrick Kutas and Josh Braun hold it down at the guard spots.

“Coach [Eric] Mateos has done a really good job with those guys, I think,” Pittman said. “Everything starts outside-in to me. In other words, you’ve got to have two tackles that can play. You’ve got to have a center.

“I’ve been really pleased with Nichols. Carmona, he’s a player, and Keyshawn has done a really nice job. And it’s not only that they’ve been playing good – again, it’s non-padded – they’ve been playing pretty good, but it’s what they’ve brought to the room, field presence. It’s guys that understand how to win, how to motivate and things of that nature.

“They’ve brought an older skillset to the room. I think the older kids are not selfish. They’re hard-working kids, and they are kind of showing how these guys need to be, and they’re following along with that. I’m really happy with that group.”

Behind the offensive line, the Razorbacks have a nice group of ball-carriers emerging. Returning running backs Rashod Dubinion, Dominique Johnson and Isaiah Augustave have each had their fair share of highlights at practice, and Pittman has enjoyed what Utah transfer Ja’Quinden Jackson and freshman Braylen Russell have added to the unit.

“Love them. They bring something to that room,” Pittman said. “Braylen is fast. When he gets turned north to south, it’s a load coming at you. The thing I’ve seen about him is his vision. He’s got really good vision. We saw [Jackson] jump-cut today and things of that nature and make some guys miss, other than just running around them and over them.

“Any time you have freshmen and portal guys, any time they do something you’re going, ‘I didn’t see that on film,’ and it’s been in a positive way. Watching JJ’s Utah film, it was a lot about speed and running over guys, but he’s got some ability to make guys miss in a small area, and so does Braylen Russell.

“I’ve been really pleased with the addition of those two guys.”

Perhaps the most notable improvement among Arkansas’ returning players has been the play of wide receiver Tyrone Broden. The 6-foot-7 target, who accumulated over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns during his final 2 seasons at Bowling Green, logged just 15 receptions for 109 yards during his first year as a Hog in 2023.

Through two days of spring practice, the Razorback coaching staff has seen a different version of the talented wideout.

“Andrew Armstrong and Tyrone Broden have been the guys that have taken their games to a new level here,” Pittman said. “Broden just needed confidence. Now, he was hurt and things of that nature, and then he kind of got behind a little bit on learning because of his injury. But, as you’ve seen, he’s very talented.

“At this point in time, I feel really good about our receiving corps.”

The Razorbacks will return to practice on Tuesday and Thursday next week before taking a week off for spring break. Arkansas’ annual spring game will be held inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Saturday, April 13th at noon Central.