With the regular season set to kick off two weeks from today for the Hogs, head coach Sam Pittman met with the media to recap the second scrimmage. Now that the season is right around the corner, it is time for Pittman and his staff to finally get a feel for the starting roster.
Scrimmage Recap
Pittman said that usually in fall camp there are two scrimmages of “good on good,” which is the projected starters on offense and defense against each other. They switched it up this season as the starters took on the second string.
Offense
On the offensive side of the ball, Mike Washington Jr. stepped up once again in the scrimmage. Pittman, his staff and players have had high praise for Washington since his arrival on campus, and now he is pushing himself further as the projected starting running back.
“He seems to make long runs,” Pittman said. “Obviously, they’re doing a good job upfront [offensive line], but he’s also doing a good job of breaking tackles and has tremendous speed.”
Another player who showed out offensively was Monte Harrison. The 30-year-old sophomore has made strides in his second season with the program and is in the running for significant playing time in an open wide receiver competition.
“He shows up every day, but he seems to make the big plays in scrimmages, which is really good to see,” Pittman said. “He just kept fighting, kept working. Now, he’s one of those guys you want to look at, like an Armstrong was a year ago. I’m really proud of him.”
Defense
The defense still looks to have some questions that need to be answered. One of those was around the defensive line, and Philip Lee answered some of them today. The redshirt senior transfer from Troy showed out in the scrimmage.
“Philip Lee has come on, I’m excited,” Pittman said. “We need him to. He can rush the passer, and he’s been making more plays against the run.”
Trent Whalen also earned some praise from Pittman following the scrimmage. With Xavian Sorey Jr. out with an injury that won’t impact him for the regular season, Whalen was able to get more reps and impressed in those opportunities.
Injuries
The Hogs made it through the offseason and fall camp with minimal impact from significant injuries. Although wide receiver Ishmael Cisse still looks to be out for the season, he seems to be the only one Arkansas will be without for a significant amount of time. One player who may miss the very beginning of the season is David Oke.
“He [Oke] may miss a game or two with a knee,” Pittman said. “I haven’t talked to the doctors yet, but it was kind of trending that way.”
Looking Ahead
With two scrimmages now in the books, Arkansas is beginning to finalize its depth chart ahead of the season opener. Pittman said the team will continue to use the next two weeks to polish fundamentals and build consistency, hoping to carry the momentum of fall camp into Week 1.