Entering fall camp, one of the biggest concerns for [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] and his Arkansas Razorbacks this season was at the tackle spot.
The Hogs will rely on [autotag]Devon Manuel[/autotag] and [autotag]Patrick Kutas[/autotag], two young and unproven guys, to protect senior quarterback KJ Jefferson this year. While both players are extremely talented, Pittman voiced concerns about their inexperience at SEC Media Days in July.
“They are not guys proven on a Saturday afternoon yet.” Pittman said at the podium last month. “Are they talented? Yes. And you know, I’ve been O-line coach forever. I got one of the best offensive line coaches out there in Cody Kennedy, but these guys are really good players. I know they can play. They just haven’t yet, because we’ve had the luxury of having older guys on the team.”
Devon Manuel stands 6-9, 210 pound as a redshirt sophomore. Pittman saw the potential early on in his recruitment and has continued to see it develop over the last two seasons. Now, Manuel is finding a groove and appears to be in line as the starting left tackle – an important position keeping Jefferson’s blind side protected.
“Any time you have success, this tells you, ‘I’m pretty good.’ His hands, his technique, and now his mind is telling him ‘I’m pretty good.’ You have to know why you build confidence,” said Pittman. “He’s building his confidence because his technique and his hands have become really good. You know, he has to be consistent as well. Always been a great athlete, but right now he believes he’s a good player, and he is.”
At right tackle, sophomore Patrick Kutas has been one of the most impressive offensive linemen from spring, and now into the first week of fall camp. The 6-6, 313-pound Memphis native has the highest potential out of arguably any offensive lineman on the roster right now. Pittman is extremely high on him, but needs to see more consistency from the soon-to-be 19-year old.
“He just has to be consistent. I mean, when you look at his reps, he’s as good as anybody on that field at certain times,” Pittman said. “A great player is a consistent player, so he has to be a little more consistent. And that’s going to come with reps, because that guy’s going to turn 19 soon.”
It seems that the tackle position is in good hands. While there may be a few learning moments this season, Arkansas will get to ease into the grind of an SEC schedule with three non-conference games to start.
The Razorbacks open the season in three weeks when they face Western Carolina at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Hear more of what Sam Pittman had to say about the first week of fall camp below:
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