Andrew Chamblee is making the most of the opportunity he’s been given in camp thus far, and he may just take it and run with it.
With sophomore Devon Manuel, Arkansas’ presumed starter at left tackle, temporarily sidelined with an injury this week, redshirt freshman Andrew Chamblee is making the most of his opportunity getting reps with the first team.
The 6-foot-6, 304-pound Maumelle native has stepped right in and caught the eye of offensive line coach Cody Kennedy, with his technique and nimble footwork.
“In all honesty, after the three practices that he’s been there, I feel exponentially more confident in Andrew Chamblee,” said Kennedy, who also praised Chamblee’s effort in Saturday’s first fall scrimmage. “He’s done a really, really good job filling that role, but hats off to the D-line and those guys too. He can’t make the mistakes he makes with the twos, with the ones, and it flies. You know what I’m saying?
“There’s a level of error there when you get up to the ones where you can’t get by. There are some things where your athletic ability can take over when you’re a little bit more athletic than they guy, but when everything is even you have to trust in your training and you have to trust your technique.”
After a stellar career at Maumelle, Chamblee was a prized 4-star recruit, ranked the third-best player in the state and the No. 23 offensive tackle in the nation, according to 247 Sports. He saw limited game action last season, preserving his four years of eligibility, but used the time to improve his skills and learn the system.
“He’s learned that going up to the ones and playing next to guys like Brady and Beaux and seeing how they handle their business and how he kind of has to transform into that and step up to that level,” Kennedy said.
Chamblee has seized the opportunity to shine with the first team while Manuel is out, but he may soon be relegated back to his reserve spot. Still, he has his sights set on a starting job, and will have to continue improving and performing at a high level to make that happen.
Kennedy knows competition helps motivate everyone involved to strive for excellence, so he is thrilled to see his young players compete at a higher level.
“He’s doing a really, really good job in there filling that void while Devon is out, and going after the spot,” Kennedy said. “That’s the conversation we had. You go in there and perform at an elite level and you might not have to give it back. That’s the thing for him. He’s done a good job transforming his body in the weight room as well in terms of being able to handle power rushes and utilize his hands better.
“Those are things he’s working on. He’s playing strong with his hands and obviously with the frame he has he’s playing long. That’s one big thing we talk about with his strike and his hand usage is being able to play long and utilize that frame that he does have.”
