Tag: Cam Little

Trio of Razorbacks voted All-SEC by conference football coaches

Three Razorbacks honored by SEC football coaches with all-conference selections.

Arkansas junior kicker Cam Little and junior defensive end Landon Jackson were each voted first-team All-SEC selects by the conferences coaches on Tuesday, with sophomore punter Max Fletcher pulling in second-team accolades.

The 6-foot-2, 179-pound Little, who recently announced that he would forgo his senior year to enter the 2024 NFL Draft, has been a consistent force for the Razorbacks over the past three seasons. The Moore, Okla., native was one of the top kickoff specialists in the country this season, kicking off 62 times for 3,981 total yards – tied for fifth nationally with a 64.2 kickoff average, while recording 53 touchbacks. As the Arkansas place-kicker, Little connected on 20-of-24 field goal attempts – 83.3 percent – and was perfect on all 33 of his point-after attempts. It marks the second consecutive year that an Arkansas kickoff specialist has claimed first-team honors, following Jake Bates nod last season.

The 6-foot-7, 281-pound Jackson, who transferred in from LSU two years ago, became a dominant forced on the Arkansas defensive line this season, and proved to be one of the nation’s most dominant pass rushers. He tallied 44 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and one pass break-up. He shined his brightest against Alabama on Oct. 14, when he recoded career highs with 11 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. He drew praise from Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban following the game, while being named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. The Texarkana, Texas, native anchored a Razorback defense that ranked sixth in the SEC in tackles for loss and sacks, while leading the Hogs in both categories. He is the first Arkansas defensive lineman since Jake Bequette  in 2011, to earn a first-team selection.

The 6-foot-5, 174-pound Fletcher booted 59 punts this season, for an SEC-leading 2,770 yards. Fletcher is the first Arkansas punter since Dylan Breeding, in 2012, to receive All-SEC recognition. The Melbourne, Australia, native ranked fourth in the conference with 47 yards per punt, and his 19 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, ranked fourth in the SEC. Fletcher boomed 23 punts over 50 yards, including four punts the went more than 60. His longest was a career-long 71-yard missile against Auburn on Nov. 11.

The SEC postseason individual awards will be announced on Wednesday while the SEC All-Freshman Team is slated to be released on Thursday.

First Team All-SEC

Offense

QB –  Jayden Daniels, LSU

RB – Cody Schrader, Missouri

RB – Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss

WR – Malik Nabers, LSU

WR – Luther Burden III, Missouri

TE – Brock Bowers, Georgia

OL – JC Latham, Alabama

OL – Javon Foster, Missouri

OL – Will Campbell, LSU

OL – Tate Ratledge, Georgia

C – Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

AP – Ainias Smith, Texas A&M

Defense

DL – Darius Robinson, Missouri

DL – James Pearce Jr., Tennessee

DL – Justin Eboigbe, Alabama

DL – LANDON JACKSON, ARKANSAS

LB – Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M

LB – Dallas Turner, Alabama

LB – Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State

DB – Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

DB – Malaki Starks, Georgia

DB – Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri

DB – Caleb Downs, Alabama*

DB – Terrion Arnold, Alabama*

Special Teams

PK – Will Reichard, Alabama

P – Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt

RS – Ainias Smith, Texas A&M

KOS – CAM LITTLE, ARKANSAS

LS – Hunter Rogers, South Carolina*

LS – Kneeland Hibbett, Alabama*

 

Second Team All-SEC

Offense

QB – Carson Beck, Georgia

RB – Ray Davis, Kentucky

RB – Jarquez Hunter, Auburn

WR – Brian Thomas, LSU

WR – Xavier Legette, South Carolina

TE – Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss*

TE – Trey Knox, South Carolina*

TE – Rivaldo Fairweather, Auburn*

OL – Tyler Booker, Alabama

OL – Xavier Truss, Georgia

OL – Emery Jones, LSU

OL – Layden Robinson, Texas A&M

C – Eli Cox, Kentucky

AP – Barion Brown, Kentucky

Defense

DL – Mykel Williams, Georgia

DL – Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia

DL – Princely Umanmielen, Florida

DL – Shemar Turner, Texas A&M

LB – Harold Perkins, LSU

LB – Smael Mondon, Georgia

LB – Ty’Ron Hopper, Missouri

DB – Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky

DB – Jaylin Simpson, Auburn

DB – Tykee Smith, Georgia

DB – Kamari Lassiter, Georgia

Special Teams

PK – Harrison Mevis, Missouri

P – James Burnip, Alabama*

P – MAX FLETCHER, ARKANSAS*

RS – Barion Brown, Kentucky

KOS – Will Reichard, Alabama

LS – Wesley Schelling, Vanderbilt

*Ties (ties are not broken)

Arkansas kicker Cam Little declares for the 2024 NFL Draft

Cam Little is one of the best kickers in college football.

Kickers are people too, and one of the best kickers in the country has entered the 2024 NFL Draft. Arkansas’ Cam Little is widely regarded as a top kicking prospect and will be forgoing his senior season to take his services to the next level.

Little has been one of the most consistent kickers in all of college football, maintaining an over 80% field goal percentage. He leaves the Razorbacks as their third all-time leader in made field goals with 53 even as just a junior.

There is always going to be a need for kickers in the league, and given the recent history of poor place kicker plays from multiple teams in the league, a kicker as consistent and Little could find himself going fairly early on for his position in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Arkansas’ best player, Cam Little, declares for the NFL Draft

Little is the most accurate kicker in school history and only eight behind Zach Hocker for Arkansas’ all-time field-goal lead.

A tumultous offseason has only just begun at Arkansas.

Things took another turn Friday when Razorbacks kicker Cam Little declared for the NFL Draft.

“Thank you to Coach Pittman for believing in my abilities since I stepped foot on campus and giving me an opportunity to represent the state of Arkansas,” Little wrote on X. “I would also like to thank Coach Fountain, Coach Krysl, Coach Herd, and Coach Sabock who all have helped me very much along this incredible journey in Fayetteville.”

Little is third all time in school history in field goals made with 53. Only a junior, he is leaving school just eight behind first-place Zach Hocker and is, by percentage, the most accurate kicker in Arkansas history.

Special teams players have a spotty history in the NFL Draft and even as a potential All-American, Little’s projection in the draft is difficult.

Earlier this year, Detroit Lions beat writer Kory Woods recommended the blue-and-silver take Little in the draft.

Florida International at Arkansas: Players to Watch on Saturday

Arkansas and Florida International both come hobbling into Saturday’s clash, each hoping to right the ship.

Arkansas finally gets a break from the SEC football slate on Saturday, as the reeling Razorbacks welcome an equally-stumbling Florida International team to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. matchup.

Arkansas (3-7, 1-7 SEC) has dropped seven of its last eight games, and is coming off it’s worse defeat of the season, a 48-10 home loss to Auburn last week. The offense again looked sluggish and the defense didn’t seem to have an answer for the Tigers’ attack.

With quarterback KJ Jefferson unable to generate much offense last week, junior backup Jacolby Criswell came in and led the Razorbacks to their only touchdown of the game, an 11-yard TD strike to Isaac TeSlaa in the fourth quarter.

FIU (4-6, 1-6 CUSA) put together a three-game win streak early in the season, before dropping five of its last six contests. The Panthers are trying to bounce back from a 40-6 loss at Middle Tennessee State last week.

The Panthers are led by freshman quarterback Keyone Jenkins, who has quickly proven to be a threat, running or passing. Linebackers Donovan Manuel and Reggie Peterson spearhead an aggressive defensive alignment for the Panthers.

Here are 12 Players to Watch in Saturday’s showdown between the Razorbacks and Panthers:

Nation starting to realize how good Arkansas kicker Cam Little is

The Arkansas kicker is showcasing himself as one of the country’s finest and they’re starting to take notice.

Cam Little took almost no time to insert himself into the conversation as  potentially Arkansas’ greatest kicker. Something Razorbacks’ fans have known for two-plus years, though, is now becoming more known outside of the Natural State.

Little was named Lou Groza Star of the Week for the second time just a day after being named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in Arkansas’ win over Florida on Saturday.

Little made field goals of 22, 37, 41 and 49 yards. The longest one tied the game at 33, allowing for Arkansas to get to overtime and eventually win.

The four makes also moved Little ahead of Todd Latourette for fifth on Arkansas’ all-time field goal list. Little currently sits at 49 career makes, just 12 from tying the school’s leader, Zach Hocker.

Little will seek to inch closer to the record Saturday when Arkansas hosts Auburn at 3 p.m.

Players of the Game: Jefferson, Little headline Arkansas’ best in Hogs win

It’s safe to say Kenny Guiton’s first game as Arkansas’ offensive coordinator was a success.

KJ Jefferson had the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime. Cam Little kicked four field goals.

Arkansas’ quarterback and kicker were, accordingly, easy choices as RazorbacksWire Players of the Game in Arkansas’ 39-36 win over Florida on Saturday. A win, by the way, that snapped a six-game losing streak and gave the program its first-ever victory in Gainesville.

Jefferson and Little were hardly the only players that shined, though. New offensive coordinator Kenny Guiton’s offense was dynamic througout, especially as it had a healthy Rocket Sanders at running back.

On defense, Arkansas has had better games this year, but the defensive backs were especially aggressive, providing a showcase for Dwight McGlothern, Jaylen Braxton and Snaxx Johnson.

In all, we have five Players of the Game, but on a day like Saturday, to say it was a team effort is wholly accurate.

Arkansas vs. Mississippi State – Players of the Game: Cam Little and…???

When your kicker and punter are your two best players, something’s wrong. Something’s wrong at Arkansas.

Kicking is kind of offense, right?

For the second straight week, the only Arkansas football player who did any significant damage with the ball was kicker Cam Little. The Razorbacks’ offense was atrocious against Mississippi State on Saturday as the Hogs provided the Bulldogs with their first SEC, 7-3, on Saturday.

Arkansas had 200 yards of total offense and scored only on its first series of the game. Even that likely wouldn’t have come had Mississippi State not thrown an interception in its own territory, allowing Arkansas to start within a legitimate scoring distance.

Whether its the offensive line that gave up another four sacks, the wide receiving corps that averaged barely five yards per catch or the running game’s 103 total yards on the ground, Arkansas’ biggest problems on offense are many to choose from.

A shame, too, considering Arkansas’ defense was dynamite yet again, making that side of the ball’s Player of the Game selection a bit tougher.

At any rate, here are our picks for the best Hogs on the day from editor E. Wayne and contributors Steve Andrews, Derek Oxford and Connor Goodson.

KJ Jefferson proves he’s still Arkansas’ best, named Player of the Game vs Alabama

Arkansas would actually be one of those bad teams its most angry fans think if it weren’t for KJ Jefferson.

KJ Jefferson’s 2023 season has not gone to plan. The preseason second-team All-SEC pick was even a dark horse pick for All-American honors by season’s end. Arkansas’ struggles through its first seven games have all but eliminated those.

But more important to Jefferson and his teammates is what the Razorbacks do on the field, as opposed to the plaudits earned off it. And even in Saturday’s loss against Alabama, proof was positive that Jefferson, a three-starter and fifth-year senior, is the best man to lead the Hogs on the field, earning our top selection as Arkansas’ Player of the Game.

Joining him were kicker Cam Little, running back AJ Green, linebacker Jaheim Thomas and defense end Landon Jackson.

Check out more on each of their performances below as the selections from editor E. Wayne and contributors Steve Andrews, Connor Goodson and Derek Oxford come in.

Arkansas – Alabama: LIVE updates, scores and highlights from second half

Arkansas couldn’t do anything to slow down Alabama in the first half. The Hogs trail 21-6. Follow along for second half updates from Tuscaloosa.

After jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead, Alabama responded with 21 unanswered points in the first half in Tuscaloosa.

Since [autotag]Cam Little[/autotag]’s second field goal of the game, the Arkansas offense was only able to put up 17 yards of total offense. They went three-and-out four times, which kept the Arkansas defense on the field much longer than you’d like to see.

[autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] got off to a decent start throwing, but the Hogs haven’t really gotten back to what was working early on in the game. They have 17 rushing attempts for just 18 total yards on the Alabama defense.

If Arkansas can’t get anything going offensively, it could get ugly in Tuscaloosa for this second half.

Follow along for live updates, scores and highlights from all of the second half action from Arkansas and Alabama.

Washington, Jeffcoat headline Arkansas’ Players of the Game vs Ole Miss

The indivdual efforts will be forgotten – even if they shouldn’t be – because of Arkansas’ fourth straight loss.

Arkansas was better than it was against Texas A&M.

Better wasn’t enough.

The Razorbacks fell against No. 16 Ole Miss on Saturday, 27-20, as one big issue continued and countered several good individual efforts for Arkansas.

Quarterback KJ Jefferson did everything he could considering he was sacked five times and Arkansas’ running backs were limited to 25 yards on 12 carries.

Ty Washington was his favorite target as the redshirt freshman tight end caught two touchdown passes.

Cam Little chipped in with a 56-yard field goal, as well.

Defensively, Trajan Jeffcoat looked the part of his All-SEC self from three years ago.

And Jayden Johnson was the first Arkansas player not named Jaheim Thomas to lead the Hogs in tackles in a game.

Those efforts will be largely forgotten because of the loss, but like every week, we name our Arkansas Players of the Game. Check out more details below.