FAYETTEVILLE — Sam Pittman recently named transfer quarterback Jacolby Criswell as someone who had made great strides this spring.
Following Tuesday’s practice, Pittman was asked who else has made big strides this spring?
“Yeah, Andrew Armstrong has done some really good things,” Pittman said. “(Isaac) TeSlaa. I don’t want to say too many because I think you’re asking specifics about what pops off my head at the beginning. Those two guys really have. (Isaiah) Sategna. And then Hasz, Luke. And then (Patrick) Kutas at tackle would pop off. I’m talking about guys you may have not …. It’s really good to have Taurean Carter back playing some good ball.
“We’ve talked about Landon (Jackson) before. (Jashaud) Stewart. And Trajan Jeffcoat is hard to block now. Him and (John) Morgan both. At the linebacker position I think we’ve got three that’s doing really well. Mani (Powell) got dinged up, got injured a little bit but he’ll be fine. He just won’t be back the rest of this spring. Snaxx Johnson playing well. And I could go on and on. Nudie (Dwight McGlothern). But those guys would pop off right when you ask the question about who has really had a better spring than maybe even I would have anticipated.”
Arkansas is searching for a go-to wide receiver and it seems like TeSlaa is trying to make a strong case for that. He has made some circus, one-handed catches in recent practices.
“He’s catching a lot of ‘wow’ balls,” Pittman said. “That separates receivers right there is who can catch contested passes and who can catch the one that’s unbelievably hard to catch. He’s seemed to be able to do that. I’ve been pleased with Armstrong. I talked about him and Sategna and Bryce (Stephens) and those guys as well. Maybe. The one that I’m missing out there is Tyrone Broden. I wish that we could get a better feel for him. I think he is coming along. He may be able to play Saturday.”
Hasz is a true freshman at tight end. That’s a position without big numbers. Super senior Nathan Bax returned and redshirt freshman Tyrus Washington caught a touchdown pass in the bowl game. Ashdown’s Shamar Easter will arrive in late May or early June. The have a couple of walk on tight ends including Hunter Talley from Siloam Springs.
“I think we’re getting better there,” Pittman said. “And then we’ll have to see what comes available and things of that nature. Obviously we have Shamar Easter coming in, as well, but I think we’re getting better. I think Ty Washington is getting better. I think Bax is getting better. Obviously we’ve talked about Hasz. And, to be perfectly honest with you, Hunter Talley is getting better and (Zach) Lee and those guys.
“But it wouldn’t be out of the realm that we would entertain to see…because we’re playing a lot of 12, a lot of 13. It wouldn’t be off the realm to think that if somebody came available that we might not be interested. I don’t know. We’ll have to talk it out as a staff.”
Saturday’s spring scrimmage will begin at noon in Razorback Stadium. There’s free admission.
