Through seven days of fall camp, Arkansas’ offensive line is starting to take shape, and the outline is pretty easy to read. No one has officially been handed a job yet, but the Razorbacks have a clear group that’s pulling away from the pack.
That unit looks a lot like the one that finished spring practice. Kavion Broussard has settled in at left tackle after playing in six games and making one start last season.
Inside, Malachi Breland is at left guard, Caden Kitler is at center and Kobe Branham is at right guard. On the other side, Louisiana transfer Bryant Williams is handling right tackle.
Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said last week that the staff has a dependable five they’re rolling with right now.
"We've got five guys that roll out there with the ones," Cramsey said last week. "The depth there is good.
Coach [ Jeff Myers ], Coach Johnson do a good job of moving those guys all around, so they're playing left guard, left tackle, right tackle, right guard. We've got a couple guys that can go in there and snap, to keep guys so that no matter what the situation is, we can put the best five guys on the field."
Behind that projected first group, Arkansas appears to have a real battle brewing. Young linemen like Josiah Clemons and Kash Courtney are trying to force their way into the conversation, while more experienced names such as Adam Hawkes and Brooks Edmonson are also making their presence felt.
"Kash is doing a tremendous job of pushing the interior guys," Cramsey said. "Adam Hawkes is doing a tremendous job of pushing the tackles. Josiah is growing up day-by-day, and the best thing for Josiah is he gets to go against [ Quincy Rhodes ] and [ Steven Soles ] and those guys every day.
"But those guys are pushing those guys for playing time, number one, and obviously keeping them on their toes to make sure they're playing good ball. Brooks Edmonson is another guy that's doing a pretty good job for us on the offense line."
Offensive line coach Marcus Johnson echoed that message Thursday, stressing the value of cross-training the room and preparing for the reality of an SEC season. The staff has already started mixing combinations around this week, with Brooks and Terence Roberson among the players getting chances.
"Right now, we're competing at this moment in time, in camp, and other guys have gotten opportunities," Johnson said Thursday. "Brooks, [ Terence Roberson ] as well. So, we mix, and we started this week mixing the guys around.
"A lot of it's because you don't know what's going to happen throughout the course of the season. Knock on wood, but as we all know it's hard to start a season with five guys and finish with that same five. We kind of went about it in that fashion during the spring as well at times, when guys got some nicks and bruises.
"It's the next guy up mentality, and that's the approach as far as the room. Because we all know, man, once that ball gets kicked off on Saturdays, they don't care if you're a freshman or fifth-year, whatever. Anything goes at that moment."
For Johnson, the biggest message now is simple: sharpen the little things and keep them sharp. He pointed to the need for better consistency in the details, whether that’s eyes, footwork or hand placement, in both the run game and the pass game.
"I think the biggest thing with us is just consistencies in being attention to detail," Johnson said. "Whether it be eyes or footwork or hand placement, and that goes in the run and pass game. So, to me, it's about continuing to be critical of ourselves, just tightening up on the little small things and being consistent at it."
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Arkansas Suddenly Has A New Roster Concern Around Isaiah Sealy
Arkansas woke up to a new roster concern Friday with Isaiah Sealy, a sophomore wing, after he was arrested early in the morning on multiple charges. The situation puts another off-court issue in front of the Razorbacks, with the athletics department saying it had been informed and was reviewing the matter internally.
Police reports say Sealy was detained after refusing to provide identification at a bar, and the incident has quickly turned into a problem for a team that would prefer to keep the focus on basketball. The details already known point to a messy start to the day, and Arkansas now has to sort through what comes next for one of its younger players. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Offensive Line Battle Puts Pressure On A Veteran Leader
Fall camp has brought a familiar kind of tension to Arkansas offensive line, where Marcus Johnson is still sorting through the competition for starting jobs and looking for the right combination up front. The group in the mix includes Kavion Broussard, Malachi Breland, Caden Kitler, Kobe Branham and Bryant Williams, and the emphasis has been less on labeling a finished five-man unit than on building reliable depth and a true next-man-up mentality.
At the center of it all is Kitler, the fifth-year veteran whose experience has given the Razorbacks a steadier presence in the middle. Johnson said Kitler has stood out in camp, particularly when it comes to identifying defensive fronts and handling the calls that keep the line organized, a skill set that matters even more when the rest of the group is still fighting to lock down its spots. [Read more 🡒]