Arkansas’ offensive line room is still sorting itself out, and Marcus Johnson made that clear Thursday in Fayetteville while standing in a jacket stained by sweat on a brutal northwest Arkansas day.
The heat index had climbed to and then beyond 100 degrees, and Johnson said the competition in camp has matched it. The Razorbacks have not officially settled their starters, and the position battles are still live.
"They know all positions are open right now," Johnson said. "We're competing at this moment in time in camp.
Other guys have gotten opportunities. Brooks [Edmonson], Terence [Roberson Jr.] as well.
We started it this week, mixing the guys around."
Even with that competition, Arkansas’ projected first group in the trenches looks mostly established: Kavion Broussard at left tackle, Malachi Breland at left guard, Caden Kitler at center, Kobe Branham at right guard and Bryant Williams at right tackle.
Johnson emphasized that the work goes beyond just picking five starters. The real issue is building depth for a season that can wear linemen down.
"You don't know what's going to happen throughout the course of the season," Johnson said. "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 during that fashion in the spring as well at times when guys got some nicks and bruises.
"It's a next guy up mentality, and that's the approach as far as the room. We all know, man, once that ball gets kicked off on Saturdays, they don't care if you're a freshman or a fifth-year. Anything goes at that moment."
Kitler, a fifth-year center, is one of the most important pieces in that group, along with Williams. Johnson said the 6-3, 303-pound lineman has stood out in fall camp, particularly with his work against blitz looks from the defense.
"He's a veteran player, he's played a lot of ball," Johnson said. "He's seen a lot of different things.
That helps tremendously, especially when you got a group that's coming together from different walks and different paths in life. Kit does a great job of ID'ing the front and making the combo calls and putting the guys on the same page.
I think that helps when you've played a lot of football."
Arkansas is likely to count heavily on that experience this fall, especially with Kitler potentially flanked by sophomores Broussard and Branham.
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Arkansas O-Line Is Taking Shape But One Concern Isnt Going Away
Arkansas has spent fall camp sorting through its offensive line options, and the picture up front is starting to come into focus. Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey and line coach Marcus Johnson have identified five players who have separated themselves in the battle for starting jobs, with Kavion Broussard, Malachi Breland, Caden Kitler, Kobe Branham and Bryant Williams lining up in the projected first unit.
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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 🡒]