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Arkansas football positional previews: Can offensive line be source of optimism in 2024?

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Arkansas football positional previews: Can offensive line be source of optimism in 2024?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There are nine weekends remaining until the return of Arkansas football.

The Razorbacks open the 2024 season in Little Rock against UAPB. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) on Thursday, Aug. 29.

Arkansas is coming off a disappointing 4-8 campaign that saw offensive coordinator Dan Enos get fired midseason and the eventual transfers of KJ Jefferson and Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders, two faces of the program.

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In response, the Hogs hired Bobby Petrino and hit the transfer portal, bringing in plenty of newcomers for what feels like an all-important season for head coach Sam Pittman.

Over the next month, the Southwest Times Record will run positional previews twice a week, asking two questions and providing one bold prediction. We tackled the quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end positions earlier this week.

Here’s a look at the tight ends entering 2024.

Are there clear starters on the offensive line for Arkansas football?

The Hogs started and ended spring camp with the same five starters: left tackle Fernando Carmona, left guard Patrick Kutas, center Addison Nichols, right guard Josh Braun and right tackle Keyshawn Blackstock.

Carmona, Nichols and Blackstock are all transfers, with Kutas and Braun returning from last year’s disaster. Kutas is playing a new position this season after starting at right tackle in 2023.

This group will get the first chance at opening the season with the first-team offense, but there are some intriguing backups who could fight for playing time. Spring transfer Joe More has 38 games worth of experience while at Richmond and Syracuse. Ty’Kieast Crawford, E’Marion Harris and Amaury Wiggins all return hoping to make a bigger impact.

Can it get any worse in 2024?

The Razorbacks ranked 109th in the country in yards per carry and 129th out of 133 teams in sacks allowed per game last season. South Carolina is the only other SEC team to rank in the lower than 100th in both categories.

The offensive line play was grim, especially when considering that position is supposed to be Pittman’s biggest strength, but could that be a source of optimism entering the new season? How many games does Arkansas win with an average offensive line that didn’t have KJ Jefferson facing pressure on nearly every snap last year?

It was jarring how different the offense looked this spring with the new linemen, so to answer the above question, probably not.

Improvement up front could be what swings the tides of close games in Arkansas’ favor this fall after losing five games by one possession in 2023.

One bold prediction: Fernando Carmona earns All-Conference honors

It might not be a first-team All-SEC selection, but the San Jose State transfer will be one of the league’s best left tackles this fall and power an offensive line resurgence.

Pittman and offensive line coach Eric Mateos raved about Carmona this spring, and Pro Football Focus rated Carmona as the fourth-best tackle in the country last year.

What the coaches said this spring

“I think Eric’s done a great job with those guys, but you have to give them credit. Getting Junior Carmona in here, Blackstock and Nichols, they have a different way about them. Braun now has moved up as a leader more. He feels like he has the opportunity, so obviously moving Kutas inside was a good decision, as well. I like the cohesiveness of the group.”

— Head coach Sam Pittman on the entire starting offensive line after the Red-White game.

Projected depth chart

  • Fernando Carmona, redshirt junior; Patrick Kutas, junior; Addison Nichols, redshirt sophomore; Josh Braun, redshirt senior; Keyshawn Blackstock, redshirt junior.
  • E’Marion Harris, redshirt sophomore; Ty’Kieast Crawford, senior; Amaury Wiggins, redshirt junior; Kobe Branham, freshman; Joe More, redshirt senior.
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