Sam Pittman expects Antonio Grier to play Week 1, provides other injury updates

Sam Pittman is set to begin another season at Arkansas, hoping to continue the program’s progress. Everything kicks off on Saturday, with the Razorbacks facing off against Western Carolina in Little Rock. Before traveling to play in front of the state capital, there are a few injuries to deal with.

Beginning with the positive news — Pittman expects linebacker Antonio Grier to play on Saturday. The USF transfer will be making his Arkansas debut in the near future but has been dealing with a quad injury. If Grier does get onto the field, it will be a huge boost for the defense.

Elsewhere, the are a couple of questionable players from Pittman’s perspective. He does not know if EDGE Jashaud Stewart or defensive back Malik Chavis will be able to go.

“It’s really hard to say,” Pittman said via the SEC Coaches Teleconference. “We do have some guys, as you know, are out for the year. I would look for — I don’t know about (Jashaud Stewart), I don’t know if he’ll be able to play. Malik Chavis might be in that same boat with the finger issue, with the hand issue. … I expect (Antonio) Grier to be able to play.”

Pittman’s update on Grier is more positive than the one provided on Monday. The Arkansas head coach did not sound as optimistic despite the transfer linebacker practicing over the weekend. Everything seems to be trending in the right direction and Grier is going to be able to make his debut against Western Carolina.

“Yeah, it’s a matter of if he’s going to be healthy enough to play,” Pittman said on Monday. “He did practice on Saturday, not necessarily physically, but he was out there in some 7-on-7s and doing some things.”

As for Chavis and Stewart, the defensive duo are two of the more experienced players on the roster. Both are considered seniors and started a combined 12 games a year ago. While it might just be Western Carolina, having veterans out on the field would immensely help Pittman out.

Thankfully, there is still time for both Chavis and Stewart to recover. Pittman did not sound too optimistic on Wednesday but the upcoming two days could provide good news. At the very least, they could be ready for the Sept. 9 game against Kent State.

But for now, all focus is on Western Carolina and putting on a good show for the fans in Little Rock.