Sam Pittman reveals standouts from first Arkansas fall scrimmage

Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman had plenty to be pleased with Saturday following the first scrimmage of the fall. Several Razorbacks stood out, and Pittman made sure to mention as many as he could while speaking with reporters afterward.

However, there was one area that he praised even more than the rest. Pittman was especially complimentary of the passing game, highlighting the play of quarterback KJ Jefferson as well as a number of receivers.

“I thought especially on third down, we were all over the place,” Pittman said Saturday. “I thought our offensive line, one-on-one, protected extremely well. We were six or 7-for-8 on offense. Our wideouts are getting open. Matt Landers had a good day, (Isaiah) Sategna had a good day. I’m talking about with some of the long balls. KJ threw the ball exceptionally well. …(Trey) Knox got a couple of good balls. A 20 and a 35-yard. Cam Little kicked the ball well and made all four of his field goals. We missed one in the two-minute drive.

“So overall, (Jadon) Haselwood caught the ball really well. Our wideouts right now are playing really well. (Warren Thompson) caught a touchdown. I really like the young Sategna kid. He did some really nice things today as well. But we’ve got big wideouts, we’ve got a quarterback that’s getting it to them and we’re able to protect. Right now, that’s a good thing. Rocket (Sanders) did some nice things, blocked really well and then had some nice runs in there.”

The love for the passing game is certainly encouraging to hear after Arkansas ranked just 11th in the SEC in air yards per game in 2021. The Razorbacks must also replace leading receiver Treylon Burks, making it important for new faces to step up. Haselwood, a transfer from Oklahoma, and Sategna, a Fayetteville native who is the No. 1 recruit from the state of Arkansas according to On3 Consensus, figure to help fill that role.

Pittman also talked about what he saw on the defensive side of the ball, noting how transfers Terry Hampton and Drew Sanders have managed to make an impact. He also provided an update on safety Jalen Catalon, who was not with the team Saturday as he dealt with a family issue.

“On defense, there was a lot of sacks,” Pittman said. “Zach (Williams) had some, Dorian Gerland had some. The guy I really like on the defensive front who’s playing his butt off is Terry Hampton. He’s playing really good football right now for us and he just shows up all the time, everywhere.

“We’re a little banged up in the secondary right now. Catalon had a family issue that he needed to go to. I don;t wanna make anything more out of that. It’s truly a family issue he had that he needed to get back home and I’d like to keep that between him and I. …But overall, Drew Sanders made a lot of plays Made a couple sacks. He’s a good player.”

Expectations are high at Arkansas with Sam Pittman set to enter his third season. The coach led the team to a 9-4 record this past season, marking the school’s first winning record in five years. This year the Razorbacks were picked to finish third in the SEC West, and if Saturday’s scrimmage is any indication, things will only continue to move upward.

Arkansas is set to kick off the 2022 on Sept. 3 against the Cincinnati Bearcats.