Sam Pittman shares positive update on John Morgan after scary injury

John Morgan was stretchered off the field last Saturday against Texas A&M after suffering a neck injury. Having a couple of days to recover after the terrifying incident, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman provided a surprisingly positive update on Morgan’s condition.

There was never a scary hit, as the SEC Network broadcast described the hit to Morgan as “light contact,” and after taking a couple of steps, he collapsed. The training staff tended to him immediately before being taken to an ambulance to get checked out in the hospital.

“John, I talked to him Saturday night when we got back. He was in great spirits,” Pittman said during his weekly presser on Monday. “He had another test this afternoon that I haven’t heard the results of that yet. Or is having one [Monday] afternoon. He hasn’t had the test, so how could you get the results? But he’s in great spirits. Honestly, I think he got hit [in the jaw], like a punch. But I would think that he would have an opportunity to play this week.”

Before being loaded into the ambulance at the game on Saturday, SEC Network sideline reporter Alyssa Lang revealed that Morgan was talking and was able to move. Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek told Lang at the time that he was dealing with tenderness and pain in the neck after it was snapped back during the play.

Morgan is in his first year with Arkansas after transferring from Pitt over the offseason. With the Panthers, he appeared in 12 games and made five starts last season. He totaled 19 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks as a redshirt senior. After the season, he entered the transfer portal and made his way to Arkansas.

Through four games this season before entering Saturday’s game against Texas A&M, Morgan totaled four tackles and 2.0 sacks.

Arkansas will need all hands on deck, including Morgan, if they want to take down No. 16 Ole Miss at home this weekend. If Pittman’s prediction of Morgan’s injury timetable comes true, he’ll be ready to suit up just in time for game day against one of the SEC’s most potent offenses.

Kickoff between the Razorbacks and Rebels is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network. Arkansas enters game week as an 11-point underdog, per Vegas Insider, ahead of their SEC road trip. The over/under total is set at 62.5.