Sam Pittman updates health status of Devon Manuel

The Arkansas Razorbacks might be getting healthy right when the program needs it the most, with the return of offensive lineman Devon Manuel and others. Currently, the Razorbacks sit at 2-6 on the season and now have their bowl game hopes on the line. Another loss and Arkansas will be eliminated from bowl game contention, barring an unforeseen situation for a program that qualifies.

As Arkansas prepares for its critical road game against the Florida Gators on Saturday, head coach Sam Pittman provided an update on the health status of Manuel.

“Yes,” opened Pittman. “I think he’s back as close to healthy as he can get. Obviously, the timing, he’s still got some rust he’s got to get off and things of that nature. But I don’t think he’s quiet; he’s close to back to where he was in two-a-days and those things. In that time, Chamblee obviously improved.

“We’ll be able to play both of them. But the stingers that he’s been having have not reoccurred over the last two weeks.”

Fellow offensive lineman Andrew Chamblee has also been hampered with an injury. Getting both of their big bodies back in time for this Week 10 matchup could go a long way in Arkansas picking up their third win of the season and keeping their bowl game aspirations alive.

Along with Manuel and Chamblee, Pittman also discussed the return of one of his biggest weapons on the offensive side of the football in running back Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders.

Earlier in the week, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman discussed Sanders’s presence back on the practice field, highlighting that there was a strong possibility he would be on the field Saturday when they take on Florida. Still, the Razorback’s head coach is looking for something, in particular, to signify that his star out of the backfield is ready to go. And on Wednesday, Pittman revealed the last few things he needs to see out of Sanders for him to play against Florida.

“Just another, to be perfectly honest with you, just another couple of days of consistency,” said Pittman. “Flashes that I’ve seen, I feel really good about him being able to play. But just another couple of days of consistency. Obviously, today’s a big third-down day for us. How is he going to be able to protect things of that nature? Just the whole week of what the whole Monday through Thursday encompasses. The first two days, I feel confident that he’ll be able to go out there and help us.

This season, Sanders has seen action in just three of Arkansas’s eight games. In those three games, he has 34 carries for 91 yards and two touchdowns. To say that the Razorbacks offense has missed his production out of the backfield this season would be an understatement.