Don't Expect Answers about Hogs' Spring from Pittman Thursday

Razorbacks' new roster will probably get praised by Razorbacks' coach, but he won't really know much as spring starts Monday

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman at practice in Fayetteville, Ark., in 2024. | Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman may have most of the names on his new roster down pretty well, but not a clue what they can really do.

With spring practices starting Monday, he probably won't know what he will need to know in November any time soon, either. Everybody looks good in the spring.

The Razorbacks will start their sixth spring practice under Pittman on Monday, but he'll preview things with the media on Thursday afternoon. It will be probably be a State of the Program and cover an incredibly wide range of topics.

Here's some of what you can expect to hear:
• Status of Pittman after hip replacement surgery after Libery Bowl win
• Has he given more consideration for a general manager for football yet ?
• Areas quarerback Taylen Green has improved
• Exhausting look at entire roster full of a lot of new faces.
• What additional players he will be looking to find in spring portal

Considering spring practice is more an introductory session for the coaches just bringing up a truck load of new players, everybody is just getting to know everyone.

There's also a spring portal opening up April 16 so there's no guarantee all of the guys in spring will still be here for fall practices. There may be some new faces they bring in, too.

It's been a very, very quiet offseason for the Hogs. Pittman probably likes that.

There certainly hasn't been much of a buzz about it. Arkansas will have the annual Red-White Game, but that's probably going to be a glorified practice squeezed in between a sotball game and a baseball game later.

While other schools aren't holding the spring games anymore, about the only place that cares is ESPN who will have to fill up some broadcast dates with baseball and softball.

Gone are the days when the squads were split up by the coaches and were competitive. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino's last spring game with the Razorbacks was the first team against everybody else.

The 66-3 final score showed the biggest problem for a 2012 team that was dangerously low on talent after the first 22 players. That team stumbled to a 4-8 season and only had conference wins over an Auburn team in chaos in Gene Chizik's final year and a struggling Kentucky team in a thunderstorm that was unreal.

Now, Pittman will be previewing a team that even he and his staff have more questions than answers about right now. In the world of transfer portals and NIL, coaches are just using the by guess and by golly method of planning for what they can do in the fall.

Don't expect a lot of answers. At least anything to count on but that's not the point.

It's at least football practice. Finally.

HOGS FEED:

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• Legislators take second shot at passing Arkansas Raffles Act

• Find out who, what to blame for long SEC basketball games

• Razorbacks' chance to dance tied to status of Thiero's knee

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