Transfer Lineman Finds Trust in Sam Pittman, Eric Mateos

Proving himself at SEC level big challenge for lineman from San Jose with Cuban roots

Author:
Jacob Davis
Updated:
Jan 10, 2024 12:36 PM EST
Original:
Jan 10, 2024

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When Arkansas signed San Jose State left tackle Fernando Carmona, Jr., the Razorbacks staff knew they landed a good one. Carmona's recruitment was heated but he knew that Fayetteville was the place to be for not only him but his mother and other family members who accompanied him on the visit.

Carmona wasn't a highly-recruited offensive lineman coming out of Las Vegas High School. He was the No. 2,103 prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle as a tight end after playing only two year of high school. He only had one other FBS offer from New Mexico State.

On Wednesday, Carmona joined ESPN Arkansas' Morning Rush with Tye Richardson to detail his football career and decision to transfer to the Razorbacks.

When he signed with the Spartans, he was 6-foot-4, 250 pounds and needed to completely transform his body if he wanted to see the field as a lineman.

"I put on about 70 pounds," Carmona said. "Freshman year I was about 250. There was a lot of weight that needed to be gained to get me to that level. I wouldn't say that it was good weight in the beginning, but had to shake off all that bad weight and turn that into muscle."

Before becoming a star football player, Carmona excelled on the hardwood. His physicality in basketball didn't match others on the court, which made the adjustment period from basketball to football much easier.

"There's been a lot of learning and learning quickly to try to understand like the game of football," Carmona said. "There's still rules that I don't fully understand, so I'm still starting to grasp it. The newness to the game kind of makes it an advantage for me because I'm learning and progressing every year."

"I was too physical. Basketball players would be like, 'Man, you played the wrong sport. You're too physical for this.' I kind of always had it in my my blood to hit people. And so you know, football was my calling. I think that's what I do best to people."

Out West, it may be rainy, but the temperature always seems to be tolerable. When Carmona opened up his Instagram on Wednesday to posts of a snowy Fayetteville, it made him realize its time to pack a few extra jackets for his stay.

"I saw that it's snowing there today," Carmona said. "That was kind of a wake up call for me. I need to pack heavy on my way over there. That's kind of one of the adjustments you have to make to just the weather here."

Another adjustment the San Jose State transfer will have to make is transitioning from the Mountain West Conference to the SEC. It's a significant step up in competition, so Carmona knows he'll still need to prove people he belongs.

"I think the biggest thing for me is just getting stronger," Carmona said. "At the end of the day, it's still football and the competition is increasing. But you know, if I think who I am, this transition shouldn't be a big deal for me. Obviously, this is the best conference in America, but I think I'm ready for the task. I think it's just a matter of going out there and proving myself to people."

While every Arkansas player is treated like a rockstar in Fayetteville, it comes as a shock to players who transfer in. They immediately become a recognizable face and name within the program, a vast difference over his time at San Jose. Carmona wasn't a member of the Razorbacks for more than an hour before realizing the difference.

"I've always wanted to be in a college town where people care about the team," Carmona said. "I just didn't get that advantage back at [San Jose]. I'd walk to class with a football hoodie on or around the streets and nobody would blink an eye. I walked around the airport after I committed to [Arkansas] an hour later and people were like, 'Oh, wow, you're on the football team? Congratulations!' It's definitely gonna be a culture shock, but I'm ready for it. I'm ready to embrace all the family and friends of Arkansas."

A welcoming atmosphere during Carmona's official visit at Arkansas confirmed everything he needed to know about where he'd play the duration of his college career.

"Everybody in that facility was just so welcoming," Carmona said. "Everybody wants to help each other. There was nobody being selfish. That's unique from coming from where I was in San Jose. Even when I went to my UCLA visit, it wasn't like that at all."

The past four years, recruits and transfers have raved about the family atmosphere inside the locker room and football department which is a major reason Carmona decided to cancel his Auburn visit and choose the Razorbacks.

"And obviously, Pittman, he's an awesome dude," Carmona said. "He's a characte,r but he genuinely cared about me, and he took care of me on the visit. [Eric] Mateos is an amazing dude as well. He's a Cuban himself, and I'm a Cuban, and so it just felt right. I knew if I went to the Auburn visit I was going to be doing them a disservice because I had already made up my mind."

Carmona signed with the Razorbacks as the No. 239 ranked transfer out of the portal this offseason. He is the No. 10 offensive tackle for the cycle, per 247sports.