Razorbacks offensive line coach Cody Kennedy during fall camp in 2021 — (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Maybe Biggest Offensive Question Mark Is Cody Kennedy's

With so many new faces along the front, figuring it out may hold key for success

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Jul 8, 2023 12:02 PM EDT
Original:
Jul 7, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Nobody's questioning the quarterback or running back spots with Arkansas heading into this season. Those two spots have projected All-SEC players. It's everywhere else that we don't have answers.

Maybe the biggest is in the offensive line with all the new faces, and it's Cody Kennedy's job to figure it out. Yes, Sam Pittman has a tremendous track record with championship rings to back it up. But he's the head coach now and has a lot more issues to deal with on a daily basis. Still, with offensive line being so key to building a contender, he keeps his eyes on his former position group.

"You kind of want to start your program from the tackles to the center and then plug in the other guys," Pittman said back in the spring and on multiple occasions. For the first time since taking over the Razorbacks in 2020, he has fewer starters coming back than new faces to put in.

The really scary part about that is maybe no other position on the field requires all five guys working as a unit. There is a lot of communication that goes on dealing with adjusting defenses and each player not knowing his own assignment, but having the confidence the guys on either side also know what they are going to do. You just have to go back a few years to see what happens when there's chaos up front. There was a telling statement Pittman had back in the spring that caught my attention.

"We've got a lot of good kids on our team that are working extremely hard," he said. Over the years, a lot of guys have give it their best, worked hard and had the right attitude. Sooner or later, though, you have to show the experience and talent to get the job done.

Brady Latham and Beaux Limmer are return, but that's only a guard (Latham) and a center (Limmer). A lot more will be needed because you can't just run Rocket Sanders behind those two every play and win many games. Jefferson's going to need to make a play with his arm sooner or later, and if he doesn't have time, well, the chances of something big happening aren't nearly as good.

It's why Pittman knows you start the building process up front. It's sorta like a foundation to a house, and if there are weak spots, it will show up sooner or later. The SEC is full of teams with players and coaches that are pretty good, too.