Playing Wide Receiver May Have Been Part of Brokered Deal

When Malik Hornsby came back from transfer portal, Sam Pittman got him to agree to playing outside, too

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Mar 31, 2022 10:50 PM EDT

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Malik Hornsby is probably going to be a wide receiver.

And it's apparently part of a deal Arkansas coach Sam Pittman brokered with him after a flirtation with the transfer portal.

"Malik didn’t miss any practice," Pittman said Thursday evening after the fifth spring practice. "Didn’t miss anything."

Sam Pittman-Spring 05 — Andy Hodges / allHOGS Image

Hornsby went into the portal over a break. If he had been like most players he probably wouldn't be with the Hogs now.

"The thing that bothers me is if we’ve got guys working for three weeks and a guy goes into the portal, he doesn’t like who comes back on the portal, and he says ‘Can I come back to the team?" Pittman said (Pittmanese translation coming next). "No. You missed three weeks of ball, work."

Translation of above: Many players get into the portal to see if they can get more playing time, find out they can't and want to come back. They blew off three weeks and Pittman isn't going to let them come back.

"Malik didn’t do that," Pittman said.

What Pittman did do is sell Hornsby on a way to get playing time.

"I said we’re going to give you every bit of opportunity to win the starting quarterback job," he told Hornsby. "But if you come back, I need you to be open to playing wide receiver."

Pittman is still playing the politically-correct way to handle it.

Malik Hornsby-Spring 05 — Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images

"We certainly want to give him every opportunity to win the starting quarterback job," he said.

He's taking reps at quarterback. If he can somehow figure out how to read coverages better and deliver the ball, they would probably play him at quarterback.

But that probably isn't going to happen. As talented as Hornsby is, he's not a well-rounded quarterback.

But he might be the fastest guy on the field every game he plays.

"We certainly have seen that he can help us tremendously as a wide receiver," Pittman said. "To his credit, he’s doing a really good job with it and he’s having to play extra reps and those things."

Cade Fortin-Spring 05 — Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images

The emergence of transfer Cade Fortin from South Florida is also making Hornsby look better and better at wide receiver.

"With Fortin coming on a little bit, more and more and more, that will help us be able to do that a little bit," Pittman said about moving Hornsby outside.

You don't necessarily have to read between those lines with 20/20 vision to get an idea of what they would like to happen.

The Hogs made it to a 9-4 record last year with KJ Jefferson probably playing some reps they would have liked to let him get some dings feeling a little better.

You got the idea offensive coordinator Kendal Briles and Pittman didn't feel comfortable turning Hornsby loose with the entire offensive package they used with Jefferson.

Hornsby can't throw like Jefferson.

They are hoping a brokered deal in early January can give them a big speed boost in September.