FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks’ struggles on their offensive line last season were a clear component to an underperforming unit which took a major drop off from the offenses coordinated by Kendal Briles that preceded it.
Despite having much the same skill personnel — with quarterback KJ Jefferson and tailbacks Raheim Sanders, AJ Green, Rashod Dubinion and Dominique Johnson — the Hogs flopped under the direction of Dan Enos, who was fired after a lackluster 200-yard performance in a 7-3 home loss to Mississippi State late in the season.
Coach Sam Pittman said upgrading on the offensive line was priority No. 1 for the Razorbacks over the winter, and he hired protege Eric Mateos to coach the position after the departure of Cody Kennedy for the same role at Mississippi State.
The Razorbacks hit the transfer portal in December and, with a little shuffling of existing personnel, appear to have succeeded in bolstering the building block spot on the offense.
“I like the cohesiveness of the group,” Pittman said after Saturday’s Red-White game. “I think they played well.”
Only right guard Josh Braun, a 6-6, 349-pound redshirt senior, is back at the same position at which he started last year. Junior Patrick Kutas, a nine-game starter at right tackle and center in 2023, is now playing left guard.
Three transfers — right tackle Keyshawn Blackstock, left tackle Fernando “Junior” Carmona and center Addison Nichols — joined Braun and Kutas on the front five for most of spring drills.
“On paper it is a completely different unit,” Braun said. “We’ve got a different man leading us. We’re actually a unit. We’re a brotherhood.”
New offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino talked up the group the week before the spring game.
“When you look at the makeup of the team, it always is going to start with the offensive line, and I feel like the three guys we got out of the portal and them working with the ones, and the ability they have helps that right away,” Petrino said. “The other two guys are doing a great job, too, with the starting five.
“We’ve got to develop some depth there. I think right now we feel like we maybe have eight guys that we feel good about.”
Kutas said last week he thought there was improved energy on the line.
“We’re making big plays,” Kutas said. “It’s just a higher standard now. We get new transfer guys that came in. New O-line coach.
“He just sets a standard for us and it’s got to be that standard every single day, so we’re just excited to get out there and practice.”
The Razorbacks seemed to play in an offensive funk much of 2023, averaging 3.53 yards per carry (12th in the SEC), 139 rushing yards per game and scoring a league-low 9 rushing touchdowns.
The pass blocking also suffered as the Razorbacks gave up 47 sacks, the second-highest total in the SEC behind Alabama’s 49.
Finding the bond that appeared to be missing from last year’s team was critical for this front.
“We’re the tightest O-line unit I’ve been a part of, and that’s a breath of fresh air,” Braun said. “Coach Mateos said…we just got it rolling. At the beginning of the semester, we started this journey, and now we’re finally getting it on the track. We’ve got to keep that momentum going through the summer and we’re just excited to get back to work on Monday.”
Quarterback Taylen Green extolled last Saturday the assets he has seen from the revamped line.
“They have a lot on their plate with the installs and the different run checks,” Green said. “The run game and the pass game and the pass [protection], it’s new to them, too.
“The detail that they come with every single day, they’re prepared, even when we get the script, probably late night, really late night or early morning, but they know their keys and they know their checks and all that.”
Green said he’s “definitely impressed” with the work of the guys in the trenches and said “definitely love this guy right here” as he motioned to Braun at the podium.
“Like he said, the camaraderie. It’s definitely not what I call ‘me ball.’ It’s us. It’s a team sport. I couldn’t make the plays out there without them.”
Pittman called himself Mateos’ graduate assistant on a few occasions in spring and was hands on working with the group for many individual periods throughout the 15 practices. Braun, who committed to Pittman at Georgia out of high school before switching to Florida, is happy to be working with the legendary offensive line guru.
“Coach Pittman’s one of the best O-line coaches of his generation,” Braun said. “To have him and then have Coach Mateos, who is going to be one of the best offensive line coaches of the next generation, you couldn’t ask for anything better.”