Razorback Report: Sophomore Paul now the elder linebacker

FAYETTEVILLE — Sophomore Chris “Pooh” Paul got here to the Arkansas Razorbacks with a load of management qualities and now they are going to be extra extensively on show throughout Liberty Bowl preparations.

Paul will begin his second consecutive recreation rather than fifth-year senior Bumper Pool on Dec. 28, however he won’t have the help of junior Drew Sanders towards Kansas. Out of the blue, Paul is probably the most skilled participant and the elder statesman within the College of Arkansas linebacking unit.

“It’s form of totally different on the market,” Paul stated on a video convention Saturday. “With me enjoying an even bigger function now with Drew Sanders and Bumper Pool gone and issues like that, I really feel like I’ve to place extra emphasis on management. … So I’ve been attempting to try this all through the previous few practices and issues like that.”

Paul made good use of his work behind Pool this season, racking up 50 tackles to rank sixth on the crew, in addition to 8 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 2 quarterback hurries, a pressured fumble and a fumble restoration.

Paul might be joined within the beginning lineup by freshman Jordan Criminal.

Fellow freshman Mani Powell, who has recovered from knee surgical procedure, and Jackson Woodard transfer as much as the second unit with enjoying time anticipated within the bowl recreation.

“Criminal, enjoying with him within the bowl recreation, I feel that these guys have actually been ready on their alternative to shine,” Paul stated. “They’ve been placing the work in. So I’m very assured in these guys, understanding they’re going to play their greatest and go on the market and provides it their all.

“These previous two practices, simply seeing Criminal fly round, seeing Woody and Mani Powell fly round and letting their voices be heard and issues like that, it’s made me very assured in them.”

Coach Sam Pittman was requested in regards to the crew of linebackers behind Paul for the bowl.

“I feel Mani Powell could be a man, definitely,” Pittman stated. “Brooks Each is a man as effectively. Woodard has performed particular groups on a regular basis, so he’ll have to maneuver as much as that three or 4 linebacker spot. So that you’ve bought Pooh and Criminal and people two guys, and with Mani Powell and Woodard, these could be in all probability your guys there. And naturally Kaden Henley’s going to must step up as effectively.”

Trump strikes up

Jake Trump, who had been a top quality management assistant on the College of Arkansas protection, has been activated to function a tenth member of the on-field teaching employees for bowl preparations.

Trump, a Missouri graduate (2019) from Kahoka, Mo., has been working with the defensive backs through the open viewing parts of practices on Friday and Saturday.

He takes up the teaching spot held by defensive coordinator Barry Odom, who took over as head coach at UNLV on Dec. 6.

Trump performed linebacker at Missouri from 2015-18, overlapping two seasons with Arkansas linebackers coach Michael Scherer, an Odom protege who will name the defensive performs towards Kansas within the Liberty Bowl.

“Coach Trump’s an ideal man,” linebacker Chris Paul stated. “He’s identical to Coach Scherer, in my view. He is aware of the protection. He really performed it with Coach Scherer at Missouri and issues like that.

“Coach Trump is the kind of man you’ll be able to go to him and ask him any query. It doesn’t matter the place. I’ve seen D-linemen go into his workplace and discuss to him, and naturally linebackers and a few DBs and issues like that.”

Criswell in attendance

Former Morrillton Excessive and North Carolina quarterback Jacolby Criswell attended Friday’s follow contained in the Walker Pavilion.

Criswell, a 6-1, 225-pounder who initially signed as an early enrollee with the Tar Heels in December 2019, has dedicated to the Razorbacks from the switch portal.

The 2019 Arkansas Gatorade Participant of the 12 months, Criswell was a four-star prospect and the No. 2 participant within the state in that recruiting class. He was additionally rated the No. 11 dual-threat quarterback within the nation within the 247Sports composite rankings.

Odom’s exit

Defensive coordinator Barry Odom took the pinnacle teaching job at UNLV only a few days after Pittman stated he anticipated his coordinators to be accessible for Liberty Bowl practices.

Pittman made the comment with Odom sitting with him in a automobile, getting ready to go in for a house go to on a recruiting journey in Texas.

Pittman defined his ideas on Odom’s departure on Friday.

“I used to be actually completely happy for him, and I’m completely happy for UNLV,” Pittman stated. “They bought a extremely good coach, a extremely good man.

“Catch me off guard? UNLV did. I knew about Tulsa and all that form of stuff. Not an entire lot about UNLV. However no, I used to be form of ready for that as a result of I knew that he had alternatives. Actually if he needed them, I needed him to get them. So no, probably not.”

Pittman defined it was troublesome to speak about his coordinators getting ready to a house go to with Odom.

“You’re preparing to enter a house go to, you recognize you’re going to lose him, so how are you going to speak to the children?” he requested. “What I did was, I took the mother and father apart and simply stated, ‘Hey, tomorrow, coach goes to be the brand new head coach at UNLV, they usually need to maintain it quiet.’

“You are worried about different packages. You’ve bought to fret about your individual first.”

Pittman added that tight ends coach Dowell Loggains’ departure to develop into offensive coordinator at South Carolina was not essentially a shock, as Coach Shane Beamer had reached out to him to precise his curiosity.

“I had talked to Shane,” he stated. “He had referred to as me, and I talked to him. That wasn’t actually a shock.”

Swift season

The sixth season for veteran offensive sort out Dalton Wagner felt just like the quickest for the fifth-year starter.

“I don’t assume I’ve ever felt as quick of a season as this one glided by,” Wagner stated Saturday. “This one was gone in a blink of an eye fixed.

“You already know, everybody preseason is all the time telling you, ‘Oh hey, this one’s gonna go by quick,’ and the whole lot, and also you’re like, ‘Ah, no matter,’ after which it really does go by quick. And unexpectedly, we’re sitting right here — what’s it? — 11 days from the bowl recreation and 11 days left as a Razorback. It positively glided by actual quick.”

Wagner has accepted a spot within the East-West Shrine recreation on Feb. 2 in Las Vegas, together with teammates Jadon Haselwood and Ricky Stromberg.