FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Head Coach Sam Pittman has named Ben Sowders because the Razorbacks’ new Director of Power & Conditioning.
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Sowders involves Arkansas after spending the 2022 season at Louisville because the Director of Power & Conditioning for the Cardinals. This previous season the Cardinals went 7-5 and earned a spot within the Fenway Bowl.
Sowders labored with Pittman at Georgia in the course of the 2018-19 seasons – Sowders’ first of 4 seasons with the Bulldogs. Because the Asistant Director of Power & Conditioning, he labored with 20 student-athletes that went onto play within the NFL whereas additionally serving to the Dawgs to the 2022 Nationwide Championship and three journeys to the SEC Championship Recreation.
Previous to his time at Georgia, the Bowling Inexperienced, Ky. Native spent one season at McNeese State because the Director of Power & Conditioning. The Cowboys posted a 9-2 report in his lone season in Lake Charles, La. Sowders spent two seasons at Georgia Tech (2015-16) after two seasons at Gardner-Webb, the place he was answerable for the coaching of the Bulldogs’ 21 Division I packages.
His first full-time collegiate place was at Southern Miss, the place he led the power and conditioning efforts for the Golden Eagles’ males’s and ladies’s basketball, volleyball and softball packages whereas aiding with soccer. Previous to his time in Hattiesburg, Miss., He fulfilled a six-month internship at Alabama, the place he labored with the Crimson Tide’s soccer, volleyball, tennis and rowing groups.
Sowders earned his begin in power and conditioning as a Facility Coordinator and Head Power & Pace coach at D1 Sports activities Coaching in Nashville, Tenn. Whereas at D1 Sports activities, he labored with quite a few NFL gamers, together with Steve Smith, Jerome Bettis, Donovan McNabb and Kyle Vanden Bosch.
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He earned his bachelor’s diploma in train science from Western Kentucky in December 2008 after enjoying for the Hilltoppers as a linebacker. Sowders started his profession as a walk-on earlier than incomes a scholarship and changing into a two-year starter. As a senior in 2008, he recorded 47 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss for the Hilltoppers and added 29 tackles and three.0 tackles for loss as a junior in 2007.
He obtained his grasp’s diploma in recreation and sport administration in August of 2010 from WKU. He’s a member of the Collegiate Power and Conditioning Coaches Affiliation (CSCCa), a Licensed Power and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and licensed by USA Weightlifting.
Sowders is married to the previous Shelbee Rodgers.
Former Arkansas offensive tackle Ty’Kieast Crawford has changed his mind on his destination for this fall and is transferring to West Virginia, his agents told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg on Monday.
The 6-foot-5, 324-pounder had originally committed to play for UCLA in 2025, but now the mammoth tackle has pivoted and has decided to play for Rich Rodriguez in Morgantown this fall. Crawford started 9 games along the Razorbacks’ offensive line.
West Virginia has added former Arkansas offensive tackle Ty’Kieast Crawford, his agents tell ESPN. He entered the portal and originally committed to UCLA but instead will play for Rich Rodriguez in Morgantown. Crawford started nine games for Arkansas.
Crawford’s collegiate journey has already taken him to multiple schools. He began his career at Charlotte, choosing to play there over the likes of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Arizona, Baylor, Colorado, Florida State, Houston, Indiana, Oklahoma State, Purdue, SMU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC and, ironically, West Virginia. So Crawford will now have played for 2 of the schools he originally spurned, in Arkansas and West Virginia.
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But Crawford didn’t last long at Charlotte, playing just 1 season for the 49ers. He entered the transfer portal and ended up at Arkansas after spurning the Razorbacks in his original recruiting process. Crawford appeared in 33 games for the Razorbacks over the course of 4 seasons, making 9 starts.
He will have 1 more year of eligibility left when he arrives in Morgantown to play for Rodriguez this fall.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
After last week’s winter storm, several Arkansas school districts have announced that they will remain closed or will open late on Monday because of icy road conditions in neighborhoods and secondary streets:
* Benton School District: Closed.
* Booneville School District: Closed.
* Bryant School District: Closed.
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* Cabot School District: Schools will have a 2-hour delayed start.
* Conway School District: School will start at 10 a.m. after a 2-hour delay. Snow bus routes will be in effect.
* Greenbrier School District: Closed.
* Hot Springs School District: Closed.
* Jacksonville/North Pulaski School District: Closed. District offices and departments will open.
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* Little Rock School District: Closed. However, all 12-month employees, school administration and custodians should report to work at regularly scheduled times.
* North Little Rock School District: Closed. District Central Office sites will open at 10 a.m. Monday.
* Pulaski County Special School District: Closed. District offices will be open for those who can safely report to work, including auxiliary offices. School staff who are 244-day employees will be expected to report to work as well.
* Sheridan School District: Closed.
This list is based on school district news releases and social media posts, and it is not comprehensive. For information on other Arkansas school districts, patrons are asked to consult their school’s website or district app.
While the Arkansas Razorbacks have been hitting the transfer portal hard, it is partially as a result of having more than 20 scholarship players decide to enter the portal after a 6-6 regular season that was capped off with a Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech on Dec. 27.
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The transfer portal officially opened Dec. 9 and it was open for a 30 day window through Dec. 28. There is also an additional five-day window for players to enter once their season is over, plus there will be an additional 10-day portal window from April 16-25.
ALSO READ: Arkansas Football 2025 Roster Tracker
HawgBeat provides a look at where former Razorbacks have transferred so far…
Note: “GP” denotes games played. Even if a player appears on special teams, that counts as a game played.
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OL Patrick Kutas – Ole Miss
From: Christian Brothers High School (Memphis, TN)
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