Apparently Carmona Hasn't Reached Stage Mateos Wants for Hogs

Offensive lineman may have expectations from media, but position coach thinks he needs to block teammate better

Arkansas Razorbacks offensive line coach Eric Mateos at practice working against the defensive line. / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Don't expect Arkansas' offensive line coach to be waving the praise too much for any player in training camp. That includes Fernando Carmona, who has moved into the spotlight in the line where expectations have gotten high.

"He just kind of showed you can be a great player and a good leader," line coach Eric Mateos said Saturday. "But also a normal fun guy to hang out. I love talking him up, but he also needs to freaking block Landon better, too."

In other words Carmona has found out preseason All-SEC defensive lineman Landon Jackson IS living up to expectations. The big offensive lineman didn't duck the issue.

"It can get frustrating at times," Carmona said. "He’s just such an athlete. He’s such a specimen. I am forever grateful to go up against him. I’m going up against … what was he? The first team SEC defensive end or something like that? Being able to get that every day at practice and just the juice that he brings. There’s never an off day for Landon. It’s 100%, ‘I’m going to run through your face.’ For me to be great, that’s what it’s going to take. I’m glad to go up against him every day."

Last year, the offensive line was a one of the biggest disappointments for an offense that started the season looking dysfunctional and got more confused after Halloween. By the end, the assistant coaches were gone and a big chunk of the players.

The only one coming back is Joshua Braun, who's vying for playing time on a rebuilt offensive line with a new attitude from Mateos and new faces like Carmona.

"We have seven, eight, nine guys that are playing at a really high level and it’s been really fun to watch," Mateos said. They do need to get in better physical shape to play a game, but that's not really unexpected.

"There's a difference between running all summer and doing those short burst conditioning styles or you're running gassers 100 at that time," Mateos said. "Where I would like to see us improve is our game conditioning, which is everywhere I’ve ever been. Usually you get to that first scrimmage, you expose them to 12-play racks and that’s their first time getting exposed to that and it’s a shock to their system."

Now they just have to come together, because chemistry along the offensive front may be as big as the level of talent.

""You never discount talent," Mateos said. "The makeup and character and cohesiveness of your offensive line room far outweighs your talent. You need the right type of kids in this day and age that can handle the pressure, can handle the scrutiny. AWe’re the only position on Planet Earth that plays with our back to the wall. We’re the only ones that only have negative stats. We have to be resilient as a group. We say all the time, you can play great for 67 plays, but on the three plays that don’t go your way, the guy you’re playing against is SEC player of the week and you have everybody yelling at you how much you stink. It’s like the Mafia. This is the life we chose, right. That’s an old phrase. We chose it."

Now an offensive with a lot of new faces that aren't in the line must come together with a new offensive coordinator in Bobby Petrino. The players knew the reputation, now they are seeing how it comes together.

"It's a breath of the fresh air, because I always like to think of it as, a coach, his career can be 30-40 years," Braun said. "But as a college football player, we get four, maybe five, in some cases six with the COVID year. And so when you're talking about every year, 25% of your career is over every year. For him to take every practice, every walk-through as serious as he does, it makes me feel like he actually cares about me succeeding in my college career. Because this is my fifth year, I’m going out there to have a career year, to have memories for my whole life. For him, this is year whatever in however many years he’s going to coach, so it’s just another tally. For him to show that he actually cares about this team — and he shows that through his determination and through his drive to make us the best we can be."

Now they're down to less than three weeks before taking the field for the first game against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

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