Maybe Biggest Offensive Question Mark Is Cody Kennedy's

With so many new faces along the front, figuring it out may hold key for success

(Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Nobody's questioning the quarterback or running back spots with Arkansas heading into this season. Those two spots have projected All-SEC players. It's everywhere else that we don't have answers.

Maybe the biggest is in the offensive line with all the new faces, and it's Cody Kennedy's job to figure it out. Yes, Sam Pittman has a tremendous track record with championship rings to back it up. But he's the head coach now and has a lot more issues to deal with on a daily basis. Still, with offensive line being so key to building a contender, he keeps his eyes on his former position group.

"You kind of want to start your program from the tackles to the center and then plug in the other guys," Pittman said back in the spring and on multiple occasions. For the first time since taking over the Razorbacks in 2020, he has fewer starters coming back than new faces to put in.

The really scary part about that is maybe no other position on the field requires all five guys working as a unit. There is a lot of communication that goes on dealing with adjusting defenses and each player not knowing his own assignment, but having the confidence the guys on either side also know what they are going to do. You just have to go back a few years to see what happens when there's chaos up front. There was a telling statement Pittman had back in the spring that caught my attention.

"We've got a lot of good kids on our team that are working extremely hard," he said. Over the years, a lot of guys have give it their best, worked hard and had the right attitude. Sooner or later, though, you have to show the experience and talent to get the job done.

Brady Latham and Beaux Limmer are return, but that's only a guard (Latham) and a center (Limmer). A lot more will be needed because you can't just run Rocket Sanders behind those two every play and win many games. Jefferson's going to need to make a play with his arm sooner or later, and if he doesn't have time, well, the chances of something big happening aren't nearly as good.

It's why Pittman knows you start the building process up front. It's sorta like a foundation to a house, and if there are weak spots, it will show up sooner or later. The SEC is full of teams with players and coaches that are pretty good, too.

HOG FEED:

NFL DRAFT EVALUATIONS SHOW KJ JEFFERSON HAS ROOM TO MOVE UP BY APRIL

SLOP HOUSE: GREG THOMAS, NOLAN RICHARDSON CHANGED CULTURE ACROSS ARKANSAS IN '80'S AT HIGH COST

SLOP HOUSE: THREE 10-2 SEASONS REVEAL DAYS IN SWC WASN'T EVERYTHING SOME REMEMBER COMPARED TO TIME IN SEC

ACTS BY POLITICIANS PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEE ARKANSAS WILL HAVE ROLE IN WHETHER NCAA USE NUCLEAR OPTION

RAZORBACKS NOT GETTING STUCK ON BODY TYPE WHEN RECRUITING WIDE RECEIVERS

FOURTH OF JULY, HOT WEATHER MEANS FOOTBALL STARTING PRACTICES SOON FOR COMING SEASON

DFW RADIO BIT SHOWS WHY TEXAS JOINING SEC MIGHT LEAD TO SOME MISUNDERSTANDINGS

ARKANSAS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE GIVES HOGS BEST CHANCE IN DECADE TO TOPPLE LSU, ALABAMA FOR FINAL SEC WEST CROWN

FORMER RAZORBACK TREYLON BURKS WRAPS UP HONEYMOON, JETS OFF TO TITANS IN BETTER SHAPE

DUKE COMING TO BUD WALTON A MARQUEE GAME THAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING WITH HOGS

LAST THING OTHER SEC TEAMS PROBABLY WANT IS KJ JEFFERSON PLAYING WITH A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER

FORMER ARKANSAS STAR CORLISS WILLIAMSON FINDS PATH BACK TO NBA

NUMBERS WILL SHOCK HOGS FANS BUT IT'S WHY THEY GOT SUCH GOOD SCHEDULE FOR 2024

WILL ARKANSAS FINALLY BECOME TEAM THAT ROCKS THE BOAT REGARDING RULES?

DUKE CHERRY ON TOP OF LOADED HOME SLATE DESIGNED TO SELL TICKETS

MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS RIGHT NOW FOR DAVE VAN HORN WITH HOGS' ROSTER FOR 2024

RECORD-SETTING FORMER QUARTERBACK RYAN MALLETT DROWNS IN FLORIDA

MUSSELMAN ANSWERS NBA CRITICS, ADDRESSES DEVO DAVIS NEEDS FOR NBA

2024 MOCK DRAFTS PREDICT GLOOM, DOOM FOR HOGS BASKETBALL, BUT THAT WILL CHANGE

• Return to allHogs home page.

• Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the allHOGS message board community today!

• Subscribe and follow us on YouTube.

• Follow allHOGS on Twitter and Facebook.