Arkansas football update: Razorbacks transition to evening practices with the start of classes.

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks entered a new phase of their preseason Monday as classes began. With the end of training camp, the team will shift to evening practices throughout the week as they prepare for their season-opener on Aug. 29 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Little Rock. Coach Sam Pittman discussed the shift from the intense grind of camp to the focus on refreshing players’ legs and reaching peak condition for the season’s start. “Once school begins, it’s a different ballgame,” Pittman said. “This year, we’ve had the longest camp before classes started since I’ve been here. They moved our game two days earlier, and we have two bye weeks.

“Normally, there’s about a week and a half before classes begin. This time, it’s been 2 1/2 weeks.” Pittman also highlighted that his coaching staffs have been effective in preparing for season-openers, bye weeks, and bowl games, boasting an 8-3 record. This includes an 8-0 streak since his first season in 2020, despite an initial 37-10 loss to Georgia, a 42-31 defeat at Texas A&M after a bye, and a 50-48 loss at Missouri following an open week.

“We’ve won all of those games when given extra time, so I believe our approach is solid,” Pittman said. “But we’ll definitely be doing more indoor practices, avoiding the harsh sun, and adjusting the duration of our practices. The amount of good-on-good drills will also decrease. We’ll still have some, but much less than what we’ve been doing.” Transfer defenders Stephen Dix and Anton Juncaj mentioned that despite the start of school, the Razorbacks practiced outdoors in full pads on the first day.

Juncaj’s Journey

Defensive end Anton Juncaj noted that adjusting to the pace of workouts and practices took some time after he joined Arkansas from Albany, a top Football Championship Subdivision team, last winter. Juncaj, who began his football journey in Division II, described the recruiting process as almost unbelievable. “It’s just surreal,” Juncaj said, reflecting on narrowing his choices down to Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Arizona. “When you enter the portal, you don’t really expect it. Some people say, ‘You’re just going to get Group of 5 offers.’ “But getting on the phone with Coach (Sam) Pittman from Arkansas and Coach (Brent) Venables from Oklahoma, it felt like a surreal experience.”

Juncaj was asked what gave Arkansas the advantage in his decision.

“It gave me a family feel, and that’s really what brought me here,” he said.

 Woodson Connection

Stephen Dix, who has been working as the middle or “Mac” linebacker, transferred directly from Marshall but had previously played at Florida State, where his time overlapped with Arkansas’ current co-defensive coordinator, Marcus Woodson. “During our time at Florida State, we built a relationship, walking through the hallways, working together on defense, and talking football,” Dix said. “That connection played a big role in my decision to come here. Coach Woodson was always approachable, always ready to talk whenever you needed, and that relationship really helped guide me to Arkansas.”

 2025 Season Opener

The Razorbacks have made a change to their 2025 season opener, replacing their game against Missouri State with a matchup against Alabama A&M, according to a public records request by wholehogsports.com revealed on Monday. Missouri State, which is transitioning to Conference USA for the 2025 season, is paying the termination fee to break the contract, which was originally signed in March 2021.

The Razorbacks finalized their contract for the season opener on August 30, 2025, with Alabama A&M on August 9, the same day the cancellation with Missouri State was completed. The agreement was signed by Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek and Alabama A&M Athletic Director Paul A. Bryant. Both the game guarantees for the Missouri State and Alabama A&M contracts were redacted, as Arkansas officials believe disclosing that amount could be a competitive disadvantage.

Arkansas, which has never faced Alabama A&M, typically schedules one FCS opponent each season. The Razorbacks hold an 8-0 record against Missouri State, with their most recent win being a 38-27 victory on September 17, 2022, against a team coached by Bobby Petrino. Petrino, who led Arkansas to a 34-17 record from 2008-2011, is now in his first year as the offensive coordinator under fifth-year Razorbacks Coach Sam Pittman.

 ‘Darn Good’

Co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson described the linebacker group as the deepest part of Arkansas’ defense, a sentiment Coach Sam Pittman echoed after Thursday’s scrimmage. Sophomore Brad Spence and junior transfer Xavian Sorey have seen the most time with the top unit, while summer transfers Anthony Switzer and Stephen Dix, along with true freshman Bradley Shaw, have also been involved alongside returnees like Carson Dean and Alex Sanford. “I think we’re pretty good, and I think we’re deep,” Pittman said. “With Dix and Switzer, plus Spence and Sorey—who’ve both had great weeks—we’ve got a solid group. All four are really good players. I like our depth there. We’ll see how it plays out in the games, but I think we’re in pretty darn good shape right now.”

 Penalties

In the aftermath of last Thursday’s scrimmage, where the defense shined with eight interceptions, the number of penalties somewhat went under the radar. Coach Sam Pittman explained that he instructs referees to be vigilant and call every infraction during practice to help the Razorbacks adjust to real game situations. “There were a few too many penalties, quite a contrast from last week,” Pittman said on Thursday, referring to the minimal penalties in the first scrimmage.

“We had too many penalties in the secondary—too many holding penalties,” he continued. “Keep in mind, this is across the ones, twos, and threes. I’m not singling anyone out. As a defense overall, we need to improve in that area.” Last season, the Razorbacks had three games with 10 or more penalties in their first six matchups, including a staggering 14 flags for 125 yards in a 38-31 loss to BYU, officiated by a Big 12 crew. Arkansas ended 2023 ranked 83rd in the nation with an average of 55.4 penalty yards per game and tied for 85th with 6.3 accepted penalties per game.

 Preseason No. 52

The Athletic has ranked all 134 FBS teams ahead of the season, placing Arkansas at No. 52, just above Maryland and just below Colorado. Ohio State holds the No. 1 spot, with Georgia ranked No. 2. Georgia is among nine SEC teams in the top 23, including No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 10 Missouri, No. 13 LSU, No. 14 Tennessee, No. 15 Oklahoma, and No. 23 Texas A&M. Other SEC rankings include No. 34 Auburn, No. 35 Florida, No. 44 Kentucky, No. 45 South Carolina, No. 59 Mississippi State, and No. 95 Vanderbilt. Oklahoma State, whom Arkansas faces on September 7, is ranked No. 22, while Arkansas State University is placed at No. 96.