Latest news with #Razorbacks
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Monte Harrison proves you can teach an old dog new tricks
FAYETTEVILLE — is heading into his sophomore season with the Razorbacks, but he's also six days away from his 30th birthday. It's a non-traditional route to college football for the Kansas City-area native, who went into professional baseball right out of high school, and spent roughly 10 years in the Major League Baseball system. Coming out of high school, he was a four-star prospect and had committed to play both baseball and football at Nebraska, but the money in the MLB was too good to turn down. 'When Major League came in, they offered a number that I couldn't really pass up,' Harrison told reporters on Monday. 'That was my number, so I took it, but I got to a time period where I felt like football, it was time for me to go back. It's not your traditional route but at the end of the day it's still football. I am an incoming freshman, even though it might look a little different, but it's just a transition more than anything. 'I give props to Pitt, to give me the time period to be able to transition my body back to a football body, and now it's just moving forward and really know the playbook and go out there and compete.' What Harrison is working on for his second year Last season, Harrison saw playing time primarily on special teams. He caught two passes for 29 yards, but his transition from baseball player to football player was a longer process than just a few months of preseason practice. 'It definitely took some rust,' Harrison said. 'I mean, I didn't put the pads on until fall camp around this time last, and that was my first time in 10 years. So, I think rust is kind of an understatement. I needed more than WD-40 to be able to get through it…I think when I got through probably, I'll say, like, the fifth or sixth game of the year, I felt like I started to transition and started to feel more fluid.' Harrison is one of just a few returning wide receivers from last year who actually recorded a pass reception, and he's become a leader in the room. 'If a guy's gonna be able to follow you, he's got to be able to trust that you're doing it,' Harrison said. 'A lot of words don't mean nothing. Actions speak 1,000 words. So you could tell by how receptive they are, maybe just from baseball, but also being a little bit older. But you got to realize that I just don't hop on the field and I just earn respect, you know? I mean, I got to go out there and still play football.' From the other wide receivers' perspective, he's referred to as 'Unc.' said Harrison is somewhat of an assistant coach out on the field. 'He's a special person,' Fouch said. 'He's almost similar to, I can lean on him as like an assistant coach. I want a message to the whole room being delivered, you know I can work through him sometimes. He can deliver the message. That way I create more leadership within the room. Instead of me trying to bring guys together, I ask him. He's been a pro, he knows what it takes to win at a high level.' Harrison and the Razorbacks will be out for Day 5 of fall camp on Tuesday morning. Be sure to stay tuned to HawgBeat for more coverage of Arkansas football. Subscribe to HawgBeat right now for $1 and also receive a free year of The Athletic for new members. More HawgBeat Football Coverage
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Is Arkansas ranked in preseason college football Coaches Poll?
Sam Pittman and Arkansas football are not ranked in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, which was released Monday. The Razorbacks were one of 26 unranked teams to receive votes in the preseason poll after finishing the 2024-25 season 7-6. With 14 total points, Arkansas is unofficially 43rd in the initial rankings. The Hogs, who open the season on Aug. 30 with a home game against Alabama A&M, were picked to finish 14th in the SEC by the league's media. There are six teams in the preseason top-25, including No. 1 Texas, on the Razorbacks' schedule in 2025. Here is the full preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. Buy Arkansas football tickets College football rankings, preseason US LBM Coaches Poll Texas (28) Ohio State (20) Penn State (14) Georgia (3) Notre Dame Clemson (2) Oregon Alabama LSU Miami (Fla.) Arizona State Illinois South Carolina Michigan Ole Miss SMU Florida Tennessee Indiana Kansas State Texas A&M Iowa State BYU Texas Tech Boise State First-place votes in parenthesis. Others receiving votes: Oklahoma (6-7) 221; Missouri (10-3) 142; Louisville (9-4) 126; Southern California (7-6) 116; Utah (5-7) 86; Baylor (8-5) 76; Auburn (5-7) 50; Iowa (8-5) 49; Memphis (11-2) 34; Army (12-2) 33; Tulane (9-5) 31; Georgia Tech (7-6) 27; TCU (9-4) 24; Nebraska (7-6) 19; Syracuse (10-3) 16; Washington (6-7) 15; Navy (10-3) 14; Arkansas (7-6) 14; Duke (9-4) 12; Colorado (9-4) 12; Minnesota (8-5) 11; UNLV (11-3) 8; Florida State (2-10) 8; Kansas (5-7) 6; Vanderbilt (7-6) 3; Buffalo (9-4) 1. Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@ or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter. This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football rankings: Hogs receive votes in preseason Coaches Poll
USA Today
02-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lakers' Adou Thiero spotted working out at team practice facility
Los Angeles Lakers rookie Adou Thiero was pictured working out at the team practice facility on Friday in preparation for his upcoming rookie campaign in the NBA. Thiero averaged a career-high 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals on 54.5% shooting from the field in 27 games as a junior last season at Arkansas. He was tied for the most points on the team (407), despite missing eight games due to a left knee hyperextension. The 36th pick has been around for much of the offseason after missing summer league as he continued to recover from his knee injury. He was also among those on hand to support Luka Dončić after the five-time All-Star signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension on Saturday. Thiero registered eight 20-point performances with the Razorbacks, including a season-high 26 points and 10 rebounds on Dec. 7 in a win over UTSA. He ranked second in the SEC in field-goal percentage and eighth in box plus-minus (plus-10.6). The 21-year-old Thiero reportedly agreed to sign a three-year, $5.95 million contract with the Lakers via the second-round pick exception. The first two years are guaranteed on the contract, which includes a team option in the last season. After missing summer league, Thiero is expected to be ready for the start of training camp next month. He is working to prepare himself to contribute to the team and is eager to get to work.
NBC Sports
30-07-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Coaches race to master art of retention amid NIL, revenue sharing and transfer portal challenges
Whether it was an ACC, SEC, Big Ten or Big 12 coach taking the podium at media days, one theme remained consistent: In an era where revenue sharing and NIL opportunities can swiftly steer athletes toward the transfer portal, programs across the country are racing to master the art of player retention. Its importance is clear to Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, who has seen all but five players from his 2023 recruiting class leave for different programs. 'Here's what it's not because of: the way they're treated, because of the way they're developed, because of the way they're taught,' he said. 'That's not the reason. It could be playing time. It could be finances. Probably the majority of it is finances, but you'd have to ask those guys.' More than 3,000 Bowl Subdivision players reportedly entered the transfer portal this past spring, which would average out to about 22 players per team. For the Razorbacks, 10 starters will be back and one of them is senior defensive lineman Cam Ball. He has remained with Arkansas his entire career, a somewhat rare occurrence for an NFL hopeful these days. 'I'm just a loyal guy. I'm loyal to the state of Arkansas; Arkansas has been loyal to me,' Ball said. Arkansas, like many schools, is also trying to scare up more money from donors as it faces the financial ramifications of the $2.8 billion House settlement; last fall, the athletic director said the school needed some $12 million more annually to 'be in the NIL game from a football perspective.' Besides the money, the Razorbacks have to find talented players; Ball grew up in Atlanta, just barely within the regional footprint in which Pittman prefers to recruit. 'We have to go outside our state,' Pittman said. 'In-state recruiting has changed over the last three or four years because of NIL. So you have to think about the talent — who it is versus what pay is expected. So that's been a little bit more difficult in our state.' Pittman isn't the only coach who wants prospects to be familiar with what their college experience will look like before making any life-changing decisions. Florida coach Billy Napier paints a clear picture of life in Gainesville and the challenges and perks that come with it. 'We present our product in a way where we're selling the degree, the alumni network, the Gator-made program, and you have to be up for the challenge of trying to get Florida back to where it's been before,' he said. 'And I think that's one of the reasons we've been able to keep it together.' Florida's 2023 recruiting class remains mostly intact, and from Napier's perspective, hungrier than ever. Compared to other SEC teams, the Gators have had more success with retention. Napier doesn't think it's a coincidence. 'We told them when they came in, you know, look, it's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows here. We're in this thing for the long haul,' Napier said. 'I think a lot of this is how you pitch it in recruiting. We're going to continue to do that, and retention is more important than it's ever been.' Coaches scrambling to prevent transfers and maintain consistency isn't exclusive to the SEC. The approval of the House settlement is a double-edged sword when it comes to retention, and Power Four schools and beyond are feeling the effects. Third-party NIL deals are no longer the only negotiation tactic schools need to worry about. Complex contracts are becoming common and legal risks grow for athletes and programs alike as college football increasingly resembles the pros. Some deals are being negotiated solely by athletes as young as 18. As a redshirt senior, Louisville linebacker TJ Quinn is used to the process. 'I wouldn't say I was nervous (to negotiate) because this is my third year of having to do that,' Quinn said. 'You've got to kind of stand your ground with what you feel like is your worth. If you're comfortable with their offer, then sign. Then you have some guys that'll leave and go to schools to get more money and stuff. That was never really like a big pusher for me, to go out and get more money because I feel like I'm in a good situation here at Louisville.' Quinn's loyalty could be the most convincing negotiation tactic of them all. While programs use revenue-share dollars to sway prospective transfers, coaches have begun to reward loyalty. 'To some degree, it's capitalism that you get what you earn. So the guys that go out and play well are going to get more than the guys who haven't proven it yet,' SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. 'Everybody on the team's not going to make the same. Fair doesn't always mean equal.' But he also said the Mustangs are not going to add players 'making a whole lot more than those guys who have already earned it here.' 'And I think that's what helps us keep a good culture, is try to start with: Let's retain first, and then whatever's left, let's go build the best team we can for those guys,' Lashlee said. North Carolina State's Dave Doeren doubled down. 'A guy that's been on a team three years, that's playing well and earned it on the field should make more than a guy coming in the door. I think that's a proper way to do business,' Doeren said, though he warned that might not be the case across the board. 'Right now, common sense is not prevailing in college football.'
30-07-2025
- Business
Coaches race to master art of retention amid NIL, revenue sharing and transfer portal challenges
Whether it was an ACC, SEC, Big Ten or Big 12 coach taking the podium at media days, one theme remained consistent: In an era where revenue sharing and NIL opportunities can swiftly steer athletes toward the transfer portal, programs across the country are racing to master the art of player retention. Its importance is clear to Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, who has seen all but five players from his 2023 recruiting class leave for different programs. 'Here's what it's not because of: the way they're treated, because of the way they're developed, because of the way they're taught," he said. "That's not the reason. It could be playing time. It could be finances. Probably the majority of it is finances, but you'd have to ask those guys.' More than 3,000 Bowl Subdivision players reportedly entered the transfer portal this past spring, which would average out to about 22 players per team. For the Razorbacks, 10 starters will be back and one of them is senior defensive lineman Cam Ball. He has remained with Arkansas his entire career, a somewhat rare occurrence for an NFL hopeful these days. 'I'm just a loyal guy. I'm loyal to the state of Arkansas; Arkansas has been loyal to me," Ball said. Arkansas, like many schools, is also trying to scare up more money from donors as it faces the financial ramifications of the $2.8 billion House settlement; last fall, the athletic director said the school needed some $12 million more annually to 'be in the NIL game from a football perspective.' Besides the money, the Razorbacks have to find talented players; Ball grew up in Atlanta, just barely within the regional footprint in which Pittman prefers to recruit. 'We have to go outside our state," Pittman said. 'In-state recruiting has changed over the last three or four years because of NIL. So you have to think about the talent — who it is versus what pay is expected. So that's been a little bit more difficult in our state.' Pittman isn't the only coach who wants prospects to be familiar with what their college experience will look like before making any life-changing decisions. Florida coach Billy Napier paints a clear picture of life in Gainesville and the challenges and perks that come with it. 'We present our product in a way where we're selling the degree, the alumni network, the Gator-made program, and you have to be up for the challenge of trying to get Florida back to where it's been before," he said. "And I think that's one of the reasons we've been able to keep it together.' Florida's 2023 recruiting class remains mostly intact, and from Napier's perspective, hungrier than ever. Compared to other SEC teams, the Gators have had more success with retention. Napier doesn't think it's a coincidence. 'We told them when they came in, you know, look, it's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows here. We're in this thing for the long haul,' Napier said. 'I think a lot of this is how you pitch it in recruiting. We're going to continue to do that, and retention is more important than it's ever been.' Coaches scrambling to prevent transfers and maintain consistency isn't exclusive to the SEC. The approval of the House settlement is a double-edged sword when it comes to retention, and Power Four schools and beyond are feeling the effects. Third-party NIL deals are no longer the only negotiation tactic schools need to worry about. Complex contracts are becoming common and legal risks grow for athletes and programs alike as college football increasingly resembles the pros. Some deals are being negotiated solely by athletes as young as 18. As a redshirt senior, Louisville linebacker TJ Quinn is used to the process. 'I wouldn't say I was nervous (to negotiate) because this is my third year of having to do that,' Quinn said. 'You've got to kind of stand your ground with what you feel like is your worth. If you're comfortable with their offer, then sign. Then you have some guys that'll leave and go to schools to get more money and stuff. That was never really like a big pusher for me, to go out and get more money because I feel like I'm in a good situation here at Louisville.' Quinn's loyalty could be the most convincing negotiation tactic of them all. While programs use revenue-share dollars to sway prospective transfers, coaches have begun to reward loyalty. 'To some degree, it's capitalism that you get what you earn. So the guys that go out and play well are going to get more than the guys who haven't proven it yet,' SMU coach Rhett Lashlee said. 'Everybody on the team's not going to make the same. Fair doesn't always mean equal.' But he also said the Mustangs are not going to add players 'making a whole lot more than those guys who have already earned it here.' "And I think that's what helps us keep a good culture, is try to start with: Let's retain first, and then whatever's left, let's go build the best team we can for those guys," Lashlee said. North Carolina State's Dave Doeren doubled down. 'A guy that's been on a team three years, that's playing well and earned it on the field should make more than a guy coming in the door. I think that's a proper way to do business,' Doeren said, though he warned that might not be the case across the board. 'Right now, common sense is not prevailing in college football.'
