Arkansas football will enter the 2024 season with low expectations. The USA TODAY Sports Network recently predicted the Razorbacks to finish 14th in the 16-team SEC.
However, if there is a reason for hope entering the fall, it surprisingly comes along the offensive line. Surely, Arkansas can't get any worse up front after ranking 109th in the country in yards per carry and 129th out of 133 teams in sacks allowed per game last season.
A new offensive line coach and three additions out of the transfer portal have reshaped the room, but a returning starter who began his career in Fayetteville will play a pivotal role in the season-to-season improvement.
Patrick Kutas made nine starts in 2023 before a season-ending ankle injury. Eight of those starts came at right tackle, and like the entire offensive line, Kutas struggled. Speaking at 2024 SEC Media Days, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said he believes Kutas will be a different player this fall thanks to a position switch.
"(Kutas) lost his confidence out there. He was the best we had, but he lost his confidence out there," Pittman said. "We move him inside, he's a heck of a player. One the strongest guys on the team."
Kutas spent all of spring football at left guard, and he has a firm grip on the starting spot entering fall camp. In some ways, Kutas is a symbol of the discourse surrounding Pittman and the program. Pittman recruited Kutas, and despite his impressive resumé developing offensive linemen, the Arkansas head coach hasn't yet gotten the best out of a former top-250 national recruit.
Together, Pittman and Kutas are hoping for a bounce-back season in 2024.
Kutas will be sandwiched between left tackle Fernando Carmona Jr. and center Addison Nichols on the offensive line. Both were highly-rated transfers who became immediate starters when they stepped foot on campus. The other newcomer along the line is right tackle Keyshawn Blackstock, with Josh braun returning to his post at right guard.
Leading the group is Eric Mateos, who was previously the offensive line coach at Baylor. He worked as a graduate assistant for the Hogs from 2013-15 while Pittman was the team’s offensive line coach.
Pittman is thrilled to have Mateos back in Fayetteville.
"Eric Mateos is different because he doesn't only, hey, you need to talk to him. It's not necessarily about the play that he messed up. It's about hey what's going on at home," Pittman said. "There is different routes to the problem. May not just be between the ears. It may be life, home, girlfriend. That's why I found Eric is great at that. The kids know he loves them and thinks about them and cares about them."
Mateos' coaching style coincides with Pittman believing this year's team has better chemistry than the 2023 group, and the offensive linemen are contributing to that.
Pittman said Carmona, Nichols and Blackstock have all brought added leadership to the locker room. They've matched quarterback Taylen Green as transfers making a positive impact.
Together, no position group will play a more vital role in any potential resurgence for Pittman's program.
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