Tye & Brad Caldwell of River Valley Now hit on the coaches’ comments before fall camp, Bobby Portis and more!
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Tuesday
John & Tommy discuss the Arkansas golf event, Musselman hiring his son, plus Tom Murphy!
Musselman hires son as director of recruiting for Hogs’ basketball
FAYETTEVILLE — Michael Musselman has been hired as the University of Arkansas men’s basketball director of recruiting, his father and Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman announced Monday.
Prior to Arkansas, Musselman spent one year (2018-19) as a graduate assistant at Nevada, helping the team win 29 games, win a Mountain West Championship and earn an NCAA Tournament berth.
Musselman previously served as a student manager at his alma mater, the University of San Diego. In his four years with the Toreros, he assisted the team in practice sessions, scouting reports, film editing and statistical analysis.
Musselman extends the coaching legacy that was started by his grandfather, Bill Musselman, and continued by his father, Eric Musselman.
Musselman received his bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in business administration from San Diego in 2018. He completed his master’s degree in educational leadership from Nevada in the summer of 2019.
Harris, Burks, Catalon get strong positives bouncing back from injuries
If you were expecting any bombshells at the annual golf outing Monday before fall camp starts, well, sorry, but there wasn’t anything.
Truth be told there wasn’t going to be anything good, so in a way it was positive. Everybody has made it through summer workouts without getting hurt. Remember, offensive lineman Ryan Winkel tore a pectoral muscle on his first bench press last summer and missed the whole season.
“We are in a much better spot this year than we were at this time last year,” strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll said on Monday.
He would know because he’s actually the closest thing to a coach around the players during the summer, not counting graduate transfer quarterback Ben Hicks, who is basically a graduate assistant coach in a uniform. Well within NCAA rules in case you’re questioning anything there.
Even the guys in the summer who were coming back from injuries apparently are doing fine and dandy, according to Carroll.
Senior linebacker De’jon Harris sat out the spring after foot problems forced putting a screw in and freshmen Treylon Burks and Jalen Catelon suffered knee injuries requiring surgery last fall.
All are good to go, according to Carroll … and making an impression.
“Scoota (Harris) is moving faster than I’ve ever seen him,” Carroll said Monday. “From an agility standpoint, he’s like, oh my goodness. It’s fun to watch.”
Burks has gotten Carroll’s attention, too.
“They still make him wear his knee brace when he does certain things just as a safety precaution,” he said. “But when he’s out there running routes and doing all of that, he looks really good. Really fluid, really fluid.”
Wide receivers coach Justin Stepp said Burks is fighting a natural wariness over the knee.
“There’s times when he doesn’t trust it,” he said Monday. “Once he gets more comfortable with the offense, he’ll be fine. He’s such a tough kid.
“He ain’t worried about nothin’ but playing football and fishing. We’re really excited about him and what he brings to our room.”
The biggest issue with Catalon is making sure he doesn’t wear himself out in the summer.
“He’s doing phenomenal,” Carroll said. “He’s one of those extra-work guys that’s going to be up there eight days per week. I really have to monitor his extra work to make sure he’s not running himself into the ground.”
Monday was simply a time to talk with the coaches in a fairly relaxed atmosphere, but nobody was going out on a limb.
You also got the idea last year’s season to forget is something they have all worked to avoid repeating this fall.
“It was very humbling,” defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell said, adding it was the worst he’s endured in over 40 years on the field.
The process to erase that memory starts in earnest Friday. Here’s the workout schedule for August and who we’ll have for interviews (no freshmen will be available to the media until after they have played in a game):
• Friday, Aug. 2: Practice 1 (Chad Morris)
• Saturday, Aug. 3: Practice 2 (media day following practice)
• Monday, Aug. 5: Practice 3 (select players)
• Tuesday, Aug. 6: Practice 4 (Chad Morris)
• Wednesday, Aug. 7: Practice 5 (select players)
• Thursday, Aug. 8: Practice 6 (select players)
• Friday, Aug. 9: Practice 7 (no interviews)
• Saturday, Aug. 10: Scrimmage/practice 8 (Morris, Joe Craddock, John Chavis, select players)
• Monday, Aug. 12: Practice 9 (select players)
• Tuesday, Aug 13: Practice 10 (defensive assistants)
• Wednesday, Aug. 14: Practice 11 (Morris)
• Thursday, Aug. 15: Practice 12 (offensive assistants)
• Friday, Aug. 16: Practice 13 (No interviews/Kickoff Luncheon)
• Saturday, Aug. 17: Scrimmage/Practice 14 (Morris, select players)
• Monday, Aug. 19: Practice 15 (select players)
• Tuesday, Aug. 20: Practice 16 (Morris)
• Wednesday, Aug. 21: Practice 17 (Craddock, Chavis/first radio show)
• Thursday, Aug. 22: Practice 18 (Morris)
• Friday, Aug. 23: Practice 19 (no interviews)
• Saturday, Aug. 24: Beanie Bowl (Fan Day)
• Monday, Aug. 26: Game week press conference (Morris, Craddock, Chavis)
• Tuesday, Aug. 27: Practice (select players)
• Wednesday, Aug. 28: Practice (Morris pre-practice)
• Thursday, Aug. 29: Practice (no media availability)
• Friday, Aug. 30: Practice (no media availability)
• Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Portland State, 3 p.m.
Carroll on Hogs better physically than this time last year
Arkansas strength and conditioning coach Trumain Carroll talked about the team’s physical condition being far ahead of where it was last season heading into fall camp.
Traylor on having more running backs heading into fall camp
As the Razorbacks get ready to start fall practice Friday, running backs coach Jeff Traylor talked about how he’s more comfortable with the number he has this season.
Caldwell on putting bad season behind him, looking ahead
Arkansas defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell talked before the Coaches-Media Golf Tournament on Monday about how last season has made staff work harder in offseason.
Fry on how lineman resembles pro wrestling star
Razorbacks offensive line coach Dustin Fry on how offensive lineman Dalton Wagner isn’t particularly fond of comparisons with the wrestler known as The Undertaker.
???? Halftime Pod presented by Jeff’s Clubhouse — w/ Nikki Chavanelle
Tye hits on one of the biggest differences between Chad Morris and Bret Bielema, Nikki Chavanelle, and more!
Chavis not going to single out anybody for couple of weeks
Hogs defensive coordinator John Chavis wants to wait a couple of weeks before talking about individuals as he told the media at the Coaches-Media Golf Tournament on Monday at Paradise Valley.
