We recap two busy weekends for both Ruscin and Zach. Then an ESPN writer lists off his top 25 players in college football so far this century and there were a few glaring problems with it (no Darren McFadden for starters).
HS on SI’s Nate Olson on Hogs getting commitment of JJ Andrews
Little Rock Christian’s star brings some playmaking ability and an in-state recruit to John Calipari for future.
Democrat-Gazette’s Richard Daveport on Razorbacks’ latest signee
Picking up a four-star recruit from state of Mississippi for 2025 adds solid player to future and Deke Adams.
Eastside Liquor Halftime Podcast: 7-29-24
Coach Cal’s press conference today has the guys talkin’ round ball, football gets a mention later on. Is that how it will be in the minds of the fans come the middle of fall?
Guests: Mike Irwin, Nate Olson.
Razorbacks coach John Calipari ready for break after summer workouts
How he’s trying to work on the mental aspect of the game and raising the standards of the players in early practices.
Razorbacks’ Boogie Fland, Adou Thiero, Trevon Brazile on summer workouts
As everybody takes a breath before fall camp starts in a couple of weeks, players discuss how summer has gone.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: 7-29-24
Football is inching closer, but it’s Coach Cal’s recruiting and the elevation of the Razorbacks’ national brand that has Arkansas buzzing. The Olympics have begun!
Guests: Richard Davenport!
Football Back! Razorbacks getting fall camp started … in July
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For those waiting to see some football being played, Arkansas’ players will be running around in formalized practices starting next week.
As things continue to move up in the calendar, this year the Razorbacks will start fall camp next week on July 31. We’ll have a summer recap with coach Sam Pittman on Tuesday afternoon. Strength and conditioning coach Ben Sowders will follow with the usual report on improvement. We have a good idea what he will say because they aren’t going to tell anybody they’re slower and weaker are they?
Wednesday is when they hit the practice field. The media will have access to about the first 20 minutes, which will cover skeleton drills and some position work. No scrimmages will have media access in the August schedule, released Friday night.
We will have interviews with new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino a couple of times during the fall camp with updates on quarterback Taylen Green and his development with the new offense.
Classes start at the university Aug. 19 and practices will move to 6:05 in the evening then. We won’t get access to the practices, so there won’t be any reports from that, although there will be some press conferences, but not many.
After the first week of practices at 6:05, the Hogs will go to workouts in the morning with interviews coming around noon, which will be available that afternoon on the HitThatLine YouTube channel and online.
The Razorbacks open the 2024 season at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock on Aug. 29 against UAPB. The last time these two teams played in 2022, they invoked the college verson of the mercy rule at halftime with a running clock because the Hogs were so dominant.
That game will start at 6:30 and be televised on ESPNU. You will be able to hear the game in Northwest Arkansas and select broadcast markets on HitThatLine and the radio at ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.
Calipari bringing Razorbacks exactly what folks were hoping to see
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas is getting exactly what they expected when big donors made the commitment to hire John Calipari away from Kentucky. He”s already done well from a zero-starting point.
Now he’s starting to stockpile some of the best players for the future. That haoppened Friday afternoon when they picked up a commitment from Darius Acuff. The No 1 point guard for the 2025 cycle (fourth overall) picked the Razorbacks over Kansas and Michigan. He had already eliminated two-time national champion UConn from the mix.
He’s the third-highest rated Arkansas commitment in the modern recruiting rankings era, just behind Nick Smith Jr. (2022) and Al Jefferson (2004). The 6-3, 180-pound, Detroit native has been high on Calipari’s list and was the first 2025 player to take an official visit in May.
At the Nike EYBL Peach Jam event in North Augusta (S.C.), he averaged 20 points, three rebounds and three assists while shooting 48% from the field and 43% from deep. At the event, Acuff spoke to 247Sports’ Recruiting Analyst Brandon Jenkins about his recruitment.
“My official visit went well. I have a good relationship with John Calipari,” Acuff told Jenkins. “I took a visit to Kentucky and I took a visit to Arkansas. Nothing was different but the schools. It was a great visit. Coach Cal is a great guard coach. Most of his guards are in the league.”
Earlier in the summer, he was also named MVP of the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in June, leading USA to a gold medal by going for 26 points, nine assists, six rebounds, and three steals in the championship game against Argentina.
Reading the scouting reports, maybe the best thing from a point guard is hearing that his best talent is making those around him better. It’s what the best point guards do. Scoring is a bonus and nobody’s going to turn that down at any time.
Like we said earlier, Calipari has hit the ground at full speed, which is exactly what fans were hoping to see.
