Covering NIL, lawsuits and changing landscape of college athletics these days plus adding Texas, Oklahoma to SEC at Media Days.
SportsTalk Mississippi’s Richard Cross on how good Rebels can be this year
With expectations running high, taking a look at Ole Miss this year in a new-look SEC at SEC Media Days.
SportsTalk 790 from Houston’s Chris Gordy on how new SEC affects LSU
How Texas, Oklahoma coming into the league will affect existing teams and competitive balance in league this year.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: 7-15-24
The Morning Rush is LIVE from SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas talkin’ football!
Guests: Chris Gordy and Richard Cross.
Razorbacks’ Hagen Smith goes quickly in MLB Draft
ARLINGTON, Texas — In the end, Arkansas pitcher Hagen Smith ended up being picked lower than some Hogs’ fans were projecting, but it still was solid at No. 5. Smith was the second pitcher selected in the 2024 MLB Draft on Sunday, going to the Chicago White Sox.
The pick has a projected slot value of $7,763,700. The only pitcher higher behind Chase Burns of Wake Forest, who was taken with the second pick by the Cincinnati Reds.
Smith ended his Razorback career with a career-record 360 strikeouts across three seasons as a Hog. He finished with a 24-6 record with a 3.40 ERA across 233 innings. He becomes the first Razorback to be drafted in the first round since Heston Kjerstad was selected second overall in the five-round, COVID-shortened 2020 draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
He also becomes the first Razorback pitcher to be selected in the opening round since Ryne Stanek was selected 29th overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013.
The lefty ace has long been regarded as one the best pitching prospects of the 2024 draft class with a potential fast-track to the majors, with a potential to make his debut this year.
“If he throws it over the plate they may start him somewhere,” coach Dave Van Horn said. “They may just say, ‘Put him in the bullpen up there in September, what the heck.”
Day 2 of the MLB Draft continues 1 p.m. Monday on MLB.com and other Razorbacks are expected to be chosen.
Bang opening SEC Media Days won’t be about Razorbacks
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — About the only way Arkansas’ namthe e will even be mentioned is in passing. Or when Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin takes to the podium Monday afternoon on the first day at the SEC Media Daze in Dallas.
The Razorbacks won’t arrive until Thursday, the final day of the event that annually draws scores of media types. Their primary function is to interview each other these days. Most of the questions are boringly predictable with “what do you think” topping the list.
There probably will be a bang Monday, but it will be from Kiffin. The Hogs might get mentioned when he’s inevitably be asked about his father, Monte, passing away last week. He, of course, was the defensive coordinator on the Razorbacks’ best team in history that came within a fluke pass (of all things) to Earl Campbell in 1977.
That loss may have kept them from their only national championship in football, but Kiffin will be dealing with a more serious question Monday. Colorado State coach Jay Norvell implied the Rebels were tampering with a wide receiver from the Rams. Since that’s the only thing left for anyone to complain about in this era of NIL, it’s like red meat thrown to a pack of dogs at an event this big.
For Arkansas, don’t expect them to be picked anywhere near even discussion much beyond winning enough games to qualify for one of those bowl games like Memphis. That hasn’t always been as horrible as predictions. I’m not going through every instance, but it’s a pattern old enough that John Barnhill said one time back in 1960’s that Arkansas wins the most in times of austerity, not prosperity. That simply means the Hogs don’t have a track record of maintaining success.
This is another one of those seasons. Right now, the Razorbacks have a lot of hope and everyone expecting them to repeat that success of winning the most when the least is expected is basing a lot of that on offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino. Many expect him to be the head coach by December, but there’s no evidence he would even be interested in the job if it suddenly became open.
No one seems to recall even he can’t coach the way he did over a decade ago in any way. Recruiting is different and the players can leave now when they get tired of how they perceive being treated by the coach. While it worked to some extent at the FCS level, nobody knows how he can handle a program in this day and age. He’s never had to coach with these rules.
Tampering with another team’s players was extremely rare when he was a head coach at the big boy level. Now it may be a dominant theme at the first day of media days, but none of thata will involve the Razorbacks.
Another thing Sam Pittman will probably breathe a deep sigh of relief over.
Podcaster Aaron Torres on Paul Skenes starting All-Star game as rookie
Plus weighing in on Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, Colorado’s news with Deion Sanders, son Shedur at Big 12 Media Days.
Ruscin & Zach on the Arkansas-Kentucky rivalry
John Calipari living rent free in Kentucky fans’ heads…we discuss. Plus the guys kill a fly in the studio (parental discretion is advised).
