RAZORBACKS RANK HIGH covid-19 vaccination rates.

HOOVER, Ala. — The covid-19 vaccination rate for the University of Arkansas football team has to rank among the best in the nation.

The rate is one of six in the SEC over 85%, the threshold at which mask wearing is not a requirement inside team settings and mandatory testing does not have to take place for all players.

“Our players are currently vaccinated at 89%,” Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman said during his appearance at SEC Media Days. “Our building is a little over 92% covid vaccinated.”

Pittman said that kind of vaccination rate looms large.

“There’s a lot of different reliefs,” he said. “One’s for the kids, one’s for their parents, one’s for their grandparents, and people that are around. The vaccination’s certainly isn’t 100%, even if you get [the shot], we understand that. But it’s certainly 0 if you don’t.

“So we’re very excited about that. We’re relieved about that. In our building there’s not a need at this moment to wear a mask and we’re going on as business as usual. Certainly the ones who haven’t been vaccinated are still taking the covid test.”

Arkansas linebacker Grant Morgan said the rate plays to the Hogs’ advantage.

“When [SEC Commissioner] Mr. [Greg] Sankey came out and said they’re going to have to forfeit if they can’t go, that’s good,” Morgan said. “That’s a good thing for us because we’re ready. We don’t have to forfeit a game. We’re at like 90 or 88% on our vaccination rate.

“That’s something we can use to our advantage. I think [Alabama Coach Nick] Saban said the same thing last year here or on Zoom or wherever. He said someone’s going to take advantage of this covid year. It’s the same thing this year: Someone’s going to take advantage of what’s going on. We’ve got to be that team, to do everything right and put ourselves in a chance to win every single game.”

ACT score

Sam Pittman gave his response to a reporter who asked a two-part question, then he hesitated for a second and said aloud “The second part of your question was?”

Kevin Trainor, a senior athletic director at the UA who serves as moderator at media days, reminded him of the question.

“Thank you,” Pittman replied. “I made 18 on the ACT, so.”

Healthy Warren

Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman said senior receiver De’Vion Warren was doing well this summer, and he touted Warren’s value to the team at the expense of graduate transfer receiver Mike Woods, who left for Oklahoma.

“I’m excited about De’Vion,” Pittman said. “Certainly before he was injured I thought he was the second-best receiver we had, so we’re excited to get him back.”

Treylon Burks was clearly the Hogs go-to receiver last year with 51 receptions for 820 yards and 7 touchdowns in 8 full games. Woods was second with 32 catches for 619 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Warren had 15 receptions for 278 yards and 3 touchdowns in 6 full games.

Pittman said he thought the Razorbacks would be healthy heading into camp, saying “we’ll be pretty much full flow, full go.”

He also added that players who enter the transfer portal at Arkansas should consider themselves gone.

“Once you go to the transfer portal at the University of Arkansas, you sure ain’t transferring back in,” he said. “I’m pretty sure, if I asked [wife] Jamie, if I go to transfer for a week and figure it out would she let me come back, I’m sure the answer would be no. That’s the way we feel about that, too.”

BBQ deal

Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman smiled when asked if he’d like to have an endorsement deal with Wright’s Barbecue like his offensive linemen do.

“I wish I did, I wish I did,” Pittman said. “But they didn’t give me one because obviously I don’t need one.

“I told the team on that, I’m so excited the offensive line got that deal. If I had it my way, the whole damn team would have it. But I’m excited for the offensive line to have that deal.”

Offensive tackle Myron Cunningham said the deal should help the linemen add or maintain their weight as needed.

“It’s pretty good, considering our past struggles of gaining weight,” Cunningham said. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem anymore.”

Bo knows

Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, the son of former Tigers quarterback Patrick Nix, has endured his share of criticism during his two years as the starter.

The Tigers have gone 15-9 with Nix as the starter.

A reporter asked Nix about his “interesting ride” at Auburn and how he’s dealt with the highs and lows.

“That’s an honest question, so I appreciate that,” Nix said. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is no matter what you do in life, you could be the most influential person in the country, you could change so many lives, but there’s always going to be that one person, more than one person, that doesn’t like what you’re doing or disagrees or thinks that you can do something better.

“In high school, you don’t really go through that kind of stuff. Usually everybody is nice to you and they’re your fans, so you don’t have to go through that. … In college, I feel like no matter what side you’re on, you could get bad-mouthed and criticized. It goes with the territory. I knew coming to Auburn what I was going to face. I knew it was going to be difficult. You have to deal with certain fans across the state.”

Easy choices

Sam Pittman said it wasn’t a tough call to bring linebacker Grant Morgan and offensive lineman Myron Cunningham to represent the Razorbacks at SEC Media Days.

“Very easy,” Pittman said. “Both of them are great kids, good players. Grant was a captain last season and Myron was a captain the final two games for us. It was a very simple situation for us.”

Cunningham, who like Morgan is a senior, said it meant a lot that Pittman chose him.

“I treat it as a big deal because Coach Pittman saw me as enough of a leader to bring me here and represent this team,” Cunningham said. “And I’ll treat it as such.”

No comment OU, UT

Sam Pittman didn’t want to speculate on media reports that Oklahoma and Texas have reached out to the SEC and are considering leaving the Big 12 for the SEC.

“They’re not in the SEC right now,” Pittman said. “I don’t really have a comment on them except that we’re certainly looking forward to playing Texas on [September] 11th.”

Pittman was also asked about the “Horns Down” hand gestures that could result in a penalty if opposing Big 12 players do it on the field in sight of an official.

“My thoughts are can we keep them from that big stripe and can we get across that big stripe?” Pittman said, referring to the goal line. “I don’t get into that ‘Horns Down’ stuff because it doesn’t help you win a game.”

Comment OU, UT

Missouri Coach Eli Drinkwitz didn’t wait to be asked about reports of Oklahoma and Texas potentially joining the SEC, but he made a joking reference it in his opening remarks.

“Hard-hitting questions coming out of yesterday,” said Drinkwitz, an Alma native. “I think one of them was whether or not the ‘Horns Down’ is going to be 15-yard penalty in the SEC in the future.

“So I asked Commissioner [Greg] Sankey in the hallway, and he gave me a strong rebuttal by saying no comment. So we’ll see where that goes.”

Drinkwitz later was asked his thoughts on the possibility of Oklahoma and Texas being in the SEC.

“I’ve been trying to tell people everybody wants to play in the SEC, man,” he said. “If you can attract a couple of really good schools to come play, that’s great.

“I think we all understand that Mark Womack is going to put both Texas and OU on Mizzou’s schedule moving forward. So we’re ready for any challenge that is thrown at us.”

When the SEC went to a 10-game conference-only schedule last season with Womack, the executive associate commissioner overseeing the process, Alabama and LSU were added to Missouri’s schedule.

Walk and talk

Sam Pittman and Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom take daily walks around campus. It’s good exercise but also a valuable time to talk, Pittman said.

“Believe it or not, he and I walk quite a bit,” Pittman said. “Now, he looks like he does and I look like I’m on his back, but I’m really walking.

“We go out there and we walk and we talk about the team. It’s a great 45 minutes, so I can learn a little bit more about being a head coach.”

Odom was previously Missouri’s head coach.

“I bounce things off of him frequently,” Pittman said.

Rivalry?

Missouri Coach Eli Drinkwitz said he believes the Tigers have developed an SEC rivalry with Arkansas when he was asked if Oklahoma — a former Big Eight and Big 12 foe — could be a good rivalry game for the Tigers.

“I kind of like the rivalry we’ve got with Arkansas,” Drinkwitz said. “I don’t remember the last time they beat us, so I kind of like that one.”

Missouri has beaten Arkansas five consecutive years since losing to the Razorbacks 28-3 in 2015.

“I think we’ll just keep that one right now,” Drinkwitz said. “That’s a good one.”

Sam Pittman was in his first season as head coach when Missouri beat Arkansas 50-48 last year, and he was in his last season as the Hogs’ offensive line coach in 2015.

“It might be a little bit more of a rivalry for the people that are getting their butt kicked,” Pittman said. “I love the fact that Missouri is close to us. Eli and I are good friends, but at the same time, we’re very competitive as well. I’m glad we look at ArkansasMissouri as our No. 1 rival.”

Drinkwitz said he respects Pittman and what he’s done with the Arkansas program.

“He’s obviously doing a tremendous job,” Drinkwitz said. “I’m from the state, so that makes it a little bit more special and a little added incentive.”