Sam Pittman notices a positive change in Feleipe Franks’ leadership: ‘He has really come into his own’
By Keith Farner
Published:
Feleipe Franks has all but been named the starter at quarterback for Arkansas as the Razorbacks gear up for a visit from the Georgia Bulldogs to open the season. Coach Sam Pittman has noticed a positive change in Franks, the Florida transfer, and noted it on Wednesday night on his first radio show of the season.
“Just recently he has really come into his own,” Pittman said, per Whole Hog Sports. “This week I’ve seen him be more vocal with the football team. Expectations of your team have to start with your head coach, but it has to trickle down, and one of those positions has to be your quarterback.”
Pittman has tried to accelerate a culture change in Fayetteville, and he might have offered a glimpse to that improvement with a lineman in redshirt freshman tackle Brady Latham, who leads the team in fights in practice.
“We don’t have a lot of fights and we’re not supposed to fight,” Pittman said, “but he’s a guy you’ve got to watch because he’s got a lot of strain to him. You have to like aggressive people.”
Pittman revealed that the team looks different than he anticipated it might when he accepted the job last December, especially along the line of scrimmage, and even said the Razorbacks are a little deeper on the offensive line than he thought when he took the job.
“When I got here I didn’t know if we’d walk out there and look like an SEC football team on the front,” Pittman said, adding, “I put a premium on getting bigger, getting thicker, and that seems to not (have affected) their ability. I want a big, fast guy more than I want a slim, fast guy. It’s a collision sport and a bigger guy matches up a bit better. You’ve got to have speed on your team and you’ve got to have big people.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
