Sam Pittman makes definitive statement on Ricky Stromberg’s NFL potential
Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg‘s NFL Draft potential has seen a continuous upward trend since his senior season began, and Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman has taken notice – and he believes pro scouts should, too.
“I think Ricky (Stromberg) and coach Kennedy get along real well,” Pittman said on Wednesday’s SEC Coaches’ Teleconference. “I think that they trust each other. To see his improvement over the last two and a half seasons has been dramatic. I think he’ll be a guy who can play in the NFL. And he’s tough, I think he’ll play for a long time.
“His knowledge of the game has certainly improved. Obviously, as he’s gotten older, his physicality – he’s very quick off the ball – understands defensive structures. And I really like him, wonderful kid and we’re certainly glad he’s on our team. He kind of runs that offensive line and has a lot of respect, not only from the coaching staff but from the players on the team.”
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A four-year starter for Arkansas, Stromberg won Co-SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors following a stellar Week 2 performance in the Razorbacks’ 44-30 win over South Carolina. He played 88 snaps against the Gamecocks where he protect his offense en route to amassing at least 400 yards of offense for the second-straight week.
In addition to not being penalized at all last Saturday, he protected QB KJ Jefferson, who completed 85.7% (second in school history for a single game min. 20 attempts) of his passes for 162 yards and a touchdown in the win. Four different Razorbacks scored on five total rushing touchdowns – the most in any game since 2016.
With a litany of awards and accolades under his belt already, the Phil Steele preseason All-American’s potential is only just beginning to be tapped into. Stromberg still has nearly a complete season left with the Razorbacks – time that Pittman won’t take for granted when looking for his replacement next offseason.