Arkansas offensive line plays with new freedom under Mateos and Pittman

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas center guard Addison Nichols has long wanted to play for Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman. Pittman recruited him out of high school when Pittman was still at Georgia.

Now, not only does Nichols finally get to play under the head coach who has been on the job for five years, but he also has the added bonus of working under offensive line coach Eric Mateos. Nichols called the two “two of the greats.” He believes Mateos is already well on his way to becoming a great coach, even though he has only officially been coaching the offensive line for eight years.

“He {Mateos]wants us to be as prepared and as knowledgeable as possible for the NFL,” Nichols said. “He wants us to not only know what we're doing, so the basic knowledge of the offensive line. He wants us to know everything. He wants us to know the formations. He wants us to know the movements.”

This allows the offensive line to play with an additional sense of freedom that Nichols has never experienced anywhere else before.

“[Mateos] makes things easier for us to understand and not such an intrusive flood of knowledge, that's what really sets him apart,” Nichols said. “It's just easier to learn from him.”

The tandem of Mateos and Pittman has also produced positive results for a unit trying to improve after a dismal 2023 season.

“Having them both together is a real powerhouse of offensive line knowledge.” Being able to work with Coach Pitt on the field is something I've always wanted to do. I wanted to play for him at Georgia.

The two complement each other in a unique way that few other programs can, considering Pittman has extensive experience as an offensive line coach prior to his job at Arkansas.

“They both really play together,” Nichols said. “Coach Pittman will say something and then Coach Mateos will say something, or vice versa. He understands that everyone is different. Everyone learns differently.”

Nichols and the rest of the offensive line now have less than two weeks until the opening kickoff against UAPB on August 29 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

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