Arkansas senior safety Hudson Clark is dealing with a back injury. According to Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman, the injury was painful enough, he only played on special teams in the loss to Oklahoma State in Week 2. And he hasn’t played since.
After the 6-foot-2, 191-pounder dressed out but didn’t play in last week’s Southwest Classic loss to Texas A&M, Matt Jones wondered out loud on the ‘Halftime’ radio show that he co-hosts whether Clark should seek a medical redshirt. It is a logical question to ask, considering back injuries, in general, seem to linger.
With a Week 6 home date with No. 4 Tennessee scheduled for Saturday night; the clock is ticking, albeit slowly, if the injury is nagging. That is really the question: Is Clark going to be able to play with the injury if it continues to bother him? When asked about injuries at a presser this week, Pittman told the media this:
“Well, I don’t feel great about [cornerback Jaylon Braxton], but I do feel pretty good about Clark,” he said. “I didn’t feel real confident about Clark. Not that he couldn’t play, I thought he was doing it more for the team than what his body physically could handle, and so we elected not to play him at that point. I think we just got to get his confidence that he could hit somebody, and I think he’s closer, obviously, a lot closer than he was last week.”
Does Redshirting Make sense for Arkansas Football?
The first step is determining if Clark can physically play. From the Pittman soundbite, it sounds as though he may participate in hitting drills in practice to determine his comfort level and if the injury hinders his mobility or confidence to the point, he’s a liability. The medical staff will also determine if playing will make it worse. Routinely, injuries like this are only remedied with rest, and they are easily re-injured. And, of course, each player and injury is different.
In Clark’s absence, senior Jayden Johnson and sophomore T.J. Metcalf have stepped up, and senior Doneiko Slaughter has shown flashes in the nickel package. So that trio has given the Hogs’ staff confidence that they can do the job in Clark’s absence. However, the depth behind that group is questionable. Sophomore Larry Worth III is the only other safety to see snaps. True freshman Tevis Metcalf is Slaughter’s backup, but it’s pretty certain coaches don’t want to rush him to the pressure cooker.
It appears, so far, the group can function without Clark. Naturally, Arkansas football coaches would love to see Clark playing against the Vols, but if he isn’t ready Saturday night a bye week is waiting the next week. Whether he plays or not, the off week will him continue to heal or recover from whatever wear may happen in that game. Coming out of that bye week will be the Oct. 19 tilt with LSU, the halfway point of the season. That would seem like a logical time to possibly make a decision if Clark doesn’t play or is hampered this week.
Would Clark even want to return?
Clark, who grew up in the Dallas Metro area as a Hogs fan with Arkansas family ties, is a gamer. That much was clear when he nabbed three interceptions in a win vs Ole Miss in 2020 after not playing his first season as a walk-on out of high school. It’s obvious he loves football, the program and his teammates. He could have left after last season. The fact that he dressed out last Saturday showed he was willing to sacrifice his body for the cause. Based on Pittman’s comments, it was the staff that decided it was in his best interest to rest for another week.
It seems that Clark will continue to try to play and salvage this season. A player with his kind of grittiness and resiliency doesn’t seem like he’d let an injury end his career. He’d want to get healthy and return to try one more season.
While it isn’t the strongest, there is a case for Clark playing in 2025 from the perspective of the long-term interests of the Arkansas football program. Having someone return to the defensive backfield with that much experience would be provide a ensure a level of continuity that seems to be in shorter and shorter supply by the year.
If he did play in 2025, he’d be in rare air playing a sixth season and spending a seventh year in college. Clark, an honor student who took a traditional redshirt in 2019, graduated with an undergrad degree in 2022 and has been pursuing his MBA according to his official bio. Admittedly, I’m not sure what degree he could pursue if he has completed his MBA, but it’s a safe bet the academic support staff can find some solution to that issue allowing Clark at least one more semester of eligibility.
It will most likely be game time before we know if Clark plays this week. If he plays and isn’t bothered by the injury, the case may be closed. If he doesn’t play or must leave the game, then an outside shot at the improbable remains.
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