Miguel Mitchell poised for breakout season with Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas defensive back Miguel Mitchell didn’t play a lot of football last year, but showed flashes of solid play in the time he did get.

Mitchell missed the majority of the 2024 season, and both the coaches and Mitchell said there was a mutual decision to retain his redshirt. He appeared in just five games including the bowl game, and tallied 20 tackles and half of a tackle for loss, as well as an interception in the Razorbacks’ 39-26 win over Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl.

“It’s really just a great propel to next season,” Mitchell said Wednesday of the Liberty Bowl performance. “Offense and defense, we had a really good game. That’s great just going into the offseason, having that. Feels a lot better coming off a victory to end the season a loss.”

Redshirt decision was risky, but paid off

That decision to redshirt is a risk the coaching staff made. As easily as he agreed to redshirt, he could have opted to hit the transfer portal. Head coach Sam Pittman and company were already burned by that once with offensive lineman Patrick Kutas, who transferred to Ole Miss.

Miguel’s decision worked best for both parties this time, though, and he’s poised to take on a big role with the Razorbacks’ secondary.

“He’s a coach on the field,” Arkansas co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson said. “He’s someone that takes a lot of pride in the mental aspect of it, and you see the time that he’s putting into learning the scheme and just overall football. He does have a high football IQ on the field. He has that about him, that it-factor that you can’t coach.”

Woodson said despite Mitchell’s time on the sidelines, he was still heavily involved with the team.

“It’s easy to lose the mental focus within the day-to-day routine when you’re not actually playing on Saturday, but he was always engaged, always helping out the younger guys,” Woodson said. “Because of his involvement at that point when he wasn’t playing, he understands what we’re doing just as well as myself, right?

“He’s able to go out and play fast. He got all the physical attributes you want as well, with the mental to go with it, so his production so far this fall camp has been at a high level. I just can’t wait to see him take the field on August 30th.”

Mitchell’s role with the Razorbacks

Mitchell, who transferred from Florida ahead of last season, has bounced between both boundary and field safety positions, as well as the “Hog” (nickel-corner hybrid) during practice.

There’s size all around in the Razorbacks’ secondary, and Mitchell’s 6-foot-1, 222-pound frame, coupled with his speed — he’s one of the fastest on the team — will make him a pain for opposing quarterbacks.

“I don’t know how I’m so fast. Julian (Neal), he asked me one day he came up to me, like at workouts. He was like, ‘How are you so fast? I was like, ‘I don’t know. I’ve just always been this way,'” Mitchell said. “But I just feel like it helps me all-around. I played all three sports growing up, and I feel like those attributes carry over to football. I feel like that’s what helps me be a great player.”

Mitchell and the Razorbacks will take the practice field for fall camp practice No. 12 on Thursday morning. Subscribe to HawgBeat for $1 for your first week and stay up-to-date with everything going on with Arkansas football.

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