The Hog Pod with Bo Mattingly

Latest Episodes:

169. Dalton Wagner: Wrestling Up Front Aug 08, 2022

Show notes

He might just be the next big WWE star, but Dalton Wagner is perfectly comfortable on the football field right now. Wagner, a 24-year-old super senior, is the elder statesman for the Razorback offense. He's been a model of consistency, starting in each of the past four seasons and improving throughout. It's no surprise the WWE came calling with an NIL deal. After all, at 6-foot-9, Wagner looks the part. But for now, he's focused on football. And with four returning starters along the offensive line and KJ Jefferson back at quarterback, Wagner looks at last season's 9-4 mark as the baseline. In this episode...Hogs+ senior contributor Clay Henry visits with Wagner and gets to the bottom of what's in store for him this season and how he ended up becoming one of the longest-tenured Razorbacks.

168. Ricky Stromberg: Man in the Middle Aug 01, 2022

Show notes

After a standout junior season that saw him earn All-SEC honors, Ricky Stromberg had a decision to make: move on to the NFL, or come back for one final season with the Hogs. Stromberg anchored Arkansas' offensive line at center, blocking for an offense that led all Power 5 schools in rushing at nearly 230 yards per game. It's no wonder that Head Hog Sam Pittman is excited to have him back. And Pittman isn't the only one who's fired up. Stromberg, a preseason All-American pick, is ready to go to work with the guys up front. The senior from Tulsa isn't shying away from high expectations, either. Not for himself, or for this team. In this episode, former Razorback and NFL offensive lineman Travis Swanson sits down with Stromberg to talk about why he came back to the Hogs, his goals for his senior season, and the attention he's getting from preseason watch lists.

167. Harold Horton: Born to Coach Jul 25, 2022

Show notes

If you were building a Mount Rushmore of important figures in Arkansas football history, there's no doubt that Frank Broyles would be on there. But right there with him would be Harold Horton. Horton's ties to the Razorbacks—and the state of Arkansas—run deep. He was part of three Southwest Conference championship teams in the early '60s under Frank Broyles, who then hired him as an assistant coach—a position he would hold for 13 years. After an unceremonious end to his time as a Razorback assistant and two years in the business sector, Horton was hired as the head coach at Central Arkansas, where he would win two NAIA national championships in eight seasons. He would return to Arkansas in 1990, working in football operations, before eventually serving as the president of the Razorback Foundation. All told, Horton had a major impact on the Hog football program for nearly 40 years. In this episode, Hogs+ senior contributor Clay Henry tells the story of Razorback great Harold Horton, with help from former Arkansas players and coaches like Tim Horton, Louis Campbell and Mike Boschetti.

166. Britton Wilson: Going for Gold Jul 18, 2022

Show notes

Britton Wilson is having the time of her life. The standout hurdler for the Razorback women's track team set nine school records in 2022, was named SEC Outdoor Runner of the Year, won a national championship, and is competing for Team USA at the World Championships. But the success hasn't come easy. Britton struggled to find her way as a freshman in college, and decided that she needed to make a change. And that change was transferring to Arkansas. Her decision to join the Razorbacks has been life changing. Had she not made the change, Britton knows what her life might've been like. Wilson is glad she didn't quit. So, too, are the Razorbacks. And as she continues her record-setting pace, she has dreams of representing the U.S. in the Olympics. Dreams that are close to becoming reality.

165. Jalen Catalon: The Cat is Back Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

Jalen Catalon is one of the best defensive backs Arkansas has seen in quite some time. He's the first Razorback DB to make First Team All-SEC since Chris Houston in 2006. And he's already joined Ken Hamlin and Kenoy Kennedy as the only Hog safeties to ever be named an All-American. But his fight to bounce back from injury is just as important as his quest to be one of the all-time greats. Catalon missed the Hogs' final seven games—including the Outback Bowl win over Penn State—in what was shaping up to be a stellar sophomore season. But Catalon knows what it takes to bounce back. He's dealt with injury and disappointment before, tearing his ACL and missing nearly his entire senior season at Mansfield Legacy High School in Texas. In this episode, Hogs Plus senior contributor Clay Henry talks to Catalon about his recovery from injury, working to get better, and how he hopes to take his place alongside some of the all-time Razorback greats.

165. Jalen Catalon: The Cat is Back Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

164. KJ Jefferson: Better Than Ever Jul 04, 2022

Show notes

KJ Jefferson isn't sneaking up on anybody. After a standout season in which Jefferson amassed more than 3,300 total yards and 27 touchdowns, the secret is out: Arkansas' QB1 is a big-time player. But, despite leading the Razorbacks to its first nine-win season in a decade, it wasn't always easy. After a 4-0 start to the season, Arkansas lost three straight. The team—and its captain, Jefferson—vowed to turn things around. Arkansas won four of its final five games in the regular season, with the only loss being a close call at Alabama. And Jefferson starred throughout. In this episode, Razorback radio analyst and former star quarterback Quinn Grovey talks to Jefferson about dedicating the offseason to taking his game to the next level and being ready for whatever opposing defenses throw at him.

163. Barry Odom: Arkansas is the Place Jun 27, 2022

Show notes

For Barry Odom, Arkansas—and coaching alongside Sam Pittman—is the place to be. Odom has helped Pittman engineer an incredible turnaround at Arkansas, and has helped a once-maligned defense turn into one of the better units in the country. After the Razorbacks gave up more than 30 points per game for five straight seasons, Odom's 2021 group allowed less than 23 a game to rank in the top half of the SEC. And perhaps no game showcased the improvement more than the win over Texas, when the Razorbacks smashed the Longhorns all over the field. The Razorbacks bookended that performance with a second-half shutout of Penn State in the Outback Bowl, setting the stage for more to come. In this episode, Arkansas radio analyst Quinn Grovey sits down with the Hogs' DC to talk about his unit's improvement, working alongside Sam Pittman, and why the Razorbacks are a destination in college football.

162. Dave Van Horn: Return to Omaha Jun 16, 2022

Show notes

Dave Van Horn leads by example. His quiet confidence comes from being one of the best at what he does. His work ethic is second to none. And he has a burning desire to bring Arkansas baseball its first national championship—something he promised Razorback fans in his introductory press conference. That level of passion has been there in every team he's coached, but something changed at the end of this season and it's a big reason why Arkansas was able to punch their ticket for a return to Omaha. In this exclusive conversation with Dave Van Horn, Phil Elson—the Voice of Razorback Baseball—sits down with the skipper and talks about the team's growth over the course of the season, how players and coaches feed off of one of the most passionate fan bases in the country, and what he sees in this squad that makes him believe this is the year he can fulfill that press conference promise he made nearly two decades ago.

161. Evan Taylor: Razorback Reliever Jun 09, 2022

Show notes

When you think about the fact that Evan Taylor grew up in Florence, Alabama, as a big Crimson Tide football fan, you wonder how he ended up a Razorback. But that's the national pull this program has under Dave Van Horn. When you're consistently one of the top programs in the country, that's what happens. And Taylor became enamored with the Razorbacks during their 2018 College World Series run. But it's not easy to join a top program. Taylor struggled early, pitching fewer than 15 innings in his first three seasons combined. That led to a conversation with DVH that helped turn his career around. This season, Taylor has turned into one of the most reliable arms in the Razorback bullpen, posting a 3.38 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings. The struggles—and the worries that came with them—are a thing of the past.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The Hog Pod with Bo Mattingly

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected