"I was surprised by the reps I got," said Mitchel. "I just stepped in, kept my technique, played hard, and did what I had to do. It was my first big game, and I thought I performed well."
Mitchel had played sparingly in the first four games of the season. Junior cornerback Darius Winston's injury early against Texas A&M threw the freshman in the spotlight. He was ready.
"It was shocking, I was thrown out there so early in the game, but I went out there with confidence and told myself that I have to step up and do my job."
The Mansfield, Texas native came to the Arkansas with much fanfare. Rivals.com ranked the four-star cornerback as the 13th best player at his position in the Class of 2011. He chose Arkansas over Nebraska.
That young talent has received attention from Arkansas' already experienced defensive backfield.
"Having Greg Gatson and Isaac Madison and the other corners around to teach me and help me with the game, it's been real comfortable and I learn a lot from them."
Mitchel says he understands the growing pains that comes with being a freshman playing in the SEC.
"As a freshman, I think I've come pretty far," said Mitchel. "I have a lot to learn and I'm willing to learn and step up and continue to work hard."
Arkansas returns home Saturday night to play the Auburn Tigers. Kickoff is at 6:00 p.m. on ESPN.
Call the Hogs on Facebook @KYTV HogsInsider or on Twitter @ky3hogsinsider.
