Arkansas awards scholarship to walk-on player, needs left in portal

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas has had 23 scholarship players enter the transfer portal to this point and now have set out to replace them.

They got a good start in that regard with the commitment of Oregon four-star offensive tackle JacQawn McRoy, 6-8, 375, on Thursday afternoon. McRoy committed while on his official visit to the Hogs.

In addition, Sam Pittman has reportedly rewarded fullback-tight end Maddox Lassiter with a scholarship. Lassiter, 6-3, 239, walked on to Arkansas in the Class of 2023 from Warren. He has spent time at both fullback and tight end for the Hogs. As a senior at Warren while playing quarterback, Lassiter passed for 2,221 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing 142 times for 1,115 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Pittman was asked Thursday about what are the biggest needs in the transfer portal?

“Offensive line would be one,” Pittman said. “Defensive line would be one. We felt like we were pretty good at the linebacker spots. if you go back and you look a year ago and the world was falling because we lost this linebacker, this linebacker, this linebacker. And I think we all agree that our linebacker room was a strength for us this year. So, that would be probably the least worried about. We need some safeties, need some corners, need some safeties. But I think O-line, tight ends, the big deal. Wide receivers. I mean, we’ve got several spots to fill, but off the top of my head, that’s who it would be.”

Pittman was also asked what he thought about the signing class the Hogs pulled in during the early signing period?

“Well, I like that we signed a lot of bigs on the O-line and D-line,” Pittman said. “I think Deke Adams is doing one hell of a job, and you know I like that. We signed one tight end. We’ve got to find some. We’ve already had some on campus from the portal.

“I like our D-line, I like our O-line coming from that. And obviously we felt really strong about our quarterback position and our signing there with an in-state kid who we really believe in and then one from out of state in California. And we felt like we did really good in there. I like this class a lot. We saved quite a bit of money in that freshman class, certainly to go into the portal usage, as well.”I like our D-line, I like our O-line coming from that. And obviously we felt really strong about our quarterback position and our signing there with an in-state kid who we really believe in and then one from out of state in California. And we felt like we did really good in there. I like this class a lot. We saved quite a bit of money in that freshman class, certainly to go into the portal usage, as well.”

The Hogs signed Grayson Wilson from Conway and Madden Iamaleava from Long Beach (Calif.) Poly. The Hogs return Taylen Green, KJ Jackson and Blake Boda at that spot along with Austin Ledbetter. Pittman was asked if the newcomers could push to start?

“Well, they certainly will,” Pittman said. “Obviously Malachi (Singleton) went to portal and did it the right way, and I hope he finds what he wants. We’re very high on KJ Jackson. I mean, we are. And so these guys are sitting right in there, right in the middle of the competition, these freshmen quarterbacks, so we’ll be excited to see what they do, but they’ll have all the reps possible to get on the two deep, the three deep or a starting quarterback job. So we’re high on those kids, and obviously you got to have good quarterbacks, and we feel like we’ve got a really good room of quarterbacks.”

Green announced on Thursday he was returning for his senior season. Could that help recruiting in the portal?

“Yeah, I’ve known that [since] about the day after my hip surgery,” Pittman said. “So, I guess last Wednesday, I knew Taylen [would]. He wants to be a Hog, he wants to play here, he wants to play for the state. And that’s nothing against the guys that got in the portal. It isn’t. Their business is their business, but it’s a big deal to me that he wants to stay here and run it back and stay with Bobby and stay with that offense. I think it will be so big and beneficial to him, and it will help us in recruiting as well.”

Pittman also was asked how many of the recruits signed in the early signing period might could help this fall?

“I hope the kicker can,” Pittman said. “You know, we’re certainly happy about that. You know Bubba Craig, the O-lineman out of JUCO, and he’s not high school, but we certainly hope that he can help us. And that’s a tough question because we’ve seen them on tape and against high school players, and some guys develop slower than others, but we’re going to have to have a few of these guys help us next year. And of course, they all think they’re going to. And so, it’ll depend on work ethic and how… I think 18 of the 24 come in at spring ball, so that would certainly help us, as well. But we like whom we signed. We didn’t sign anybody that that we going, ‘Oh man, I don’t know about…’ We liked them. And so, hopefully you’ll have more the higher number than lower number, but that’s a hard one to say a number on, to be honest with you.”

The kicker Pittman referred to is Scott Starzyk from The Woodlands, Texas. He was the nation’s top ranked kicker by Kohls. The Razorbacks are hosting numerous portal prospects through Sunday, Dec. 22.