Hogs hoping for improved product, lacking SEC experience at WR

By Jerry Meadows

FAYETTEVILLE — Football season will be here before you know it. So, what can Razorback fans expect this year in the SEC? 

To begin with, will fans be watching an improved Razorback football team this year? Well, in a few areas, yes. The lack of SEC experience is a condition that plagues both sides of the ball. There is some hope but the schedule this year is brutal. I’ve already said that 7-5 is an optimistic finish. Probably 5-7 is more realistic. But Arkansas does have a few promising areas that might surprise a team or two this year. 

The positions that come into the season with the most optimism are quarterback, running back, and the offensive line. First, QB Taylen Green returns for his second season under OC Bobby Petrino. In the past, QBs in their second year under Coach Petrino’s system have proven to be more efficient. Add to Taylen’s skill set an offensive line that is not only big and talented, it is a deep position with 8 to 10 linemen that should prove to be able to protect the QB much better than last year. If the offensive line can give Taylen time, the Razorbacks should be a very effective unit in putting points on the board. The reason I say this is because of the third area of improvement. The Razorbacks will begin next season with at least four SEC-type running backs possessing power and speed. Braylen Russell and Mike Washington Jr are big backs who will run through tackles and should have a lot of (yards-after-contact). While Rodney Hill and A J Green have the speed to break into the secondary for long runs and turn short passes into TDs. JaQuinden Jackson was a good RB, but over the year he just wasn’t durable. Should the RBs stay healthy, Arkansas could have a 1,000-yard rusher this year. The Achilles heel for the offense last year was turnovers. Last year, the Razorbacks lost three winnable games because of turnovers. Win those three games, and Arkansas finishes the 2024 season at 10-3 instead of 7-6. 

The only question mark on offense will be in the receiver room. Last year, Arkansas had skilled players at every position with SEC experience. This luxury nor height will take the field against Alabama A&M. The only receiver with height will be true freshman Antonio Jordan 6′ 5″ from Warren, AR. 

Coach Petrino, with Green and his receivers, will hopefully have two games to figure things out. Because, in the third week of the season, the Hogs travel to Oxford to play Ole Miss without Jaxson Dart. After last year’s embarrassment, the Hogs should have something to prove this year at Oxford.

On defense, it is another story. At LB, Arkansas has Xavian Sorey Jr, Stephen Dix Jr, and Bradley Shaw. No one else has any SEC experience. Missing, however, is Brad Spence to Texas and Carson Dean to Purdue. Losing these two guys didn’t help Arkansas’ depth chart at LB. 

The defensive line is another concern. There are several talented players, but Cameron Ball and Quincey Rhodes are the only apparent SEC-ready DLs. Ian Geffrard and Danny Salli had a good spring, but the grind of an SEC season will prove to be a difficult challenge for Arkansas defensively. 

The inability to cover receivers in the middle of the field was a nightmare for Arkansas’ defensive backfield. Last year, Ole Miss’ offense looked like a video game on steroids against Arkansas. 

It appears 2025 will be the toughest schedule Arkansas has faced since the 2020 COVID season. Returning players Larry Worth III, Miguel Mitchell, and Jaheim Singletary should get needed help from Caleb Wooden (Auburn) and Kani Walker (Oklahoma). However, the learning curve in the SEC will offer Arkansas little time to get ready.

College football’s 2025 version of musical chairs, known as the portal, saw Arkansas lose 40 players while gaining 31. However, the biggest gains were on the offensive line. 

247 Sports has Arkansas’ portal ranking at 16th in the nation. Not bad. But Arkansas is 9th in the SEC. This would indicate that Arkansas would continue to lose ground to the other teams in the SEC.

Here is the complete portal list for Arkansas so far:

Trever Jackson from Florida St       QB   6-3     191

Mike Washington Jr from NM St       RB    6-2    215    

A J Green from Oklahoma St       RB    5-10  210    

Courtney Crutchfield from Missouri  WR    6-0    188

O’Mega Blake from Charlotte      WR    6-2    180

Raylen Sharpe from Fresno St      WR    5-9    165

Kam Shanks from UAB      WR    5-8    180

Andy Jean from Pitt      WR    6-1     185  

Jalen Brown from Florida St      WR    6-1     174

Ismael Cisse from Sandford              WR    6-1     180

Corey Robinson II from Geo. Tech    OL    6-5    305

Marcus Dumervil from Maryland        OL    6-5    310

Shaq McRoy from Oregon       OL    6-8    375

Caden Kitler from UCF       OL    6-3    295

Kavion Broussard from Ole Miss       OL    6-6    290

Rohan Jones from Montana St       TE    6-3    235

Jaden Platt from Texas A&M       TE    6-5    260

Frank Mulipola from Texas Permian   DL    6-4    275 

David Oke from Abilene Christian       DL    6-2    290

Justus Boone from Florida                  DL    6-4    266

Andrew Harris from UCF                     LB    6-2    223  

Trent Whalen from Kent St       LB    6-3    235

Phillip Lee from Troy EDGE    6-4    240 

Ken Talley from Michigan St          EDGE    6-3    256

Julian Neal from Stanford       CB    6-2    200  

Kani Walker from Oklahoma       CB    6-2    206 

Jordan Young from Cincinnati       CB    6-0    197

Caleb Wooden from Auburn         S     6-1    192

Shakur Smalls from Maine            S     6-0   205 

Quentavius Scandrett from E Mich       S     6-3   200  

Arkansas has many fans who are ever an optimist because they know anything can happen in college football. You only have to go back to last year’s Vanderbilt team to understand that. Who would have thought that Vanderbilt would beat Alabama? Or lose to Missouri in OT in Columbia, by 3 to Texas in Nashville, or by 7 against LSU in Death Valley. Maybe 2025 will be Arkansas’ year.