Arkansas Among SEC’s Transfer Portal “Winners”

Despite losing a few players at the end of the season, the transfer portal has actually become a great friend of Sam Pittman and Arkansas football.

Brandon Marcello of 247sports released a list named “In and Out: The SEC’s biggest winners and losers in the Transfer Portal,” and the Razorbacks were among the Southeastern Conference’s best teams when it came to signing top talent out of the portal.

To make this list, 247sports says that it took the average rating of the players leaving each program — ratings via the 247Sports transfer rankings team — and compared it to the average rating of the players entering the program. The gross difference in players are not factored into the evaluations.

Based on the formula, Arkansas is ranked No. 5, with a net rating of +4.19. The Razorbacks added talent across the board, including wide receiver Jadon Haselwood from Oklahoma, defensive back Latavious Brini from Georgia, and linebacker Drew Sanders from Alabama.

Here’s what Marcello wrote about Arkansas:

Arkansas has successfully countered a mass exodus with top talent. Five of the Razorbacks’ portal prospects rank higher than their biggest loss (cornerback Dwight McGlothern) and every new Hog was formerly a Power Five starter or blue-chip prospect out of high school.

The nation’s No. 1 linebacker (Alabama’s Drew Sanders) and the second-best edge rusher in the portal (LSU’s Landon Jackson) are on board with Arkansas. Georgia safety Latavious Brini comes to Arkansas with a higher rating than he had out of high school and ranks as the nation’s fourth-best safety in the portal.

According to 247sports, Arkansas is No. 6 in the 2022 Transfer rankings, which is third best in the SEC behind Ole Miss and LSU.