Category: Arkansas football

Switzer – no, not that one – commits to Arkansas out of transfer portal

This Switzer, just like the one you intially thought of, is an Arkansas native.

The man who goes by the first name Anthony should be a quick fan-favorite in Arkansas.

Anthony Switzer, a hybrid defensive back-linebacker from Utah State, committed to Arkansas out of the transfer portal on Friday. He is, of course, no relation to former Arkansas football player, Oklahoma Sooners and Dallas Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer.

But count on the references coming in the 2024 season.

Switzer was an All-Mountain West honorable selection last year. He had 85 tackles, incluing eight for-loss, three sacks, an interception and four pass break-ups for the Aggies in his lone season in Logan. Before transferring to Utah State, he played in 24 games at Arkansas State.

A graduate of Marion High, Switzer spent three years in Jonesboro after being named all-state. He was just a two-star recruit coming out of MHS, but impressed so much with Utah State last year, he was an easy offer during his visit to Fayetteville earlier in the week.

Switzer is the third player to commit to Arkansas since the portal re-opened in the spring, joining running back Rodney Hill and linebacker Larry Worth.

Arkansas defensive back Snaxx Johnson to enter transfer portal, per report

Whoa. Didn’t see that one coming. Arkansas’ pass defense was 32nd in the nation last year in part because of Snaxx.

The Arkansas defense suffered a significant setback Monday when defensive back Snaxx Johnson entered the transfer portal.

A report from 247Sports stated Johnson’s entry a season after he started all 12 of the Razorbacks’ games at either cornerback or nickel. He was top of the Arkansas depth chart at nickel this spring, but Tennessee transfer Doneiko Slaughter started at the position for the team’s spring game.

Johnson and Slaughter were expected to join cornerback Jaylen Braxton and safety Jayden Johnson and defensive back Hudson Clark to provide the Hogs with one of the better secondaries in the SEC.

Arkansas finished 32nd in FBS last year against the pass, giving up just over 202 yards per game. Johnson finished the season with 29 tackles, including four for-loss, with five pass break-ups and an interception in his first year in Fayetteville after transferring from Baylor.

Johnson became the fifth Arkansas player to enter the portal since it re-opened earlier in April. Quarterback Jacolby Criswell, running back Isaiah Augustave, offensive lineman Paris Patterson and punter Max Flethcer had all previously entered for transfer.

One of Arkansas’ most highly touted recruits to leave via the transfer portal

Things just never clicked for Paris Patterson with the Hogs, despite being a former top-250 recruit.

Arkansas offensive lineman Paris Patterson is entering the transfer portal, according to a report by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

A former four-star recruit, Patterson signed with the Razorbacks in the winter of 2022. At one point, he found himself rated among the top 250 recruits in his class.

But his time at Arkansas saw him leapfrogged on the depth chart by even younger players. Patterson was not included in the two-deep during spring drills and in the spring game found himself playing with the third team.

The 350-pounder is the fourth Arkansas player to enter the portal since it re-opened in the spring. He joins back-up quarterback Jacolby Criswell, starting punter Max Fletcher and third-string running back Isaiah Augustave.

Patterson’s exit leaves coach Sam Pittman with eight scholarships remaining to fill his 2024 roster. Most recently, Arkansas picked up a commitment from former Florida State running back Rodney Hill, who is expected to slide into Augustave’s place in the depth chart with time and practice.

Razorbacks lose key special teams member to transfer portal

An important part of the Arkansas Razorbacks’ special teams uniform has entered the transfer portal.

Sam Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks lost an important member of their special teams unit this week.

Max Fletcher, the team’s starting punter from Melbourne, Australia, entered the transfer portal on Thursday, less than a week after the Razorbacks’ annual spring game. Fletcher was a rising name on special teams after a strong 2023 performance. He was named to the Ray Guy Award watchlist ahead of last season and increased his average yards per punt from 37.5 in 2022 to 46.9 in 2023.

In doing so, Fletcher earned second-team All-SEC honors from coaches for his efforts during his sophomore season.

With Fletcher entering the transfer portal, junior Devin Bale is the likely frontrunner to handle punting duties for the Hogs going forward. Bale transferred to Arkansas from Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Conference after the 2022 season . While there, he averaged 41.2 yards per punt over two seasons from 2021-22.

Freshman Sam Dubwig, a preferred walk-on from Arkansas’ Cabot High School, is also a member of the Razorbacks’ special teams unit. Dubwig officially committed to Arkansas in December.

Former Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson breaks silence on booking for traffic violation

Former Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jefferson opens up about traffic violation, booking.

Former Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson presented himself to Fayetteville Police on Wednesday in an effort to process a misdemeanor traffic violation he received in 2023.

A report from WholeHogSports.com states that Jefferson was allegedly caught traveling at 113 mph in a 70-mph zone on May 18 of last year on Interstate 49 South in Washington County. Jefferson received a citation at 11:20 p.m. that night, the report states.

On Wednesday, Jefferson was booked into the Washington County Detention Center for reckless driving and for traveling more than 15 mph over the designated speed limit. He was released without bail shortly after he appeared for booking, according to detention center records referenced by WholeHogSports.

Jefferson took to Instagram on Wednesday to address the situation.

“I got a speeding ticket last year, in May, before the season,” Jefferson said Wednesday in a since-expired Instagram story. “Got a speeding ticket so I reported to court today. Today my court date… I ended up getting three days of community service. That’s why y’all see my mugshot and all that.

“But that’s what happened. It was a speeding ticket. I came back to Fayetteville only because I had court and to pay my fine and everything for speeding. I take full accountability for my actions, for what I did. But all that extra stuff about, ‘KJ did this’ and all these narratives y’all trying to paint, it’s not true, bro. I had a speeding ticket.”

Jefferson transferred to UCF after last season. UCF coach Gus Malzahn, a former high school coach in the Natural State and offensive coordinator for one season on Houston Nutt’s 2006 Razorbacks team, said in a statement that he and UCF had been aware of Jefferson’s situation prior to his booking.

“I have been fully aware of this situation that took place in May 2023 prior to his arrival at UCF. Since KJ has been here, he’s been a great leader and an exemplary member of our program,” Malzahn’s statement read.

Jefferson threw for 7,911 yards and combined for 88 touchdowns (67 passing) in parts of five seasons at Arkansas. He was the Hogs’ starting quarterback for the past three years.

Arkansas quarterback Jacolby Criswell expected to enter transfer portal

Arkansas is left with two scholarship freshmen behind starter Taylen Green.

Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino said after Saturday’s spring game that Taylen Green was the Razorbacks No. 1 quarterback.

About 48 hours later, one of the players competing for that job against Green was reportedly leaving.

Jacolby Criswell is expected to enter the transfer portal Tuesday when it opens, according to a report from 247Sports. He played one season for the Razorbacks, backing up KJ Jefferson in 2023, after transferring from North Carolina.

Criswell, who graduated from Morrilton High in the Natural State, went 17 of 27 passing last year for 143 yards and three touchdowns. When Jefferson left for UCF via the transfer portal in the offseason, Criswell was initially the front-runner for the job. When Green transferred in from Boise State, however, most expected the former Broncos quarterback to get the job. Nothing during spring camp suggested otherwise and Petrino named him the starter over the weekend.

Arkansas is left with redshirt freshman Malachi Singleton and freshman KJ Jackson as the scholarship quarterbacks remaining behind Green, who has two years of eligibility remaining.

Sam Pittman has thoughts on Arkansas’ reported hiring of John Calipari

Sam Pittman provided some advice for Arkansas’ next basketball coach, but neither confirmed nor denied it was going to be John Calipari.

Sam Pittman has some advice for Arkansas’ next basketball coach, who, by the way, is reported to be former Kentucky coach John Calipari.

Pittman didn’t confirm or deny the reports, of course, but made it clear he was quite aware his next fellow head man in the athletic department will likely be Calipari.

“Well, I live in Arkansas,” Pittman said.

Pittman reflected on his interactions with athletic director Hunter Yurachek from when Pittman ws hired by the AD back in 2019. The coach said almost everything Yurachek told him and the way Yurachek acted during that process has maintained.

“I believe in Hunter Yurachek. He’ll find the best guy. I guess according to everybody, we found him. I don’t know him well, but if he’s a good coach we probably hit a pretty good home run. Maybe hit a grand slam,” Pittman said.

Yurachek hasn’t changed in the nearly five years Pittman has been back at Arkansas. He was the Razorbacks offensive line coach under head coach Bret Bielema in the mid 2010s, though the athletic director at that time was Jeff Long.

“He’s going to tell you what needs to be done and what you’re doing well, what you need to improve on. Very direct, very honest and he stays to his word. That’s what the new basketball coach can expect,” Pittman said.

Arkansas wideouts dealing with injury woes heading into Saturday’s spring game

Arkansas’ wide receivers won’t be in full health for the spring game Saturday.

Better now than in September, anyway.

Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman detailed a number of injuries bothering his Razorbacks this week ahead of the team’s spring game on Saturday inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Arkansas is especially thin at wide receiver, Pittman said, though the bumps and bruises at that position have given the inexperienced players – the Hogs returned every wideout who had a catch last year – some opportunity to make a dent in the depth chart.

“I think maybe the biggest question mark right now is where we’re at wide receiver-wise because we’ve had several injuries,” Pittman said. “We know who we have, we just haven’t seen them I guess in the last couple of days. But some younger guys are moving up the depth chart. It’s given them some opportunities.”

Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas’ leading receiver last year, has been dealing with a hamstring injury since late March. Tyrone Broden, the team’s third-leading receiver, has been out because of family reasons. Jaedon Wilson, who is battling Broden and Isaiah Sategna for the No. 3 receiver spot, is also trying to fight off a hamstring injury. And Davion Dozier, whose spring has impressed, has an injury Pittman thinks is Dozier’s hand.

“He didn’t come back so a lot of times if it’s a hand, that’s not great news but we’ll figure it out,” the Arkansas coach said.

The Razorbacks will play their spring game Saturday with two 15-minute quarters and a normal clock in the first half, have a 10-minute halftime and finish with a running clock for two 10-minute quarters in the second half. Kickoff is a noon and the game will air on SEC Network+.

Former Razorbacks defensive end enters transfer portal

Arkansas has lost three defensive linemen from last year’s team to the transfer portal.

Jashaud Stewart is entering the transfer portal.

Stewart, a former pass-rush specialist on the Arkansas defensive line, was arrested in December for his connection with burglarly and first-degree criminal mischief. Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman suspended Stewart from the team at that point and Stewart was not with the team for spring practices.

The Jonesboro native played in just five games for Arkansas last year as he battled injury. In the season before, his junior season, Stewart played in 10 games, registering 14 tackles and two sacks.

Arkansas’ defensive-line depth has been a positive for the team in the spring. Landon Jackson, a reigning All-SEC selection, has held down on defensive spot while Nico Davillier has developed on the other side and held off Anton Juncaj, a transfer from Albany was the best defensive player in FCS last year.

Stewart became the 22nd player to leave Arkansas via the transfer portal from last year’s team and third defensive lineman to do so. Defensive tackles Tank Booker and Taurean Carter entered the portal in December.

Even Arkansas’ offensive line is getting a Bobby Petrino look about it

Most of the Arkansas team needs a makeover. Bobby Petrino is providing one on offense.

No one who follows Arkansas football needs to told – again – how bad the Razorbacks’ offensive line was.

The question is whether Bobby Petrino, Arkansas’ new offensive coordinator, can change it, too.

Petrino has been considered a brilliant offensive play-caller since he burst onto the scene, as it were, with Nevada as the Wolfpack offensive coordinator in 1994. UNR finished second in Division I-A, now called FBS, in total offense. Petrino has since 13 different jobs. Arkansas’ faithful are hoping that rate of change slows down now that he’s back with the Razorbacks.

Much of that will hinge on how good his offenses are, and in 2024 that begins with fixing the offensive line, which gave up 47 sacks last year and allowed Arkansas’ rushing attack to average just 139 yards a game, 87th in FBS.

With four spots on the line having changed starters this spring from last fall, Petrino is getting to work.

“I’m excited about it,” he said. “When you look at the makeup of the team, it’s always is going to start with the offensive line. And I feel like the three guys we got out of the portal and them working with the ones, and the ability they have helps that right away.”

Addison Nichols, Keyshawn Blackstock and Fernando Carmona all entered from the transfer portal and immediately took starting gigs. Like Petrino, they’re new to the team and carry none of the baggage that hurt last year’s team.

Petrino knows new starters are all that’s required, though. He wants to makeover the whole unit. Probably a good idea.

“We’ve got to develop some depth there,” Petrino said. “I think right now we feel like we maybe have eight guys that we feel good about. And we’ve got some young guys that keep getting better, and then take a step back, keep getting better.”