Players To Watch: Arkansas vs. Western Carolina

In what looks like a mismatch on paper, look for these key players on both teams to make an impact.

NOTE: As always here on Razorbacks Wire, we aren’t simply going to pick the best players to watch on Saturday when Arkansas hosts Western Carolina. That’s too easy. Instead, this is where we try to look inside trends and storylines and give you the best idea of who could make some surprise noise in the game.

As we know throughout the history of Razorback football, even less imposing mid-major schools can never be taken too lightly, especially early in the season. But this matchup on paper looks very one-sided and should be smooth sailing for the revamped, improved Razorbacks.

Western Carolina rolls into War Memorial Stadium on Saturday as heavy underdogs, following a subpar 6-5 season in 2022, under third-year head coach Kerwin Bell, the 1984 SEC Player of the Year at Florida. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) gives Arkansas a 99 percent chance to breeze through their opener.

Also, take into account, that many of Arkansas’ key starters may not play long in this game, which will take away their overall impact.