Tag: Arkansas football

All Hogs: ‘Petrino must be licking his chops’ over facing Texas

One Arkansas writer could have misplaced confidence in the Razorbacks exploiting the Longhorns secondary.

The Southwest Conference’s longtime rivalry between the Texas Longhorns and Arkansas Razorbacks resumes in the Southeastern Conference in 2024. One Arkansas writer is confident in the Razorbacks exploiting the Longhorns’ secondary.

All Hogs’ Kent Smith shared the following thoughts on new Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino attacking the Texas secondary he saw in the Orange-White game.

“Despite the vanilla nature of what the starters are being asked to do, (Bobby) Petrino must be licking his chops because there are weaknesses all over the secondary that can be exploited no matter what Texas does to try to cover it up.”

It’s worth noting how mightily Arkansas’ secondary struggled against Boise State transfer Taylen Green, but the Texas defensive backfield is a cause for concern in its own right. The Longhorns have work to do in the transfer portal and in bringing current defensive backs up to par.

In spite of the bravado coming from Smith, Arkansas probably isn’t the team to exploit Texas. Petrino might relish the opportunity to face Texas, but it’s doubtful the Razorbacks have the firepower to get it done.

Much of the misplaced Razorback confidence comes from starting quarterback Taylen Green’s spring game. He has something to prove.

Green completed 57.1% of his passes last season with 1,752 yards and 11 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Perhaps in 2024 he transforms into a good quarterback.

Green will be asked to lift one of the worst offenses in the country into the top half of college football. Last season with a more proven KJ Jefferson at quarterback, Arkansas averaged 326.5 yards per game with a 187.5 yard average through the air.

The first two series of the Orange-White game are probably more indicative of what Texas will look like in the secondary in the upcoming season. Arkansas would be wise not to throw at Longhorns starter Malik Muhammad. Nickel corner Jahdae Barron, Clemson safety transfer Andrew Mukuba and the winner of the other starting spot at safety between Michael Taaffe and Derek Williams can be counted on as dependable starters next season.

It’s uncertain if reserve cornerback Gavin Holmes will be asked to start or if Texas will fill the other starting cornerback role with a portal addition, but whoever it plays should be able to slow down the Arkansas passing attack.

In contrast, the late season matchup will reveal if the Razorback defense can keep up with the Longhorns’ speed at receiver. Judging by the team’s own lack of speed, the Razorbacks might not be getting many stops of their own.

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.

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.”

Var’Keyes Gumms ready to prove his All-American status at Arkansas

If Gumms’ transformation back to his freshman status is real, expect more two tight-end sets for the Hogs.

When Var’Keyes Gumms transferred to Arkansas ahead of the 2023 season, the Razorbacks appeared to have someone on the roster who could allow for the development of the team’s future.

Instead, Luke Hasz exploded onto the scene at tight end for Arkansas and Gumms, a Freshman All-American in 2022, was largley sidelined. Even after Hasz went down about a third of the way through the season, Gumms never really cracked the rotation. The North Texas transfer finished with just three catches for 26 yards in his 11 games.

The year before, Gumms caught 34 balls for 458 yards and five touchdowns en route to becoming one of the top targets the subsequent offseason in the transfer portal. So far this spring, he looks closer to the latter player than the former, even if he has no realistic chance of overtaking Hasz for the starting role.

“I think he’s the guy that we were hoping that we were getting a year ago,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “He’s one of our better protectors when we use our tight end in protection. But what we saw off of tape at North Texas, we’re seeing now here.”

Arkansas has not been shy about going to a two-tight end set in the Pittman era and with the lack of explosion the Hogs have at wideout combined with the difficulties the players up front had in protection, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Hasz and Keyes in such sets more often in 2024.

“Right now, he’s playing at a high rate of speed, and I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence,” Pittman said. “He’s worked extremely hard since the last of the season.”