Tag: Dwight McGlothern

Three LSU players among ESPN’s top transfers in college football this season

LSU’s transfer haul is a major reason Year 1 under Brian Kelly has been such a success so far.

The roster rebuild LSU undertook this offseason under first-year coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] simply wouldn’t have been possible prior to the transfer portal era.

Heading into last year’s Texas Bowl, LSU had just 39 available scholarship players. After a mass exodus of talent to the transfer portal and the draft, things looked like they could be dire in Baton Rouge in 2022.

But Kelly quickly flipped the script, bringing in a talented haul of transfers. Many of those players are currently starting for the 6-2 Tigers, and three of them were named among the top 50 transfers in college football this season by ESPN. Former players [autotag]Trey Palmer[/autotag] and [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag], who transferred to Nebraska and Arkansas, respectively, are also listed.

Here’s where each LSU player stacks up.

Watch: Dwight McGlothern picks off reigning Heisman Trophy winner with one hand

Dwight McGlothern’s interception at the 1 stifles Alabama’s first drive.

Things changed quickly.

Alabama was marching down the field on Arkansas on the first drive of the game. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young had already thrown two passes, both complete, for 46 yards and had the Crimson Tide in the red zone within four plays.

On the fifth play of the series, though, Dwight McGlothern had seen enough.

The Arkansas cornerback, who led the team with two interceptions entering the game, grabbed his third. Young forced the ball into coverage over the middle near the end zone. The ball hit a body, bounced and McGlothern, a transfer from LSU grabbed out of the air with one hand.

Arkansas started its first drive at the 1 and ultimately made it to the 29 before punting, but a crowd that was taken out of the game quickly, re-entered just as fast.

Four Razorbacks earn spot on On3’s Transfer Portal weekly power rankings

Arkansas is getting a great return on its transfer portal investment, as proven on the field each week.

Whenever a College Football program dips into the transfer portal to recruit talent for their roster, it is always seen as a risk.

In the case of Arkansas Football, they have proven every week during the 2022 season that they have invested well.

Through three games, Arkansas has gotten valuable production from six players that were brought into the program from the transfer portal, and four of them have been listed on On3’s Transfer Portal power rankings, which are updated weekly.

Linebacker [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag], as well as defensive linemen [autotag]Jordan Domineck[/autotag] and [autotag]Landon Jackson[/autotag] are all honored by On3 this week for their immediate impact for the Razorback defense.

Each of the above-mentioned players is listed in their respective position’s power rankings, but Drew Sanders leads the pack by being listed in the outlet’s overall power rankings, checking in at No. 5 this week.

Sanders has already eclipsed his numbers from his two seasons at Alabama in just three games. He enters week four with 28 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Here is a rundown of where Arkansas’ key transfer land in this week’s power rankings.

“Who is Jordan Domineck?” Arkansas fans know the unheralded transfer now

Jordan Domineck wasn’t prepared for Arkansas’ intensity when he first arrived. He sure is now.

Drew Sanders. Dwight McGlothern. Latavious Brini. Landon Jackson Jr. Alabama. LSU. Georgia.

Arkansas picked up its fair share of impact players from the transfer portal in the offseason. All four of the aforementioned played in the SEC, at powerhouse schools (LSU wasn’t a powerhouse last year, but you get it). One name slid a bit under the radar, though.

Not anymore.

Jordan Domineck is a big reason the Razorbacks lead the country in sacks. The Georgia Tech transfer has four, second on the team behind Sanders. And he’s doing it from a reserve spot.

Coach Sam Pittman recruited him for a reason, after all. And the coach knew pretty quick, before he had even met him, he was getting a good one.

“His parents to be perfectly honest with you. His mannerisms over the phone,” Pittman said. “You’re phone recruiting. We never had met him before. Talking to his mom and dad, they’re classy people, wonderful people. He’s a guy that just wanted to compete in this league.”

Domineck was shell-shocked, initially, Pittman said, when he arrived in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks run their program quite a bit differently than Georgia Tech. It took a while for Domineck to adjust.

But he was a guy who had more than 70 tackles and 7 1/2 sacks his last two years with the Yellow Jackets. Once he adjusted, things would be fine.

“There wasn’t a problem at Georgia Tech,” Pittman said. “It was about ‘Look, I’ve got an opportunity to go to the SEC. I’d like to see if I’m good enough to play in the SEC.’”

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The answer through three games is a resounding ‘yes.’

Sanders, McGlothern honored on “top transfers” list

Drew Sanders and Dwight McGlothern have been impactful additions to the Arkansas defense.

After another solid showing in a 44-30 win over South Carolina last Saturday, the Arkansas Razorbacks are now a top-10 program, checking in at No. 10 in the latest Associated Press poll.

A strong reason for their early success has been their off-season additions from the transfer portal. In particular, linebacker [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag].

In last week’s game, Sanders recorded a career-high in tackles by making 11 stops, two of those tackles were credited as sacks. For McGlothern, he made four tackles and one interception. The interception was his second in as many games as a Razorback.

Because of their performances, both Sanders and McGlothern were honored by On3 and their week two transfer portal power rankings.

Sanders, who transferred to Arkansas from Alabama, climbed nine spots in the linebacker power rankings from No. 12 last week, to No. 3 after the South Carolina game.

LINEBACKERS

Player, school Former school
1. Henry To’oTo’o, Alabama Tennessee (2020)
2. Dillon Doyle, Baylor Iowa (2019)
3. Drew Sanders, Arkansas Alabama (2021)
4. Eric Gentry, USC Arizona State (2021)
5. Troy Brown, Ole Miss Central Michigan (2021)

LSU transfer Dwight McGlothern makes his debut on the defensive back power rankings this week, checking in at No. 5.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Player, school Former school
1. S Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame Northwestern (2021)
2. S Jammie Robinson, Florida State South Carolina (2020)
3. NB Tanner McCalister, Ohio State Oklahoma State (2021)
4. CB Tyrique Stevenson, Miami Georgia (2020)
5. CB Dwight McGlothern, Arkansas LSU (2021)

Next up for Sanders and McGlothern is a Saturday date with Missouri State. The Razorbacks and Bears kickoff Saturday evening at 6 p.m. CT at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

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Second half analysis: Strong run game lifts Arkansas over South Carolina

The Hogs rush for 300 yards in the 50-30 win over the Gamecocks.

The No. 16 Razorbacks move to 2-0 following a strong showing in the 2nd half, defeating South Carolina 44-30 on Saturday.

Arkansas entered the locker room with a 21-9 lead over the Gamecocks, and played through a rather uneventful 3rd quarter. However, the Razorbacks outscored South Carolina 23-14 in the 4th quarter to earn the win.

Arkansas ended the game with 300 yards of total rushing, led by Raheim Sanders’ career-best 156 yards and two touchdowns.

Here’s a look at how the second half played out.

The Gamecocks struck first in the 2nd half. Arkansas forced South Carolina into a long 3rd-and-17 situation following a strip sack by Drew Sanders followed by a false start penalty. Following the penalty, Spencer Rattler threw to a wide-open Antwane Wells for a 65-yard touchdown pass. The successful extra point closed the Arkansas lead to 21-16 with 8:51 in the 3rd quarter.

Raheim Sanders picked up where he left off in the first half by rushing 46 yards on the first play of Arkansas’ ensuing drive. The rush pushed him over the 100-yard mark for the second week in a row. Unfortunately, the drive ended when KJ Jefferson’s sneak on fourth and short was stuffed.

The first sack of the game for Bumper Pool set up Arkansas’ next scoring drive. Following the Gamecock punt, the Razorbacks methodically marched down the field to open the 4th quarter with a touchdown. On the 14th play of the drive, Jefferson snuck into the end zone from a yard away to extend the lead to 28-16 with 14:55 remaining in the contest. The touchdown ended a 59-yard drive that ate 5:17 off of the clock.

On the next drive, South Carolina quickly coughed the football up. Latavious Brini and Bumper Pool forced Marshawn Lloyd to fumble the football, and Hudson Clark scooped up the football forcing the Gamecocks’ first turnover.

The fumble recovery allowed Arkansas to start their next possession at the South Carolina 41-yard line. The momentum shifted to Arkansas, and they were able to respond quickly. In just five plays, Arkansas extended their lead. Jefferson would toss his first touchdown pass of the game to Warren Thompson. He floated a pass 23-yards to the back of the end zone, where Thompson would jump high to pull down the pass, extending the Arkansas lead to 35-16 with 12:03 remaining.

Arkansas’ defense stood strong for the second drive in a row following the Razorback touchdown. South Carolina marched to the Arkansas 17-yard line before having their drive cut short when Rattler threw his third interception of the season to [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag] in the end zone. For the LSU transfer, he has recorded an interception in two straight games.

The Razorbacks can’t make anything happen following the interception and is forced to punt. The Gamecocks redeem themselves on their next drive by scoring on a three-play drive. Juju McDowell’s one-yard rush and a successful two-point conversion trimmed the score to 35-24 with 6:25 in the game.

Arkansas caught luck on their next possession. After Bumper Pool returned South Carolina’s onside kick attempt to the Gamecock 8-yard line, Jefferson rushed toward the pylon on the left side of the end zone, where he attempted to extend the football into the end zone. However, he fumbled the football out of bounds. The play was reviewed as the ball appeared to cross the goal line and exit out of bounds, which would have resulted in a touchback for South Carolina.

Following the video review, it was determined that Jefferson stepped out of bounds before fumbling the football. On the next play, AJ Green scored on a one-yard carry to extend Arkansas’ lead to 42-24 with 6:00 to go in the football game.

South Carolina has refused to go away, as they quickly scored on their next possession. Jaheim Bell scored from one-yard out to cut Arkansas’ lead to 42-30 with 3:21 remaining in the game. The score was set up by a 38-yard pass from Rattler to Austin Stogner that placed the Gamecocks at the Arkansas one-yard line.

Arkansas used their next drive to chew some clock and would punt away. The Gamecocks began their next drive at their own 10-yard line and would pad Arkansas’ lead on the first play. In a shotgun set, Spencer Rattler elected to throw the ball away to avoid being sacked in the end zone. However, the officiating crew called Rattler for intentional grounding. Because the foul was called in the end zone, it was deemed a safety. The extra two points moved Arkansas to a 44-30 lead inside two minutes to go.

The final drive of the game for South Carolina ended in grueling fashion. Rattler was sacked on the final two plays of the game, with the final snap resulting in a fumble recovery for Arkansas.

Arkansas moves to 2-0, while South Carolina drops to 1-1. Next up for Arkansas is a home date with Missouri State next Saturday at 6 p.m. CT.

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How LSU transfers fared at their new schools in Week 1

From Arik Gilbert to Eli Ricks, here’s how former Tigers fared in Week 1.

LSU was busy in the transfer portal this offseason.

Much of that was because it lost quite a few guys, too. Throughout the coaching transition, there was a steady trickle of players leaving. That’s just how it goes when a new coach takes over.

Some of the losses hurt more than others, like [autotag]Eli Ricks[/autotag] and [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag]. There were some hits that LSU should have no trouble absorbing, like the loss of [autotag]Trey Palmer[/autotag], who left a crowded wide receiver room.

Not all of these transfers are from this cycle. There are guys like [autotag]Chris Curry[/autotag], now with Utah, who saw a steady dose of action on Saturday. Let’s take a look at how some former LSU players fared in their new uniforms.

Transfers shine in Arkansas debut

Many of Arkansas’ additions via the transfer portal debuted in a big way in the 31-24 win over Cincinnati.

Arkansas Football had many returning assets to their roster entering the 2022 season. But were able to reel in valuable pieces from the transfer portal to fill needs.

Those transfers got their first chance to shine in an Arkansas uniform on Saturday, and did not disappoint.

Players such as [autotag]Matt Landers[/autotag], [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag], [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Latavious Brini[/autotag], and [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag] all played key roles for the Razorbacks in their 31-24 victory over No. 22 Cincinnati on Saturday. Head coach Sam Pittman says that he is pleased with the way that they all performed, and gave his coaching staff credit for getting them prepared to play.

“Matt Landers I thought showed them he’s a hard guy to cover. The game didn’t necessarily go where we continue with him,” Pittman said following Saturday’s win. “Haselwood as a transfer doing some nice things made a really nice catch on the touchdown. Those guys on offense I thought they did a good job. Brini came in and played at least half the game when Catalon got hurt.”

Each transfer contributed to the win in their own way, but the player that made the most noise in the group was Dwight McGlothern. The transfer from LSU halted an 11-play Cincinnati drive in the 1st quarter by intercepting a pass by Bearcat quarterback Ben Bryant. The interception set up a three-play drive by Arkansas that ended with a K.J. Jefferson touchdown rush to put Arkansas ahead, 7-0.

“Huge play because I think on that drive, I think it was third and it might have been eight-plus on every one of them and they converted them,” Pittman said. (McGlothern) picked it off and got us headed in the right direction. That was big because they were converting third downs on us. Got a lot of work to do but that was a big play.”

Other highlights involving transfer included Landers and Haselwood combining to make six catches for 85 yards, and Sanders recorded a sack.

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No letdown here: Arkansas beats Cincinnati to open 2022 season

Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson was responsible for all four Hogs touchdowns in the win.

KJ Jefferson is that man.

The Arkansas quarterback was responsible for all four Razorbacks touchdowns in the Hogs’ 31-24 win over Cincinnati in the season opener on Saturday.

Jefferson threw for 223 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another 62 yards and a score. His seemingly innocuous scamper for six yards with 2:22 left gave Arkansas a first down at the Cincinnati 46 and all but sealed the victory.

The Razorbacks’ transfer portal pick-ups had excellent days. Drew Sanders had the first Arkansas sack of the season. Dwight McGlothern had a 51-yard interception return. Terry Hampton had a tackle-for-loss. Landon Jackson had a 1/2 sack and five tackles. And wide receiver Jadon Haselwood caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Rocket Sanders picked up his second career 100-yard game, running 20 times for 117 yards. Trey Knox caught two of Jefferson’s touchdowns and finished with six grabs for 75 yards.

Arkansas’ defense tossed a first-half shutout, but struggled a bit in the second half after losing nickel Myles Slusher and safety Jalen Catalon with undisclosed injuries. Cincinnati quarterback Ben Bryant threw for 325 yards with two touchdowns and the interception.

Arkansas hosts South Carolina on September 10 to open SEC play.

Arkansas vs. Cincinnati: Live 2nd half updates

The first half of No. 23 Arkansas’ season-opener with No. 22 Cincinnati was a hard-hitting affair. After multiple injuries and helmets lost, the Razorbacks rise from the dust with a 14-0 lead. K.J. Jefferson put the Hogs on the board in the 1st …

The first half of No. 23 Arkansas’ season-opener with No. 22 Cincinnati was a hard-hitting affair.

After multiple injuries and helmets lost, the Razorbacks rise from the dust with a 14-0 lead. [autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] put the Hogs on the board in the 1st quarter with a 15-yard touchdown rush with 6:18 remaining. The touchdown was set up by an interception by LSU transfer [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag] that ended an 11-play drive by Cincinnati on their first possession.

The Razorbacks and Bearcats each swapped a few possessions before Arkansas would strike again. In the latter stages of the 2nd quarter, Jefferson again would get to see the endzone. This time, it came on a “Tim Tebow-style” jump pass to tight end [autotag]Trey Knox[/autotag]. The five-yard pass extended Arkansas’ lead to 14-0 with 0:17 remaining in the half.

Jefferson completed 9-of-15 passes for 78 yards in the first half while rushing for 54 yards on seven carries. Raheim Sanders led in rushing with 82 yards on 10 carries, while Matt Landers has caught two passes for 37 yards.

Here are your live updates for the 2nd half of the Cincinnati game.