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Report: These super seniors are expected to return to Arkansas football in 2024

According to reports, Arkansas football is expected to return these nine super seniors for 2024. Here’s a closer look at each of them.

Arkansas football is expected to return nine super seniors for the 2024 season. Best of Arkansas Sports’ Andrew Hutchinson first broke the news on Thursday Morning.

Of those nine, four are on the offensive side of the ball and five are on the defensive side. For the Razorback offense, wide receivers [autotag]Andrew Armstrong[/autotag], [autotag]Isaac TeSlaa[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyrone Broden[/autotag] are set to return. Offensive lineman [autotag]Ty’Kieast Crawford[/autotag] is also returning to the Hogs.

On the defensive side of the ball, defensive backs [autotag]Hudson Clark[/autotag] and [autotag]Kee’yon Stewart [/autotag]are set to return, as are defensive linemen [autotag]Eric Gregory[/autotag], [autotag]Keivie Rose[/autotag], and [autotag]Jashaud Stewart[/autotag]. It’s worth noting that Stewart is still indefinitely suspended from the program following an arrest in December. Because of this, his status is still technically undecided despite the expectation being that Stewart will return.

There are currently only three super seniors who haven’t announced a decision, but will not be returning to the Hogs in 2024. Offensive lineman Brady Latham has NFL Draft aspirations, while tight end Francis Sherman and defensive tackle Marcus Miller are moving on after each spent one season at Arkansas.

According to Hutchinson, the Razorbacks are at 83 scholarship players for 2024. The roster limit is 85, so there should be more movement as we get closer to spring practices.

For now, let’s take a closer look at the nine super seniors expected to return next season.

Arkansas Depth Chart – Defensive Tackle

Now running a four-man front along the defensive line, Arkansas will rely on some key returners and added transfers to secure the tackle positions.

Depth has been the biggest issue at defensive tackle for the Razorbacks in recent years. New defensive coordinator Travis Williams has implemented a 4-2-5 base defense, differing from former DC Barry Odom’s three-man fronts the past three seasons. But with some experienced players returning and additional help from the transfer portal, Williams is confident Arkansas has what it takes.

“I think we have enough depth,” he said. “It’s just like anybody else: You don’t want to get guys hurt, but you have to get guys ready. That’s why we two-spot, so there’s always guys getting reps. We have enough depth to get the job done.”

A huge boost is the return of 6-foot-3, 303-pound senior Taurean Carter, who was injured in the 2022 spring game and missed the entire season with a knee injury. The Hogs lost a pair of starters in Isaiah Nichols, who transferred to Purdue, and Terry Hampton, who was a senior. But they also gained two experienced transfers, in Maryland’s Anthony Booker Jr., and Louisiana Tech’s Kelvie Rose.

No, really: Arkansas’ defensive line is deep and talented

The Razorbacks may roll 10 deep, all with skill and experience, up front. That’s scary for SEC opponents.

Combing through the names on the Arkansas depth chart on the defensive line may feel a little bit like one of the opening scenes in the movie Major League.

Not an established star on the roster.

But like those Cleveland Indians, now Guardians, expect the the Hogs’ front four – on this case, maybe 10, by the time things are said and done – to be one of the better units in the SEC. They still may not have a superstar when that happens, but the depth is showing itself, for sure, in fall camp.

“We have finessers, we have powerful rushers, and we have speed rushers, so it’s just kind of a mixture of everything that we can play into,” defensive tackle Taurean Carter said. “So, you can’t just study for one thing, you’ve got to study for all of it, and you’ve got to expect who to study it for. With us rotating and flipping sides, it’s a chess game, not checkers.”

Carter didn’t play last year because of injury, though two seasons ago he was establishing himself as a staple and a majority snap-taker at his spot in the middle. Now, he has plenty of bodies to help. And not the kind who are just taking up a spot, either.

Maryland transfer Tank Booker, Louisiana Tech transfer Keivie Rose and returners Cam Ball and Eric Gregory give Arkansas five players with loads of experience and established results.

And that’s just at tackle. On the ends, Pittsburgh transfer John Morgan and LSU transfer Trajan Jeffcoat join returners Landon Jackson and Zach Williams. All four have been starters at the FBS level and will likely make up the two-deep when the Hogs open their season against Western Carolina the first weekend of September.

“The last time I’ve been a part of a three-deep defensive line was the year we went to the Outback Bowl when we went 9-4,” Carter said. “It was Ridgeway, Nichols and me. Of course, we had the end depth. But this depth is way different. It’s just a way different type of vibe.”

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Arkansas Football Offseason Depth Chart – Defensive tackle

Arkansas hasn’t had a beastly front line in years. That may change in 2023.

Arkansas hasn’t had a consistently above-average-in-the-SEC defensive line in several years. That may change in 2023.

With two transfers in to bolster three primary returners at defensive tackle, the Razorbacks have legitimate depth. Anthony Booker and Keivie Rose weren’t just basics at Maryland and Louisiana Tech, they were real players.

Cam Ball was Arkansas’ best on the inside last year and could take a step toward top-tier status this year. Eric Gregory has been as consistent as any linemen on the roster the last three years. Taurean Carter was on his way to becoming a star before injury.

Those five players will form the core of the interior of the defense for Arkansas. If the Razorbacks are good against when the season starts, you can be certain it’s coming from the defensive line.

Let’s take a look at the projected depth chart heading into the fall.

Arkansas loses expected starter on defensive line to ankle injury

Cam Ball is expected to be Arkansas’ No. 1 defensive tackle next season. He’ll miss most of the next few weeks.

The Arkansas defense was one of the worst in the country last year. So any further personnel losses would hurt the Hogs.

Bummer.

Defensive tackle Cam Ball will miss most of the rest of spring practice because of ankle injury, coach Sam Pittman said Wednesday. He was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and was seen in a walking boot during Arkansas’ Pro Day.

Ball had 31 tackles last year, third most among all Razorbacks’ defensive lineman, despite not being a starter. Since the team’s Liberty Bowl win against Kansas, however, Ball has found himself locked in with the first-teamers.

The good news for the Razorbacks is that his ankle was merely sprained. The bad news is that high ankle sprains tend to linger.

Arkansas ranked 124th out of 131 FBS teams last year in total defense. Taurean Carter and Eric Gregory are likely to get the lion’s share of the reps on the inside when Arkansas uses a four-lineman set for the rest of the spring.

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Arkansas defensive lineman Eric Gregory could hold the key to Hogs’ front

Arkansas defensive lineman Eric Gregory isn’t just versatile, but talented and perhaps maybe both the best end and tackle both on the team.

Eric Gregory is a ‘tweener.

Twenty years ago that would have meant he was a defensive end and outside linebacker hybrid, an edge rusher who could play with his hand on the ground or standing up on the outside.

But in Arkansas’ defense in 2021 and likely again in 2022, Gregory is a ‘tweener of another sort: he’s a defensive tackle and defensive end and equally adept at either spot.

“We’re moving him around a good bit,” said defensive line coach Deke Adams. “The more versatile you are, the better you are as a group. And as a person, your value (increases) to the team.”

Gregory showed his worth to the squad last year as a sophomore, so it isn’t a question about what he brings to the table. He had 27 tackles, including one for loss, and three quarterback hurries splitting his time behind John Ridgeway on the inside and Tre Williams on the outside.

Right now, it’s been enough to get him reps as a first-teamer on both the three-man and four-man defensive fronts Arkansas has run this fall. Joining him at the other end most often has been Zach Williams, Arkansas’ leading returner sack artist.

The two together could provide the Razorbacks with their best pass rush in years.

“He can be on the edge, he can be inside,” Williams said. “He knows the plays. He can be put anywhere on the line, and that’s really good to see.”

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Hogs Depth Chart: Adding pressure to the Quarterback Focus for DL

First Year defensive line coach, Deke Adams, will look to take a deep defensive line group to sack land.

The Hogs finished second to last in the SEC in sacks, ahead of only Vanderbilt with 25. It’s an interesting contrast to the offensive line that may have been the best in the SEC a year ago.

The last time the Razorbacks finished in the top half of the conference in sacks since 2011 when they finished 5th in the conference with 29 sacks.

This year’s unit loses three starters from a year ago, DT John Ridgeway, hybrid DT/DE Markell Utsey, and defensive end Tre Williams.

Redshirt sophomore Taurean Carter was expected to be a starter at defensive tackle but suffered a knee injury during spring camp. Carter played in all 13 games this year and eight in his first year.

The Razorbacks are expected to run a four-man group on the defensive line, which means two DTs and two DEs. So the amount of players needed for depth is there, but who will step up?

Turnovers a focus for Arkansas defense this fall

Arkansas’ defense was tied for 117th out of 120 teams in FBS last year in fumbles recovered.

A big reason Arkansas went 9-4 last year, the team’s best record in a decade, was its ability to hold on to the ball.

Now the Razorbacks defense is focusing on making their turnover margin even higher.

In 2021, Arkansas’ offense gave the ball away just 11 times. The Hogs, on the other side of the ball, had more interceptions alone than that with 13. But when it comes to fumbles, Arkansas was a bit lacking. The Razorbacks recovered just three fumbles last year, tied for 117th in the country.

During Saturday’s second practice of fall camp, WholeHogSports reported defensive line coach Deke Adams was stressing strips to his unit.

“We’re not settling for sacks. We want the ball out. Do the little things,” Adams said, per reporter Scottie Bordelon.

Adams has a number of bodies on his front line with experience, but defensive line is a group where head coach Sam Pittman said the Hogs are seeking more stability and consistency.

Saturday’s first unit consisted of Isaiah Nichols and Eric Gregory on the inside and Zach Williams and Jashaud Stewart at end.

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Arkansas D-line on the rise: these players will make a difference in 2022

Arkansas defensive line lost a lot from 2021, but these players should step into the fold nicely.

Sacks haven’t been a significant statistic for Arkansas football in a long time.

The Razorbacks have shown they can win without having a dynamic pass rush as a unit, even if they have had individual players who can rack up the numbers. McTelvin Agim, Armon Watts and Jeremiah Ledbetter were all those kind of players even during the down years of Arkansas football.

Heading into the 2022 season, though, there is reason to think the entire front seven (or six, as the Hogs more often play) can beat some of the team totals of recent years. Arkansas hasn’t finished higher than eighth in the SEC in sacks since 2013.

“The difference I see in our line is the explosion off the ball and that we are moving the line of scrimmage backward a lot of the time in our pass rush games,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “We’re attacking the tackles more on the edge and making them move their feet. I think Deke has done a really good job and the kids have gotten close to his teaching and things he’s done.”

The Deke that Pittman mentioned is first-year defensive line coach Deke Adams, whose new approach suggests that Arkansas’ new-look front could turn heads.

The Hogs lost three starters up front in defensive tackle John Ridgeway, tackle/end Markell Utsey and end Tre Williams. These are the players Arkansas will rely on to replace them in the fall.DE

Next Hogs Up: Projecting Arkansas’ depth chart in 2022 – defensive line

Arkansas football has not been where it stands now in a decade. Freshmen who will join the team the next time the Razorbacks play a regular-season game would have been in kindergarten, or younger, the last time Arkansas was a national power. The …

The Hogs, regardless of the outcome in the Outback Bowl on January 1, have had a season that exceeded even the homers’ expectations. How much it continues into 2022 depends on a number of factors, including potential player and coach exits in the offseason.

For now, we don’t want to focus on such matters. Instead, let’s consider the players who are assured to be back, barring catastrophe.

In this series, Next Hogs Up, we take a shot at projecting Arkansas’ depth chart, position by position for the 2022 season. Take note, however, as certain positions will be kept broad, as opposed to specific. And we’re skipping quarterback because it’s KJ Jefferson No. 1 and Malik Hornsby No. 2 and there is no doubt about it.

We started with running backs, followed with wide receivers and tight ends and most recently looked at the offensive line. Now, we go opposite with the defensive line.

Note: This doesn’t include defensive tackle John Ridgeway, who has a year of eligibility remaining, but has not decided whether or not to use it.

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