Tag: Jaheim Thomas

Arkansas at No. 11 Alabama: Players To Watch on Saturday

Arkansas is a 19.5-point underdog this weekend, as the Razorbacks try to stop a four-game losing streak,

Boy, when you are trying to snap a four-game losing streak, a trip to Tuscaloosa to face No. 11 Alabama is not what the doctor ordered.

But that is the task at hand for the Arkansas football team this week. In three of the last four losses, the Razorbacks have either been tied or led at some point in the fourth quarter. Now, it’s a matter of figuring out how to finish games, with less mistakes and less penalties.

Arkansas will again try to establish a balanced offensive attack against the Crimson Tide, with senior quarterback KJ Jefferson at the controls, and junior running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders trying to get on track for the first time this season.

Due to a knee injury, Sanders has only carried the ball 34 times this season, for 91 yards, or just 2.7 yards per carry. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry last season.

Alabama will counter with another stellar defense, led by freshman defensive back Caleb Downs. Nick Saban also hopes to see sophomore quarterback Jalen Milroe continue to progress for the Tide offense.

Here are 12 Players to Watch in Saturday’s game:

Arkansas at No. 13 LSU: Players to watch on Saturday

Arkansas will try to bounce back from a heart-breaking loss to BYU, while LSU tries to keep rolling for its third straight victory.

Arkansas (2-1) will go into Saturday’s SEC conference opener against LSU in Death Valley as enormous underdogs, having just gotten beat at home by BYU.

But quarterback KJ Jefferson and crew will try to rebound on the road and get the train headed back in the right direction.

No. 13 LSU (2-1) has rebounded impressively with two breezy wins, after a season-opening loss to No. 3 Florida State. The Tigers walloped host Mississippi State 41-14 last Saturday, in their conference opener.

The game will also feature players on both teams, who used to play at the other school. Junior Landon Jackson and Dwight McGlothern jumped ship from LSU to Arkansas prior to last season. Senior Greg Brooks Jr. left the Razorbacks to join the Tigers last season, but Head Coach Brian Kelley has announced that Brooks will not be available for the Arkansas game.

Here are 12 players to watch in Saturday’s showdown:

 

Arkansas preseason depth chart – Linebackers

Linebacker should be a strength for Arkansas this year. The Hogs have to get healthy there first, though.

The Arkansas linebacker spot should be a good spot for the Razorbacks in 2023.

But heading into the team’s opener on Saturday against FCS Western Carolina, the unit looks perhaps least like it was expected among all the positional groups. One projected starter is all but out and the other is iffy, though coach Sam Pittman has been somewhat vague on the latter’s status.

When Chris Paul Jr., Antonio Grier, Jordan Crook and Jaheim Thomas are all healthy, Arkansas can roll a combination of near-stars, established talent and future all-league players among its first four.

Grier and Paul could be iffy for the opener, but that may be a blessing in disguise. Thomas and Crook have experience and will get plenty of reps, but the players behind them have almost no idea what it’s like to play college football. A game against the Catamounts will help make that a thing of the past.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how the Arkansas linebackers stack up, or rather, how we expect them to stack up by the end of the season.

Two transfer targets pay visit to Auburn over the weekend

Auburn welcomed two transfer players from their wishlist to campus in hopes to sway them to join the roster.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is working to fill key needs during the second transfer portal window and is on the right track by welcoming two players from his wishlist to campus.

Over the weekend, Cincinnati’s [autotag]Jaheim Thomas[/autotag] and Tulsa’s [autotag]Jaden Muskrat[/autotag] each paid a visit to the Plains.

Muskrat was one of the first players to receive an Auburn offer once the second transfer portal window opened. According to Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover, Muskrat was on campus Saturday and was even spotted at Auburn’s baseball game against Mississippi State at Plainsman Park. Over the last three seasons, Muskrat has played on new offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag]’s offensive line. Last season, he played right tackle for the Golden Hurricane, opposite transfer [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag]. According to Pro Football Focus, Muskrat allowed just three sacks in 848 snaps in 2022.

On Sunday, Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover reported that Cincinnati linebacker Jaheim Thomas was also on campus Sunday for an official visit. Thomas made 70 stops for the Bearcats last season and recorded nine quarterback hurries according to Pro Football Focus. Thomas is seen as a potential candidate for Auburn’s new Jack linebacker position.

Auburn will continue to search for new additions to its roster over the next week, as the transfer portal window is set to close on Sunday.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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Cincinnati linebacker enters transfer portal

Linebacker Jaheim Thomas entered the transfer portal Sunday after three seasons at Cincinnati.

Linebacker Jaheim Thomas entered the transfer portal Sunday after three seasons at Cincinnati. The former four-star class of 2020 recruit was offered by the Badgers before choosing the Bearcats.

Thomas increased his production in each of his three seasons with Cincinnati, using his 6-foot-4, 245 pound frame to record 70 tackles in 2022. Making things more intriguing is the fact that his head coach Luke Fickell and his defensive coordinator Mike Tressel have now taken over in Madison.

Combining the facts that Wisconsin was interested in 2020 and the coaching situation, the Badgers seem like they’d have an inside track to getting Thomas’s commitment if interested.

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