Tag: Rocket Sanders

Arkansas football freshman power rankings: No surprise at No. 1

Arkansas hasn’t played many freshmen in 2021, but these five have had an impact.

Freshmen in the SEC often find college football tough sledding. Rare is the time a first-year player provides a massive spark to his program. Rare, but not unheard of.

Arkansas has a number of first-year players who have affected the season in a positive way.

Coach Sam Pittman and his position coaches haven’t played many of their freshmen. Arkansas is, after all, a team still building depth and with several super-seniors choosing to return after the 2020 was largely a wash, the Razorbacks a bit more upperclassmen depth than they would have in a normal year.

Still, a few of the young bucks have affected the season in a positive way. Here is a midseason-ish look at the five who have done the most.

Arkansas-Auburn: 3 Predictions, 1 Crazy

Arkansas and Auburn are set to go on homecoming in Week 7. Here are our writers’ three predictions.

This is the biggest game of Arkansas’ season, folks.

The No. 19 Hogs have proven they’re a good football team. The only question is how good?

They’re not Georgia, certainly. They’re as good as Ole Miss, we think. But what about at home? What about off a two-game losing streak? Can the Razorbacks avoid a 4-0 start turning to 4-3?

It’s homecoming inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium and our crew of editor E. Wayne and contributors John Nabors and Derek Oxford are here to give you their predictions about Arkansas-Auburn in the weekly installment of “3 Predictions, 1 Crazy.”

\Every Saturday morning on Hogs football gamedays, you will find Wayne, Nabors and Oxford giving three picks on events that will take place in that day’s game. One of those picks has to be a little bit off the wall, something that could happen, but it’d be wild if it did.

Picking Arkansas to complete a pass to Treylon Burks, for example, is a bad prediction for these purposes. Picking Burks to have eight catches and 100 yards, that’s better. Also picking, say, a penalty for targeting, another nice one. It’s unlikely, but has potential.

Want to join? You’re probably better at it than we are. Make your picks in the comments section on the Razorbacks Wire at your favorite social media site.

Without further ado, welcome to 3 Predictions, 1 Crazy, Arkansas-Ole Miss.

This Will Happen

Oxford: Arkansas 35, Auburn 24

Nabors: Arkansas 38, Auburn 23

Wayne: Arkansas 27, Auburn 21

Nearly a consensus for the first time this season. The only difference is Oxford and Nabors have Arkansas with a more impressive offensive day than Wayne.

None of our three staffers think Auburn’s offense has enough juice to get four touchdowns, but a banged-up Hogs defense still won’t have easy time, exactly.

This Might Happen

Oxford: Rocket Sanders runs for 160-plus

Nabors: Rocket Sanders gets 150 total yards

Wayne: Arkansas wins the game in the fourth quarter

We promise, Oxford and Nabors didn’t consult before this. They’re both going with Arkansas’ superb freshman running back. Oxford’s is…wild. Seems to go in the crazy section, but hey.

Wayne says this will be a relatively close game. Maybe. Maybe not. Sure would make some drama, though.

This Is Crazy

Oxford: Bo Nix leaves for injury or benching

Nabors: Trey Knox catches a touchdown for second straight week

Wayne: Hogs get six tackles for-loss

Knox has re-established himself after last year’s disastrous season at wide receiver. Coach Sam Pittman moved him to tight end a few weeks back and even though Knox isn’t much of a blocker there yet, he showed last week he remembers how to get open.

Nix, the Auburn quarterback is the definition of up-and-down. Oxford says down this week.

And even though the Arkansas defense is lacking in bodies, they enter with something to prove. They will.

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KJ Jefferson’s six touchdowns make him Player of the Game versus Ole Miss

Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson staked his claim as one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC against Ole Miss.

The pain will linger after this one.

No. 16 Arkansas fell to No. 17 Ole Miss on Saturday, 52-51, after an attempted 2-point conversion failed with no time left.

Arkansas picked up its most yards of total offense in more than decade, but the Rebels made the singular stop when it mattered most to get the victory.

The loss is Arkansas’ second in a row. The Hogs host Top-25 Auburn in Week 7 in Fayetteville.

It was a day to remember for the Hogs offense, though. And these are the Razorbacks Wire Players of the Game.

WATCH: KJ Jefferson finds Trey Knox to pull Arkansas close to Ole Miss

KJ Jefferson finds Trey Knox in the end zone as Arkansas pulls closer to Ole Miss.

After giving up a field goal on the first possession of the second half, the Razorbacks responded to Ole Miss with a touchdown.

Quarterback KJ Jefferson round tight end/wide receiver Trey Knox on play-action from three yards. Cam Little’s ensuing extra-point made it 24-21 Rebels with 7:30 left in the third quarter.

Freshman running back Rocket Sanders was the best player on the drive. He ran three times for 53 yards, including 42-yarder to move the Razorbacks from their own 35 to the Ole Miss 23.

Quarterback KJ Jefferson completed all three of his passes on the drive, one for a loss of one on a wide receiver screen to Tyson Morris then one on the sideline to Treylon Burks for six yards.

The touchdown is Knox’s first since he caught three in 2019. The catch was his first of the season. He changed from wideout to tight end in Week 4.

 

Rocket Sanders a unanimous Player of the Game choice vs Georgia

Arkansas freshman running back Rocket Sanders is a unanimous selection for Razorbacks Wire staff for Player of the Game.

Well, it happens.

Arkansas’ hot start to the 2021 season is officially over. The 11th-ranked Razorbacks saw what elite college football was all about on Saturday when No. 2 Georgia had an easy go of the Hogs, 37-0.

From the word go, the Bulldogs were the better team, scoring on their first two drives, blocking a punt for a score and basically making Arkansas look like a Chad Morris team.

That doesn’t mean there weren’t some bright spots Saturday.

…

Maybe.

We did our best to find them in our Players of the Game. Read editor E. Wayne’s and contributors John Nabors’ and Derek Oxford’s reasons for their selections as such below. And be sure to stay with Razorbacks Wire all season long for the best Arkansas coverage.

Arkansas getting valuable contributions from freshmen

Even though Arkansas is a senior-laden team, a number of true freshmen have already found a way to make an impact in 2021.

The signing class of 2021 has only been on campus for a few months, but a number of players from it are already paying huge dividends for Arkansas three games into the season.

True freshman AJ Green has been explosive at running back, which was expected based on his speed and his high school accolades out of Tulsa Union.

Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders is the same way. He has already found the end zone against Texas and is slated to return kicks, although he’s only returned one thus far.

Ketron Jackson has suited up in all three games and caught one pass for 16 yards, although he did get a touchdown wiped out because of a penalty against Georgia Southern.

Probably the highest-impact freshman to this point has been kicker Cameron Little. He is 6 for 6 on field goals and connected on all 15 extra points he has attempted.

There are a number of players who have yet to play yet, including heralded in-state guys like Erin Outley and Landon Rogers.

Defensive backs Chase Lowery and Keuan Parker along with Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan have also yet to find their way onto the field in a game.

That could change now that Southeastern Conference play is set to begin. It will be an all hands-on-deck approach, and the Razorbacks don’t get a bye week until October 30.

Depth will be critical, especially if injuries occur. Offensive linemen Terry Wells, Cole Carson and Devon Manuel may be asked to contribute.