By: Jamie Varnell
Photos: Varnell Media & Crant Osborne
Armed with my camera on the home sideline at the 20 yard line, I was getting some close up shots of the receiver corps as they spread to the right side. The tight end comes in motion to the outside slot position in a three wide set, and as he trots out, I hear the fella to my right say, “There it is. Tight end slant across the middle.” I didn’t look up. I had seen this too many times already. “Nope, it’s gonna be a bubble screen right in front of us.” Sure enough, the play is a bubble, it gets blown up for a three yard loss. As I look up, I realize I was correcting Razorback royalty. Darren McFadden looked over at me with this dumbfounded look. (And I probably looked at him the same. Had I known who I was talking to, I likely would not have said anything to override his observation.) I just shrugged. “I know. I am an idiot reporter and I am pretty sure that if I know the play, SEC defensive coordinators know the play.” He slapped my shoulder and laughed, affirming my evaluation of a team running on empty in the football IQ department. It just didn’t make sense. DMac had played on championship caliber teams that made a living off of similar plays, many times an option route. If that linebacker follows to the sideline, the middle of the field is open, and if he stays you have numbers on the outside. The problem, Arkansas just didn’t have the talent or the IQ to compete. My, how things have changed.
Entering the fall campaign, Arkansas will return two Heisman Trophy candidates in the backfield. KJ Jefferson, from all accounts, is blossoming under new offensive coordinator Dan Enos. Depth at the position, with in-state Jacolby Criswell returning via the portal, brings the security of a proven leader behind Jefferson. Rocket Sanders is back, healthy, and ready to lead a very deep Razorback backfield. He will be joined by a healthy Dominique Johnson, AJ Green, Rashod Dubinion, and a host of speedy freshmen. This team, offensively, is as deep as any team in recent memory. There are questions to be answered at tight end and wide receiver, but the Hogs have been developing this crew for some time, and Isaiah Satenga may be the fastest person on the field in most games and Isaac Teslaa was one of the prized acquisitions from the portal a year ago. Arkansas enters with eight tight ends on the roster and the best recruiting class in the nation at that position. The offensive line is going to have new faces in the starting lineup, but many have quality snaps against SEC opponents from previous seasons. Sam Pittman also elected to award a scholarship to walk-on Josh Street, who has worked his way onto the two deep.
The first change Pittman made following last season was in the strength and conditioning department. The head hog was tired of getting pushed around, so he called on Ben Sowder, whom he had worked with at Georgia. One look at this roster in the fall, and the results are obvious. While the previous coaches had made significant strides from whatever the failed ideals of Chad Morris were, they were just not getting the bulk of the players ready for a grueling SEC schedule. For example, look no further than defensive lineman Landon Jackson. (No, really. At 6’7” 281 lbs., you may not be able to look around him.) He has added significant bulk and is reportedly faster than a year ago. At SEC media days, there was no need to press his suit. There wasn’t room for wrinkles, and reporters were quick to notice the change.
The defensive side of the ball now has depth, something that has plagued this team the whole time under Pittman. The defensive line has enough depth that we should see a lot more of the four man front, something that taxed an already depleted secondary for two seasons. Chris Paul Jr. is back roaming the middle of the field at linebacker, and in the secondary— well, they have added a lot of talent that should play right away. They were among the worst in the FBS all season a year ago. Arkansas will have new coordinators on the defensive side of the ball, with both Travis Williams and Marcus Woodson filling the role. It is expected to be a whole new look and scheme with much more aggression. Arkansas must put pressure on opposing quarterbacks to make a resurgence on the defensive side of the ball.
Special teams, meanwhile, are finally special. It was not long ago, following another close loss to Texas A&M, that I literally titled an article “Nothing Special” when the kicking units just could not help the team. Sure, last season looks a lot different if Cam Little’s kick doesn’t hit the tip of the upright with seconds to go. It was a back breaker. But do not forget, the most unthinkable play of the season actually lost that game when KJ Jefferson inexplicably dove and extended the ball from too far out and fumbled into the waiting Aggie defense that took the ball 99 yards for a score. Remember that whole thing we started with? Talent and IQ? Well, KJ showed improved ball skills to finish the season, and Cam Little went on to a spectacular season, nailing kick after kick. In fall camp, there are daily reports of made field goals of over 50 yards, and some over 60 yards. That makes him a weapon, so much so that there are even rumors that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is eyeing Little for next season. Arkansas also returns punter Max Fletcher, the Aussie style kicker that progressed all season a year ago.
Sam Pittman made the most of the offseason, making sweeping changes and addressing the biggest needs. The Hogs head into a very tough schedule with new coordinators all around, but that is what many fans wanted. The defense struggled with physical play and depth, which often showed itself in the 3 man fronts and lack of pressure. That has been addressed, and they already look the part heading into opening week. Dan Enos has shown Arkansas fans what he can do with quarterbacks, many of which did not have the physical stature or the deep ball that KJ Jefferson has. It will be an adjustment being under center more often, but quite frankly, being in the shotgun in short yardage never made much sense. Enos should bring stability and methodology to the offense, without all the trick plays Briles liked to showcase, often at inconvenient times. Arkansas lost some good coordinators, but Pittman obviously felt they had maxed out their time here and has positioned a new staff to take the team further. The difference between a great season, a good season, or a disappointment rests on a razor thin margin.
While the season opens favorably, with projected wins at home against Western Carolina, Kent State, and BYU, it will ramp up quickly and will not relent through a brutal stretch in SEC play. September 23, Arkansas will begin a stretch of games that will determine their place in the SEC West. They travel to Baton Rouge for a matchup with preseason 5th ranked LSU Tigers. Razorback fans already know what is going to happen here. This will get optioned to a night game to only enhance the home field advantage. When these two squads met a season ago, it was a 13-10 slugfest that Arkansas had every opportunity to win, albeit without KJ Jefferson. September 30th is the Southwest Classic in Arlington at AT&T Stadium. The matchup with No. 23 Texas A&M is generally a close one, with the game a year ago determined by the last second field goal that bounced wide off the top of the upright. The kick easily had 15 more yards of distance than it needed, but was just pushed a bit wide. The big story will no doubt be the presence of former Razorback head coach Bobby Petrino on the Aggie sideline. October 7th will see the Hogs travel to Oxford to take on No. 22 Ole Miss in a game the Rebels no doubt have circled on their calendar. A year ago, Rocket Sanders ran roughshod over a Rebel defense for 232 yards. Arkansas pulled away for a 42-27 win. Most preseason prognosticators have put these two teams neck in neck for positioning in the conference. Both return their quarterbacks and backfield from a year ago.
Ending their four game road stretch against ranked opponents, Arkansas will travel to Tuscaloosa to face the Alabama Crimson Tide. A year ago, the soft Razorback defense was exposed at home, trailing 28-0 at half before the 49-26 final, allowing over 300 yards on the ground. However, look back a season before that, the last time the Hogs went to Tuscaloosa, and it was a much different story. The common theme was a weak Razorback secondary that gave up 599 yards through the air to Bryce Young, but KJ Jefferson did plenty of damage on his own, passing for 326 yards. You will be hard pressed to find a Hog fan who did not believe Treylon Burks got his foot down on a game tying score that was overturned and ruled out of the end zone. Alabama won it in a shootout 42-35. Can the Hogs regain the offensive swagger that saw them take Alabama to the wire? If they can, you have to believe there is no way this secondary would again give up that kind of yardage. With a new coaching staff, talent acquisitions through the portal, and the maturation of players who were thrust into playing time because of injury, this unit should be stable, if not strong this season.
You can bring all your conspiracy theories to the table when it comes to the SEC and Arkansas, and what you will, as the Razorbacks will not have their conference home opener till after the stretch of games against four ranked opponents. Week eight the Hogs will host Mississippi State in Fayetteville. Last season, The hogs were decimated on both sides of the ball heading into Starkville, and it showed. The defense was shredded for over 400 yards in the air yet again, and the offense was without KJ Jefferson and had a banged up Rocket Sanders. The hogs were never in this one, just trying to escape without more injuries. The Bulldogs pulled away for a 40-17 win.
Arkansas will finally get a bye week following their week 8 game, but then, guess what? They go on the road to Florida. The November 4 matchup between the Hogs and Gators comes at a good time for Arkansas. Not only has Arkansas had the extra week to rest and heal up, but they catch Florida fresh on the heels of a back to back with South Carolina and Georgia, both considered contenders in the East. The game will likely be pivotal in the bowl selection process a month later.
Arkansas will close out the season with three home games. They host Auburn on November 11, and should be the prohibitive favorite going in. It was all Rocket Sanders last year, but it was the balanced attack on the ground that allowed the Hogs to eventually pull away with the 41-27 win. November 18 will be a non-conference matchup with Florida International, a game the Razorbacks should be heavily favored to win. The season ending game for another rivalry trophy will be November 24 when Missouri visits Fayetteville. While it feels this matchup has heavily favored the Tigers, they have only won once in Fayetteville (Thanks, Chad).
Arkansas has the talent to pull more than one upset in this schedule. The final ranking of this season relies heavily on the Razorbacks ability to win during the four game slate to open conference play. Win two or more and run the rest of the slate, and Arkansas would have a good argument for a New Year’s Six bowl. Win one of those four and they could still make a strong postseason run. If BYU can make at least a middling effort in the Big 12, it could bolster Arkansas’ non-conference appeal. Style points matter, and even in the games that Arkansas had put away, they played a prevent style of football and never ended games early. This team has the talent to put games away and, with multiple players on award watch lists, need to be given the opportunity to shine. If Arkansas loses all four of those road games, they could still finish 8-4 with quality conference wins. Health will always be a factor in outcomes, but heading into the season we can only deal with what is known; Arkansas has addressed the depth issues and built a stronger defensive backfield. KJ Jeffereson and Rocket Sanders are healthy, and behind them are more than capable athletes. Arkansas should be competitive in every game, and with a little luck and momentum, could make this a special season
