Not long ago, the Arkansas Razorbacks were viewed as the laughing stock of the Southeastern Conference.
After a total of one SEC win over a three-year span, Sam Pittman was hired to take over the sunken ship in Fayetteville. In just two short years at the helm, Pittman has, in what seems like a miracle, made Arkansas nationally relevant again.
Pittman’s first year resulted in a lackluster 3-7 campaign during the COVID-shortened season, but 2021 was Arkansas’ return to respectability as Pittman coached the Razorbacks to a 9-4 record, including a 4-4 record in SEC, and a final AP Top 25 ranking of 21, its best since 2011.
Arkansas enjoyed wins over the likes of Texas and Texas A&M, and even took Alabama to the wire in Bryant-Denny Stadium in late November. It took Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young setting Alabama’s all-time single game passing yards record (559) for the Crimson Tide to escape with a 42-35 victory.
Like every team, Arkansas endured some key departures, but Pittman and his staff took advantage of the transfer portal in a big way. Those additions combined with the returning talent could result in another dangerous Razorbacks team in 2022.
Offense
The most important aspect of Arkansas’ offense is quarterback KJ Jefferson returning for his second year as the starter.
Jefferson led a Razorbacks offense that ranked high nationally, but closer to the middle of the pack in the uber-talented SEC. Arkansas’ 30.9 points per game was in the top 50 in scoring and the Razorbacks were in the top 30 in total offense, but it finished just seventh in the SEC in both categories.
The rushing game was Arkansas’ biggest strength in 2021, finishing second in the SEC averaging 217 yards per game. Leading the Razorbacks was Jefferson himself, who routinely used his speed to make plays outside the pocket to aid the somewhat modest passing attack.
Jefferson’s contributions on the ground were aided by the running back duo of Trelon Smith and Raheim Sanders, who had almost identical stat lines of roughly 115 carries, 580 yards, and five touchdowns. Smith has since departed to UTSA via the transfer portal, but Sanders was more than capable of handling his own workload next to Jefferson.
In addition to Sanders’ return, also back are four of the five starters on the offensive line. The experience and toughness of that veteran group combined with the rushing capabilities of Sanders and Jefferson will ensure that Arkansas once again has one of the top rushing attacks in the league.
As previously mentioned, the passing game is what plagued the Razorbacks offensively last year, and it may not get any easier after top wide receiver Treylon Burks was a first-round draft pick back in April.
Burks had 40 more targets and 650 yards than the next closest wide receiver. Given that airing the ball out was not a strength of Jefferson’s already, missing his top receiver will certainly provide growing pains before new threats eventually emerge on the outside.
The competition for Jefferson’s top target will likely be between Warren Thompson and Jadon Haselwood. Thompson put up just over 300 yards and caught two touchdowns last season operating as the third target in most scenarios.
Haselwood, on the other hand, may be the most talented wide receiver on the roster. A transfer from Oklahoma, he was the No. 1 ranked wide receiver in the signing Class of 2019 before seeing limited playing time in his three years with the Sooners. His best season came in 2021, when he put up 399 yards and six touchdowns on 39 catches.
While his body of work is not as productive as some might expect from a former five-star player, the lack of competition could lead to Haselwood becoming Jefferson’s go-to guy in no time.
The biggest positive to take away from Jefferson’s passing ability is how well he takes care of the football. Last season he completed 67 percent of his passes and threw 21 touchdowns to go with just four interceptions. That kind of efficiency is exactly what is needed out of the quarterback of a run-heavy offense that can also affect the game in numerous ways.
Defense
Arkansas’ defense last season was in a similar situation as its offense when comparing to its opponents: fairly above average nationally, but middle-of-the-road in the SEC. The Razorbacks ranked 50th in total defense, but just ninth in the league.
The most important member of the defense from a year ago returns in middle linebacker Bumper Pool. Pool was a headhunter, racking up 125 total tackles in 2021, which ranked 11th in all of college football, on his way to a second-team All-SEC honors. Unfortunately for Pool he will be without his fellow starting linebackers in Hayden Henry and Grant Morgan.
Arkansas also lost multiple starters on the defensive line and in the secondary including first-team All-SEC selection Montaric Brown, causing Pittman to look to the transfer portal to fill numerous holes.
One of the biggest names Arkansas added on defense will be a familiar name to Alabama fans: linebacker Drew Sanders. He had come to Alabama as a five-star recruit and struggled to get on the field due to a stacked linebacker room in Tuscaloosa. He finally cracked the starting lineup in 2021 and posted 24 tackles and a sack in five games before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the season, when freshman Dallas Turner stepped up.
Sanders adds loads of talent to the Razorbacks’ front seven and he will be joined by LSU transfer Landon Jackson, a former four-star edge rusher who saw little playing time as a freshman last year.
The secondary is where Arkansas could thrive given the talent and depth of the group. Contributors Myles Slusher and Malik Chavis return, who each grabbed at least one interception last season. They will be joined by two transfers in Latavius Brini from Georgia and Dwight McGlothern from LSU. Both Brini and McGlothern started for their respective teams in 2021 and recorded at least 30 tackles and five pass breakups.
The secondary will be tied together by the biggest wildcard of the defense in safety Jalen Catalon. Catalon was a a first team All-SEC selection in 2020 and opted to forego the NFL to return to Arkansas in 2021, only to suffer a season-ending shoulder injury five weeks into the season. Catalon’s health and experience could be exactly what the Razorbacks need to become an elite pass defense after ranking sixth in the conference last season.
The rush defense was the weakest aspect of the Razorback defense, and with all of the departures on the front seven it’s difficult to see a scenario in which that doesn’t remain the case. The biggest question for Arkansas defensively will be if the defense can stop the run long enough for opponents to air the ball out and give its talented secondary a chance to make plays.
The Schedule
Arkansas may have the hardest schedule in college football, again.
Arkansas opens against a 2021 College Football Playoff team in Cincinnati in an incredibly enticing home opener. Its other non-conference games include a home game against a solid Group of 5 team in Liberty, and a road trip BYU.
The SEC schedule is a gauntlet as always, including the annual clash with Texas A&M in Dallas and road games at Auburn, Mississippi State, and Missouri.
Luckily for Arkansas, there are three high-profile home games that will draw huge crowds to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, against Ole Miss, LSU, and, of course, Alabama.
The biggest downside to the schedule for the Razorbacks is the brutal non-conference slate that will not do them any favors when trying to repeat last season’s nine win total. It’s fairly reasonable to assume wins against Missouri State, Liberty, and Missouri, but from there everything is both winnable and losable simultaneously.
Despite the schedule difficulties, Arkansas certainly has the talent and coaching to have repeat success and could absolutely find itself sitting around the 8-4 or 9-3 mark once again come bowl season, which would mean another successful season for Pittman.
Outlook
It would be reasonable to look at last season’s score of the Alabama-Arkansas game, see that this year’s game is in Fayetteville, and mark the Oct. 1 meeting as a trap game for Alabama.
Because it absolutely is.
Alabama gets the Razorbacks at an inopportune time, one week before Texas A&M comes to Tuscaloosa for the much-anticipated Nick Saban-Jimbo Fisher rematch. It will be hard enough for Crimson Tide to not look ahead to college football’s prematurely-dubbed “Game of the Year,” and having to play in rowdy Fayetteville on top of that certainly seems like a recipe for chaos.
From strictly an X’s and O’s standpoint, though, Alabama is the more talented team, as is the case with virtually every game this season. The keys will be the running games, as the Crimson Tide will need to establish its own ground attack and stop Arkansas’ in order to escape Fayetteville with a win.
Alabama and Arkansas have produced a few close and exciting matchups during Saban’s time in Tuscaloosa, namely 2014 and 2021. With Pittman leading the Razorback resurgence we could be in for more textbook college football excitement.
The Game
Date: Oct. 1
Time: TBD
TV: TBD
Location: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
Series: Alabama leads 25-7.
Last meeting: Bryce Young passed for a school-record 559 yards and five touchdowns as the Crimson Tide clinched a spot in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game with a 42-35 victory over the No. 21 Razorbacks.
The Team
The Coach: Sam Pittman, third year, 12-11
Offensive Coordinator: Kendal Briles
Defensive Coordinator: Deke Adams
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2021 Record: 9-4
2021 Rankings: Total offense No. 27; Total defense No. 50
Returning Starters: 11, seven on offense, four on defense
Players to Watch: WR Jaden Haselwood, C Ricky Stromberg, G Beaux Limmer, DL Isaiah Nichols, LB Bumper Pool, S Jalen Catalon, K Cam Little
Top Newcomer: Former Alabama linebacker Drew Sanders, who had a big spring and could be poised for a big season. Some others to keep an eye on are former Oklahoma WR Jadon Haselwood Jr., former LSU DL Landon Jackson, former Georgia Tech DL Jordan Domineck, and former LSU CB Dwight McGlothern.
Biggest Question: Who put together this schedule? The Razorbacks have just three true SEC road games, and avoid the top teams in the East this season. However, they open against Cincinnati and have another tough non-conference non-Power 5 foe in Liberty, plus travel to play at BYU. Arkansas will also have the non-desirable back-to-back of Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas, before hosting Alabama, and then traveling to Mississippi State at BYU. Arkansas had nice wins against Texas, Texas A&M and Penn State in the Outback Bowl, but will be hard-pressed to match the 9-4 record.
The School
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Founded: 1871
Enrollment: 29,000
Nickname: Razorbacks
Colors: Cardinal and white
Mascot: Tusk
The Program
Coaching Changes During Saban Era: Five
Last Time Beat Alabama: 2006
Last Time Won Division: 2006
Last Time Won SEC Championship: None
National Championships (1): 1964
Playoff Appearances: None
SEC Championships: None
Bowl Appearances: 16–24–3
Last Time Didn’t Play in a Bowl: 2020
Heisman Trophies: None
Consensus All-Americans During Saban Era (5): Felix Jones, KR, 2007; Jonathan Luigs, C, 2007; Darren McFadden, RB, 2007; Joe Adams, KR/AP, 2011; Hunter Henry, TE, 2015
First-Round NFL Picks During Saban Era (4): Most recent WR Treylon Burks, No. 18 by the Titans in 2022.
2022 NFL Draft: Three selections led by Burks.
Last Four Recruiting Class Rankings: No. 28 in the Class of 2022. Previously, No. 25 in 2021, No. 29 in 2020, and No. 23 in 2019.
The Schedule
Sept. 3: Cincinnati
Sept. 10: South Carolina
Sept. 17: Missouri State
Sept. 24: vs. Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas
Oct. 1: Alabama
Oct 8: at Mississippi State
Oct. 15: at BYU
Oct. 29: at Auburn
Nov. 5: vs. Liberty
Nov. 12: LSU
Nov. 19: Ole Miss
Nov. 25: at Missouri
Did You Know?
Alabama has won 15 straight in the series, including every game during the Nick Saban era.
When Arkansas last won, 24-23 in double overtime on Sept. 23, 2006:
• George W. Bush was president
• The No. 1 song was Justin Timberlake, SexyBack
• The first James Bond movie with Daniel Craig, “Casino Royale,” was about to be released.
• Time Magazine’s Person of the Year was “You,” in commemoration of all Internet users.
• Barry Bonds had just hit his 715th career home run in May, passing Babe Ruth on the MLB all-time list.
• Crash won the Oscar for Best Picture.
• MySpace announced that it had 106 million accounts.
This is the ninth story in series previewing Alabama’s opponents:
No. 12 Austin Peay
No. 11 Louisiana Monroe
No. 10 Vanderbilt
No. 9 Utah State
No. 8 Mississippi State
No. 7 Auburn
No. 6 LSU
No. 5 Ole Miss
