Arkansas Preview, Best Players, Top Transfers, Season Prediction, Win Total 2024

Arkansas Razorbacks Preview 2024

Arkansas has to get back to doing what it does best under head coach Sam Pittman.

Pound.

It doesn’t have the talent of a Georgia, an Alabama, an LSU, or a Texas, but it has a niche in the crowded SEC when it gets more physical than everyone else. That didn't always happen last year, and that led to other issues.

Too many fumbles. Not enough downfield explosion. WAY too many special teams issues. Not enough timely plays. The Hogs weren’t able to overcome it all because they couldn’t set the tone with their O line - more on that in a moment - and it screwed up everything else.

But it’s not like they were far off - five of the losses in the midseason six-game losing streak were by a touchdown or less, and they weren’t totally blasted in the 34-22 loss to Texas A&M.

Basically, this is fixable.

The 9-4 2021 season was a bit of a mirage - lots of wins over underperforming teams - the 2022 run was weirdly inconsistent, and the 4-8 2023 season wasn't exactly representative of the team's best work.

In what should be a tension-packed 2024 season, this is when Arkansas should start to apply the pressure again starting with ...

NOTE: The previews were published early this summer. We tried to catch the changes, but if we missed anything, please let us know at @ColFootballNews and we'll fix it right away.

Arkansas Preview 2024: Offense

- The offense under coordinator Bobby Petrino didn’t work like it was supposed to, but it had plenty of positive moments. There wasn’t enough of a downfield passing attack, the ground game didn’t take over, and in all, the O was the second-worst in the SEC averaging just 326.5 yards per game. The improvement starts with one key spot …

- The offensive front. Head coach Sam Pittman is an offensive line coach’s coach, and his front five shouldn’t be allowing the most sacks and tackles for loss in the SEC.

He has a great guard in Joshua Braun to work around, and coming in are three strong transfers - OT Fernando Carmona (San Jose State), C Addison Nichols (Tennessee), and versatile Keyshawn Blackstock (Michigan State) - to pave the way for Utah transfer RB Ja’Quinden Jackson and …

- Taylen Green. More on the Boise State transfer quarterback in a moment, but the season revolves around him being the dynamic playmaker he was over the late stages of the 2023 season.

Leading receiver Andrew Armstrong is back on the outside, and TE Luke Hasz was a dangerous big-play target on his 15 catches before getting hurt. As long as Green gets time, he should do more with the passing game that averaged under 11 yards per throw.

Arkansas Preview 2024: Defense

- It was an inconsistent year for the offense, and a tough one for a D that allowed 34 points or more six times in the last ten games. There’s hope, though, and it starts on the front line with an All-America end in Landon Jackson working around a potentially terrific group of tackles. It might take a wee bit to find the right rotation inside, but the depth on the ends should shine right away.

- The linebackers should be okay in time, but losing top two tacklers Chris Paul (Ole Miss) and Jaheim Thomas (Wisconsin) isn’t a plus. There’s speed and upside, and there’s a potential star in Georgia transfer Xavian Sorey working with veteran Brad Spence.

- The defensive backs aren’t totally locked in - that’s actually a plus thanks to the depth. The Hogs have plenty of options to play with starting with third-leading tackler Jayden Johnson. There’s depth at corner around veteran Jaylon Braxton.

Arkansas Key To The Season

Get the rushing identity back.
Thanks to a huge performance from the O line, Arkansas ran for close to 3,100 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2022. It averaged over five yards per carry, and did that in 2021, too. Last year’s ground game averaged 3.5 yards per carry with a mere nine scores. Star RB Raheim Sanders was hurt and only played in six games - now he’s a South Carolina Gamecock, but …

Arkansas Key Player

QB Taylen Green, Jr.
Arkansas has a dangerous mobile quarterback who can make big things happen. KJ Jefferson - who’s off to UCF - was more of a big banger; the 6-6 Green glides. The best way to describe him is slippery. He probably won’t run as much as Jefferson did, but he’ll come up with around 50 yards per game.

Being more of a passer - he got hot late but wasn’t used enough over the second half of last year at Boise State - is a must. The O will turn him loose along with …

Arkansas Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Ja'Quinden Jackson, RB
No pressure, but carry the ground game. The 6-2, 235-pound blaster started out at Texas before becoming part of the rotation at Utah averaging 5.5 yards per carry. He wasn’t used enough - there’s plenty of tread on the tires - and now he’ll combine with Green to get the Hog ground attack back.

Top Transfer Out: Chris Paul, LB
You could argue for KJ Jefferson to UCF or Raheim Sanders to South Carolina, but Paul leaving for Ole Miss takes away an NFL-caliber defensive talent with outstanding range and hitting ability. The Hogs have linebackers - they’ll be okay at the spot - but Paul and Jaheim Thomas made a bunch of plays.

Arkansas Key Game

at Auburn, Sept. 21
There are tone-setters and there are moments that show that the problems of the past season might be gone. The Hogs were already flailing in a lost campaign, but getting walloped at home by Auburn 48-10 to make it seven losses in eight meetings ended any bowl hopes. This time it’s the SEC opener before dealing with Texas A&M, Tennessee, and LSU. They need this.

Arkansas 10 Best Players

1. Landon Jackson, DE Sr.
2. Taylen Green, QB Jr.
3. Joshua Braun, OG Sr.
4. Xavian Sorey, LB Jr.
5. Ja’Quinden Jackson, RB Sr.
6. Andrew Armstrong, WR Sr.
7. Addison Nichols, C Soph.
8. Anton Juncaj, DE Sr.
9. Fernando Carmona, OT Jr.
10. Cameron Ball, DT Sr.

Arkansas 2023 Fun Stats

- Sacks: Opponents 47 for 338 yards - Arkansas 29 for 176 yards

- Fumbles: Arkansas 24 (lost 10) - Opponents 12 (lost 5)

- 4th Quarter Scoring: Arkansas 97 - Opponents 54

Arkansas 2024 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen

You want your true X factor team in the SEC this season? Here you go.

Arkansas has a strange mix of things going on.

It has to prove it can do that offense thing again - go back to 2022 when it went 7-0 when scoring 31. The defense has a good enough starting 11 to be okay - the team went 9-0 in 2021 when allowing fewer than 30 points - the pressure is on the coaching staff to produce, and the schedule has a bizarre blend of nasty SEC games at home along with a whole slew of losable road dates.

To go totally basic here, Arkansas will be that team that will rise up and stun, say, an LSU or a Texas, and whiff on the road against a Mississippi State. Just about every game but three should take on a brawling life of its own.

But there’s no Georgia or Alabama, the transfer portal filled in the gaps, there’s depth, and after a year off from a bowl game, the Hogs should be back in the mix for a trip somewhere.

Set The Arkansas Win Total At … 6

Likely Wins: Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Louisiana Tech, UAB

50/50 Games: at Auburn, LSU, at Mississippi State, at Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M (in Arlington)

Likely Losses: at Missouri, Texas

2024 Arkansas Football Schedule

Aug 31 Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Sept 7 at Oklahoma State
Sept 14 UAB
Sept 21 at Auburn
Sept 28 vs Texas A&M (in Arlington)
Oct 5 Tennessee
Oct 12 OPEN DATE
Oct 19 LSU
Oct 26 at Mississippi State
Nov 2 Ole Miss
Nov 9 OPEN DATE
Nov 16 Texas
Nov 23 Louisiana Tech
Nov 30 at Missouri

Missing: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vanderbilt