**UPDATED** Arkansas Football: What can latest transfer players bring to Arkansas?

The transfer portal seems to be ever-changing since the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled against the NCAA’s ability to limit NIL. More than ever, players all over the country are looking for greener pastures.

Now, the NCAA’s resolution for the massive influx of players entering the portal is to provide two windows for them to enter, granting more flexibility for both players and coaches. Arkansas has certainly made the most of this opportunity.

According to On3 Sports, Arkansas has the No. 4 ranked transfer class in the country, and they’re still not done. In this article, we dive into what the second window transfers will bring to Arkansas.

*updated May 18th, 2023

*Francis Sherman, Tight End (Louisville)

In general, the tight end position boast more diversity between players—such as height, weight, skill set, etc.—than any other group in the sport. Arkansas has plenty of the offline type of TEs such as Luke Hasz and transfer Var’Keyes Gumms, but only Nathan Bax is considered a true online TE. Unfortunately, Bax lacks the speed to make much of a difference in the passing game. Francis Sherman can do both.

Right off the bat, Sherman’s motor pops out when watching his film. What makes him such a great blocker is his explosiveness at the snap and his willingness to block until the whistle. His ability to combo block with an offensive lineman and work up to the second level is also impressive. As a pass catcher, Sherman has decent hands but he won’t shake any defender out of his shoes to get open. Although, he could have success with shallow crosses or even routes in the flat, especially off of a naked bootleg.

The former Cardinal is a bit undersized, however. At 6’3, 234 pounds, his smaller stature will be concerning once SEC play starts. He also likes to hold… a lot. Consistently, he finds his hands outside the frame of the defender.

Sherman’s addition is a great way to round out the TE position for Arkansas. Expect him to work in heavy set formations, short yardage situations, and to rotate with Bax.

*Keivie Rose, Defensive Tackle (LA Tech)

With Keivie Rose’s commitment, the Razorbacks have great depth at defensive tackle for the first time in years. The 6’3, 303-pounder will finally allow the defense to run a four-man front without worrying about stamina issues.

As a pass rusher, Rose has a dangerous swim move and a pretty good bullrush. With the Bulldogs, he only recorded 3.5 sacks but pressured the quarterback countless times. Most of the time, however, he was double teamed. In the run game, he can hold his own but he has a tendency to let offensive lineman turn his shoulders, opening up running lanes for opposing running backs.

The most concerning issue is his lack of motor. On one particular play against Mizzou, he had a chance to save a touchdown by cleaning up a tackle on a bubble screen. Instead he jogged toward the ball and the receiver got loose and scored. He should be given the benefit of a doubt, however. Much like Arkansas in the past, LA Tech didn’t have the greatest depth. Rose played a lot of downs and he was most likely gassed. Now that he’s surrounded by quality depth, fan will have a better idea of what he can do.

*Arthur “AJ” Brathwaite, Defensive Back (Western Kentucky)

As a unit, Arkansas’s secondary has quite the depth at cornerback thanks to the transfer portal. On the other hand, the safeties still needs of some work. With AJ Brathwaite, the Hogs not only add depth but they bring in a player that will compete for some serious playing time.

In coverage, the Miami, FL native will already be an improvement to Arkansas’s poor secondary from last year. In his one heathy season with WKU, he graded out at 59.9 in coverage by Pro Football Focus. That’s already better Simeon Blair’s PFF grade from 2022.

Where he really stands out is in the running game. He makes quick decisions and attacks the run as good as any other safety in the portal. Part of that mentality stems from playing nickel as well as safety. At the moment, Baylor transfer Al Walcott is the favorite to play nickel so Brathwaite will most likely play a relieving roll for him.

The former Hilltopper is also good in the pass rush. He should shine in Travis Williams’ blitz heavy defense.

*Kee’yon Stewart, Defensive Back (TCU)

The problems with Arkansas’s secondary last were vast but one problem in particular was quality depth. That’s were Kee’yon Stewart comes in. His commitment comes as a bit of a surprise to Arkansas and Michigan State fans alike. He committed to MSU just eleven day before the new broke that he would be a Hog.

In his four years at TCU, he played very little. However, as a true freshman he logged 18 tackles (14 solo) and 4 pass deflections in just seven games. Make no mistake, his lack of playing time is not because of a lack of talent. Stewart has been plagued with injuries since his freshman year. He’s a physical, willing tackler and very good in man coverage. With the uncertainty surrounding Quincy McAdoo, Stewart could even break the 3-deep and compete for playing time.

Jaheim Thomas, Linebacker (Cincinnati)

Arkansas has loads of young talent at the linebacker position. Unfortunately, red-shirt sophomore Chris Paul Jr. and red-shirt senior Antonio Greir are the only two players with significant game reps. Re-shirt junior Jaheim Thomas not only brings more experience but experience playing with a playoff-caliber team in Cincinnati. He recorded 70 tackles and 2 sacks last year for the Bearcats.

Cincinnati used him similarly to how Alabama used Drew Sanders. At 6’4, 245-pound, he’s nearly as tall as Sanders, but a bit heavier. However, unlike Sanders, Thomas is more one-dimensional in his pass-rush abilities. He relies on his speed to beat offensive tackles most of the time and is less physical at the point of contact.

But make no mistake, Thomas is fast. At one point in the game against Arkansas last season, he caught Rocket Sanders from behind after Sanders broke free for a large chuck play up the middle.

When playing as a true LB, Thomas is good at shedding blocks at the second level, but he’ll need some work during fall camp. At times, he’s slow to decide on running plays and he tends to undercut block instead of fighting over the top. In coverage, Thomas is ok but sometimes looks lost.

Overall, the former Bearcat will be a good rotation player. In Arkansas’s blitz-heavy defense, he will shine. Expect to see him on obvious passing downs.

Var’keyes Gumms, Tight End (North Texas)

Tight end is arguably the group with the least depth on the team and most of that depth is underclassman with little to no game reps. Var’keyes Gumms adds experience to the young group, but he also brings a lot of skill. At North Texas, Gumms broke the single-season records for receptions (34) and yards (458) for a TE as a red-shirt freshman. He also earned All-Conference USA and C-USA All-Freshman honors in 2022.

If one could sum up Gumms in a single word, it would be “versatile”. With North Texas, he would line up all over the field. He can play inline, in the slot, or out wide.  As a pass catcher, he is a red-zone mismatch. At 6’3 and 230 pounds, his unique combination of size, speed, and hands will be hard to plan against. For someone who can play out wide, however, Gumms’ route tree is limited.

As a blocker, he does well in space, especially with a running start. North Texas often used Gumms as a de facto puller by bringing him in motion from the slot, but as an inline TE, he’s not going to drive anyone.

Dan Enos will utilize Gumms much like North Texas did but look for him to play more of a hybrid, offline TE. Unlike NTU, Enos likely uses Gumms as a puller from the backside to block instead of bringing him in motion. Watch for an optional shovel pass, too.

Anthony “Tank” Booker Jr., Defensive Tackle (Maryland)

The Razorback’s defensive line was one of the best pass-rushing lines in 2022 but was poor at defending the run. Arkansas finished in the bottom third of the FBS in rushing defense, allowing 170 ypg. Maryland transfer Anthony Booker will undoubtedly help Arkansas become a force to be reckoned with on running downs.

If there is one thing that Booker hates, it’s being moved. At 6’4 and 320 pounds, he likes to clog holes and take up space, making him perfect for a defense that uses LBs like Arkansas. Booker does tend to let offensive linemen get to his chest too often, making it hard for him the shed blocks. He also has a hard time moving laterally.

He’s great against the running game but he’s also an underrated pass rusher. His bullrush is scary good. He could learn a couple of pass-rush moves to diversify, but he should do well against SEC-level competition regardless.

Booker will be used a lot in short-yardage situations and will be a good rotation player. In obvious passing situations, he will most likely be out of the game.