Can Razorback Football shock the SEC in 2023?

How good can these Razorbacks be? Can they improve off a disappointing 7-6 campaign? I encourage you to wear your Hog colored glasses and hear me out.

The Razorbacks will win 10 games in 2023.

Wait, Jacob, didn’t you say the same thing last year? Yes, indeed. Because of injuries to crucial pieces up and down the depth chart it’s a miracle they made it to seven wins a year ago.

Arkansas returns their starting quarterback, running back, defensive back and a pair of multi-year starters on the offensive line. and plenty of solid contributors that are a year older.

How can you say Arkansas isn’t going to be better? Here’s some more proof.

Last year’s team was full of young, inexperienced players with transfers sprinkled throughout the roster. This team has just a smidge bit more talent than any team Pittman has fielded. Each year, they continue to look more and more like an actual SEC team and from 2017-2019 they sure didn’t.

It’s been stated by Pittman that his program’s culture is rivaling the 2021 team that finished the season 9-4 and ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2011.

New coaching staff additions

Under Pittman, Arkansas continues to improve their recruiting ranking with each class. Whether it be through the high school ranks or adding quality depth through the transfer portal they understand what it takes to reach the next level. The coaching staff believes they can recruit here and win at a high level each year.

Something the Razorbacks have struggled with over the past 10 to 15 years in the SEC is having quality depth. Numbers have never been an issue but having quality players outside of your starting 22 has done former coaching staff’s in for a decade.

New defensive coordinators, Travis Williams and Marcus Woodson understand the assignment of quality and quantity helps you compete. They’ve simply done that in their short tenures in Fayetteville thus far.

Tight end coach, Morgan Turner has put in numerous tight ends into the league. With a reputation of a elite national recruiter, the former Stanford coach will likely have success not only developing the current ones on roster but signing solid high school prospects, too.

New DB coach Deron Wilson isn’t nearly as established as the other coaches hired during the winter. However, he has a great family pedigree full of successful coaches. His uncle, Frank Wilson is at LSU and has the reputation as an elite recruiter as well. The younger Wilson will be a coach to watch develop over the next few years.

Transfer portal

This team has simply added to depth along the defensive line. Deke Adams is probably strutting around with such a potentially dangerous line going into next season. He already had five capable edge rushers but the addition of Trajan Jeffcoat, an all-SEC performer in 2019, makes this group intriguing.

What this defense hasn’t seen is a rotation of five capable defensive tackles. In my time as a fan or covering the team has a Razorback defense seen this many pieces at a critical area. Adams added transfers Anthony “Tank Booker (Maryland) along with Keivie Rose (Louisiana Tech) who are both 6’4 310 plus pounds. They will ride alongside Eric Gregory, Taurean Carter, Cam Ball and Marcus Miller as a potentially solid run stuffing group.

A group ready to prove themselves this season is the wide receivers. The additions of Isaac Tesla, Tyrone Broden and Andrew Armstrong could prove to be a very dangerous trio. They are capable wideouts that simply flew under the radar and developed nicely once entering the college game.

Finally, the defensive backs have added star power and depth to what was the worst position unit in college football last season. Al Walcott and Lorando Johnson transfer in from Baylor as immediate starters. With Quincey McAdoo out for an uncertain amount of time Arkansas was fortunate to add them early on during the offseason.

Kee’Yon Stewart, Arthur Brathwaite and former five-star CB Jaheim Singletary will find ways to get in the rotation.

 Impact freshmen

Every team needs a few impact freshmen to come in and show they can compete as pups. Some of Arkansas’ great ones started as true or redshirt freshmen. TE Luke Hasz out of Bixby, (Okla.) comes to mind as a possible breakout star this season. His strength isn’t necessarily blocking along the offensive line. But, Hasz can split out as a slot receiver and even has the speed plus body control to make a difference out wide.

Redshirt freshmen WR Isaiah Sategna didn’t set the SEC on fire with his speed during his first season on the Hill but did put it on display during the spring scrimmage. The Fayetteville, (Ark.) native torched the secondary on multiple occasions including a 65 yard seam route touchdown. Samuel Mbake was apart of the same signing class but was moved from WR to CB when depth became an issue. The Kennesaw, (Ga.) native made several impressive plays including a 12-yard touchdown of a reverse and a 65-yard touchdown pass from Jacolby Criswell. Mbake isn’t a playmaker many are talking about but could explode onto the seen once the season begins.

If any freshmen plays a role on the defensive side of the ball in 2023 it’ll defintely be Jaylon Braxton. Not only was the Frisco, (Texas) native the highest rated signee in the signing class but he was all over the field during the spring.

The schedule

If Arkansas starts the season 3-0 at home with swagger and confidence they could go to LSU and shock the Tigers.

The four game road stretch with LSU, Texas A&M,  Ole Miss and Alabama seems treacherous. But, it’s very possible two of those road matchups are winnable considering the Aggies are a whirlwind dumpster fire.

The remainder of the games are at home outside of a road trip against a questionable Florida team. If Arkansas is playing with house money as a possible one or two-loss team going into Gainesville.

This is the team and this is the year that Arkansas breaks through the toughest conference in America. Up and down this roster there’s a chip on each shoulder, whether it be a coach or player the job will get done in Fayetteville.