Five storylines for Arkansas going into offseason

After a disappointing 2022 season, the Razorbacks will be looking to bounce back in a big way this fall.

There are plenty of questions to be answered by the staff and team as fall camp draws nearer. Slowly but surely, summer will pass and SEC Media Days come along as we bask in the excitement and pageantry that Nashville will bring.

It should be obvious which players Sam Pittman will bring along with him. My best guess would be KJ Jefferson for sure. Will he bring Raheim “Rocket” Sanders along with him? How about an offensive lineman that’s been with him awhile? He is the offensive line guru after all. Throughout Arkansas’ time in the SEC they would bring mostly seniors to be interviewed during media days.

I think a small storyline to watch for is who will Pittman actually take?

How will Jefferson adapt to being under center?

That’s one of the bigger questions of the offseason even though he looked extremely comfortable out of the gate during the spring scrimmage. Center and quarterback exchanges are something that Jefferson will have to work on especially if he wants to become a high level NFL-caliber prospect. He already has the tools to be a dynamic playmaker at his position and has such a live arm that just needs a little TLC from Dan Enos to shore up some mechanical flaws.

Jefferson is far from being an unpolished passer though. Former coordinator, Kendal Briles did develop him well and allowed the Razorback star quarterback to play within an offensive system that fit his skill set. However, he didn’t get to play outside of that very often and that’s not to say it’s the fault of anyone either.

Enos is a very good developer of quarterbacks and Jefferson will reap the benefits of working with someone that helped the likes of Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones Kirk Cousins, Drew Stanton and many more notable players in the league. His offense is predicated on attacking the whole field and being more unpredictable compared to the offense run by Briles.

There will be similar concepts but less ‘quick ball’, a balanced attack and less offense focused on one player.

Is the receiver room ready?

They certainly passed the eye test on Saturday. Many of the receivers are big targets all over the field. Then, you have Isaiah Sategna who can completely take the top off a defense with elite track speed which is something Arkansas has lacked for many years.

Isaac TeSlaa has made a few plays during spring practice as he makes his transition from the division three ranks. A guy that was lightly recruited out of high school as a Wing-T quarterback converted to receiver coming out of the famed Hillsdale College. The 6’4 210 pound receiver definitely looks the part of a SEC type of player but the question was could he adapt moving up in competition?

He had a fantastic 2022 season when caught 68 catches for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns. Teslaa has been known to make one handed snags throughout his career in the division two ranks and has often made them on the practice field as a Razorback. He’ll be an intriguing prospect to watch over his next two seasons of eligibility.

Andrew Armstrong is another receiver that was able to show out during the spring scrimmage. He caught a couple of balls but also displayed good speed on the perimeter.

Another redshirt freshman that made an impact on fans and media alike was the emergence of Sam Mbake. The former Georgia hgih school standout signed with the Razorbacks as a four-star prospect in the 2022 class. He converted to cornerback last season as the defense looked for depth at defensive back. Now, back with the receivers full-time, Mbake took a sweep 20-yards for a touchdown and caught a would be 65-yard touchdown pass from Jacolby Criswell.

Can the defense bring pressure without blitzing?

Arkansas has certainly struggled with that in the past. The sack numbers were a bit deceptive last year even though they ranked fifth in the nation in that category. Landon Jackson looked unblockable in his opportunities during the scrimmage. Now, that he is completely healthy he should lead the charge coming off the edge.

Trajan Jeffcoat is another transfer that could light it up off the edge. The former Missouri Tiger has been dominant in spurts during his college career but could mold into a consistent rushing threat with line coach Deke Adams. At Missouri, Jeffcoat was an all-SEC selection as a sophomore in 202o when he recorded 23 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 6 sacks (led team), seven quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

“Our D-line, I mean, they’ve been like that the whole spring,” Jefferson said. “They just came out energized.”

Can they bring pressure without the extra men or just in 4-man fronts consistently? That’s been an issue for sometime at Arkansas as they rely heavily on the transfer portal to bring in capable pass rushers. That’s an issue a lot of teams around the country have to do when the elite defenders go to the same five or six schools every cycle. Luckily, Pittman and his staff have developed their talent along the defensive trench well. Others to watch this summer is Zach Williams, Nico Davillier, Taurean Carter and Cam Ball.

How will the offensive line come along?

If there is one thing that wasn’t up to par during the previous season was the lack of push from the Arkansas offensive line. There have been quite a few changes whether it be the type of offense Arkansas now runs or the strength and conditioning program has a new head man, too.

Was there a lack of toughness? That’s not necessarily the issue but it did seem that Arkansas was worn down by the time the fourth quarter came around especially during November.

There seems to be plenty of energy around the room and offensive line coach, Cody Kennedy, has zoned in on four guys on the lines as starters. With Florida transfer, Joshua Braun, redshirt freshman E’Marion Harris and senior Ty’Kieast Crawford rotating at right guard. Devon Manuel is getting the majority of snaps at left tackle while redshirt freshman Patrick Kutas bookends at right tackle.

Returning starters Brady Latham and Beaux Limmer on entrenched at left guard and center. Limmer is considered one of the strongest men on the team while Latham has been a mainstay on the line since 2020.

Transfer Targets

One position that needs help is the tight end room. Arkansas has a pair of promising young guys in Ty Washington and Luke Hasz but will need one or two more to shore up depth if they decide to run more 12 personnel this fall.

Where will they go? The Razorbacks have offered a few tight ends out of the transfer portal and one looks to visit this weekend.

Var’Keyes Gumms, 6-3 and 235 pounds was a freshmen all-American last season for the North Texas Mean Green. He only started six games last season but was able to put together a solid debut catching 34 passes for 458 yards with five touchdowns.

There are a host of Power Five programs looking to ink the signature of the all-American tight end including BYU, Oregon, Colorado, Utah and West Virginia. Gumms would be a major asset to the Razorbacks in 2023.