The 2024 NFL Draft finished its seven-round process on Saturday, and it was a relatively uneventful three days for Arkansas fans as only two former Hogs were drafted.
Kicker Cam Little and center Beaux Limmer were both taken in the sixth round to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams, respectively.
In the hours after the draft concluded, however, Razorbacks who did not hear their name called were still given a chance to make an NFL roster by signing undrafted free agent contracts with teams.
Offensive guard Brady Latham, linebacker Antonio Grier Jr., defensive end John Morgan III and cornerback Dwight McGlothern were all given UDFA contract opportunities by NFL squads.
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Safety Alfahiym Walcott, who spent one season with the Razorbacks after transferring in from Baylor, was invited to the Buffalo Bills’ training camp.
Here’s a breakdown of every former Arkansas player that was given a chance after the conclusion of the NFL Draft:
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After spending five seasons with the Razorbacks, Brady Latham is moving on to the NFL after signing an undrafted free agent contract with the New York Jets.
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If he makes the roster, he’ll have the opportunity to block for one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, who is coming off an achilles injury that ended his first season in New York less than a minute before it started.
A 46-game starter for the Razorbacks, Latham finished the 2023-24 season ranked as the No. 194 guard in the country according to Pro Football Focus. He posted an overall offensive grade of 64.7 in 754 total snaps.
A redshirt senior who transferred in from South Florida ahead of the 2023 season, Antonio Grier Jr. is heading back to the Sunshine State after signing a UDFA with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Grier only had one season of eligibility remaining when he transferred to Arkansas, and he started three of the 11 games he played in at the linebacker position.
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He finished the 2023 season with 36 total tackles, one pass deflection and one interception that he returned for a touchdown — which came in a Week 2 win over Kent State.
Grier ranked No. 562 among linebackers in the country according to PFF. He posted an overall defensive grade of 60.2, which included an 89.9 pass rush grade.
John Morgan III is heading fairly close to home after signing an UDFA contract with the New England Patriots.
A native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Morgan will head to Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is an almost seven-hour drive or a 90-minute flight from his hometown.
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Morgan was a Signing Day surprise ahead of the 2023 season, as he transferred to Arkansas from Pittsburgh after head coach Sam Pittman, defensive coordinator Travis Williams and defensive line coach Deke Adams made an in-person visit to recruit him in Maryland.
He told HawgBeat on Early Signing Day in 2022 that the coaching staff’s dedication during the recruiting process is what swayed him — a sixth-year COVID senior — to come to Fayetteville.
“When a head football coach of an SEC school comes and visits you in your home and your state, it means a lot,” Morgan said on Dec. 21, 2022. “It means he thinks highly of you and he definitely showed that he wanted me to come be a Razorback.”
Morgan played in 11 games last season and he racked up 15 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble.
PFF ranked Morgan as the No. 420 edge defender in the country in 2023 with an overall grade of 67.7 in 243 total snaps.
Perhaps the most shocking Razorback to go undrafted was Dwight McGlothern. The SEC’s highest-graded cornerback according to PFF (91.3) did not hear his name called, but did sign a contract with the Minnesota Vikings.
McGlothern transferred to Arkansas from LSU ahead of the 2022 season. In his four years at the collegiate level, McGlothern amassed 113 total tackles, six tackles for loss, eight interceptions, 31 pass deflections and four forced fumbles.
In addition to being the highest-graded cornerback in the SEC, McGlothern was the second-rated cornerback in the FBS last season behind Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell — who was drafted 22nd overall to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Following the 2023 season, McGlothern was invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He finished with a 5.97 overall prospect grade and he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash. His vertical jump was 32 inches and he had a nine-foot, seven-inch broad jump.
After spending just one season in Fayetteville, Alfahiym Walcott received an invite to the Buffalo Bills training camp.
Walcott has had quite the journey, as he started off in the junior college ranks at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, before heading to Baylor and then Arkansas for his final season.
A native of Wilmington, North Carolina, Walcott finished his career with 171 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, 18 pass deflections, seven interceptions and two touchdowns in 45 total games played across four seasons.
Walcott ranked No. 109 among safeties according to PFF with a total defensive grade of 77.9 in 468 total snaps last season.
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KNOXVILLE, TN – January 16, 2025 – “We Back Pat” on jersey during the game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at Food City Center in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vols basketball is back in Knoxville for a matchup with Arkansas after a two-game road stand. Tennessee is not only looking to stay perfect in SEC play, but is hosting its annual ‘We Back Pat’ game.
Here’s everything to know about the matchup, from broadcast details to a prediction.
More From RTI: Everything Lady Vols HC Kim Caldwell, PG Mia Pauldo Said After Road Win At Mississippi State
How to Watch — No. 20 Lady Vols (11-3, 3-0 SEC) vs. Arkansas (11-7, 0-3 SEC)
Start Time: 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT
Location: Food City Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Watch: SECN+ | PxP: Andy Brock, Analyst: Kamera Harris
Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App
Vol Network radio crew: PxP: Brian Rice, Studio Host: Jay Lifford
Betting Odds
None listed yet
ESPN Matchup Predictor
Lady Vols – 98.3%
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Arkansas – 1.7%
What Kim Caldwell Said After Mississippi State
“Good to get a win on the road. We know it’s a tough environment and we know that we got to win on the road in the SEC. It was good to do that. I wasn’t really proud of the rebounding, but I thought we looked a lot better in a couple different categories so that was good.”
Last Five Games
Lady Vols:
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at Mississippi State, 90-90 W
at Auburn, 73-56 W
vs. Florida, 76-65 W
vs. Southern Indiana, 89-44 W
vs. Louisville (Brooklyn), 89-65 L
Arkansas:
vs. South Carolina, 93-58 L
at Alabama, 77-48 L
vs. Vanderbilt, 88-71 L
vs. Arkansas State, 81-72 L
vs. Stephen F. Austin, 82-73 W
Where They Land In Rankings
Lady Vols:
AP Poll – No. 20
Coaches Poll – No. 22
Bart Torvik – No. 13
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Arkansas:
AP Poll – Unranked
Coaches Poll – Unranked
Bart Torvik – No. 107
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Stat Leaders
Lady Vols:
Points: Talaysia Cooper – 14.9
Rebounds: Zee Spearman – 7.3
Assists: Talaysia Cooper – 4.3
Arkansas:
Points: Taleyah Jones – 16.9
Rebounds: Bonnie Deas – 9.7
Assists: Bonnie Deas – 2.6
Prediction
It’s been a rough start for Arkansas’ new coach, Kelsi Musick. The team is 0-3 in SEC games, and though it’s been against three good teams, the Razorbacks haven’t been competitive in any.
While neither side has been strong, Arkansas’ defense has been the weakest point. Not only is it coming off a game in which it gave up 93 points to South Carolina, but Arkansas State hung 81 in its win over the Razorbacks on the road.
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If the Lady Vols don’t get in their own way, then they should be fine. It hasn’t been perfect, and against three teams not necessarily in the mix to win the league, but Tennessee has looked much improved in the SEC slate compared to the lumps it took in the out-of-conference schedule.
I’d think UT jumps on Arkansas in the first quarter and takes a comfortable lead into the second quarter. From there, the lead should continue to grow behind forced turnovers in the press and easy baskets on the other end.
Rex Nelson has been senior editor and columnist at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 2017, and he has a biweekly podcast called “Southern Fried.”
After graduating from Ouachita Baptist University in 1981, he was a sportswriter for the Arkansas Democrat for a year before becoming editor of Arkadelphia’s Daily Siftings Herald. He was the youngest editor of a daily in Arkansas at age 23. Rex was then news and sports director at KVRC-KDEL from 1983-1985.
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He returned to the Democrat as assistant sports editor in 1985. From 1986-1989, he was its Washington correspondent. He left to be Jackson T. Stephens’ consultant.
Rex became the Democrat-Gazette’s first political editor in 1992, but left in 1996 to join then-Gov. Mike Huckabee’s office. He also served from 2005-09 in the administration of President George W. Bush.
From 2009-2018, he worked stints at the Communications Group, Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities, and Simmons First National Corp.
