HawgBeat – What positions Arkansas still needs to hit in the transfer portal

NOT A SUBSCRIBER? SIGN UP TODAY FOR ACCESS TO ALL OF HAWGBEAT’S PREMIUM CONTENT AND FEATURES

Spring soccer is full and with the season nonetheless 5 months away, the Razorbacks nonetheless have holes they should fill by means of the switch portal, which reopened Saturday and can shut April 30.

The Hogs have already suffered some attrition to the portal, as vast receiver Landon Rogers entered Wednesday. Fortunately for the Arkansas teaching workers, the vast receiver room nonetheless appears to be in okay form heading into the summer time.

What makes this portal window totally different than the one in December and January is that SEC entrants who aren’t graduate transfers aren’t eligible for the approaching season, ought to they switch to Arkansas.

Throughout the first portal window, the Razorbacks landed 11 whole transfers, and with seven extra scholarships out there, it is seemingly we see the teaching workers work so as to add much more.

With that mentioned, listed below are the positions Arkansas nonetheless must hit within the switch portal.

After the 2022 season, Arkansas misplaced its important piece of manufacturing on the tight finish spot as Trey Knox transferred to South Carolina, following former tight ends coach Dowell Loggains to the Gamecocks.

After Loggains’ departure, Arkansas turned to former Stanford tight ends coach Morgan Turner to steer the room. His first job was recruiting the highschool tight ends already dedicated, as they had been being poached by different faculties.

In the highschool recruiting ranks, the Hogs signed two four-star tight ends in Bixby, Oklahoma’s Luke Hasz and Ashdown native Shamar Easter, however some expertise continues to be wanted at that place exterior of Nathan Bax and Ty Washington.

Tight ends had been considerably underutilized final season underneath offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, however that won’t be the case this season,, as Dan Enos has a knack for getting probably the most out of the place. At Maryland final season, Enos’ second-leading move catcher was tight finish Corey Dyches.

Throughout the first portal window, Arkansas struck out on a number of portal tight finish prospects. The Hogs hosted tight finish Jake Roberts, beforehand of North Texas, who was truly recruited by former head coach Chad Morris, however he ended up committing to Baylor. Cane Berrong, who entered the portal out of Notre Dame, opted for Coastal Carolina over Arkansas as properly.

The Hogs will host one other North Texas tight finish switch Friday in Var’Keyes Gumms. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound tight finish entered the switch portal March 23 and reported a proposal from Arkansas on Saturday. He has additionally picked up gives from Oregon, BYU, Colorado, West Virginia and others.

After posting the worst passing protection in faculty soccer a yr in the past, the Razorbacks rebuilt the secondary with the addition of Georgia switch Jaheim Singletary and Baylor transfers Alfahiym Walcott and Lorando “Snaxx” Johnson.

Nonetheless, Arkansas misplaced 11 move defenders after the season ended, and if new co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson desires to indicate some type of enchancment, he will want extra depth.

Depth killed the Razorback secondary a yr in the past, shedding senior security Jalen Catalon within the first recreation to season-ending surgical procedure, cornerback LaDarrius Bishop a number of weeks later and security Myles Slusher quitting the crew.

The Hogs return their two high cornerbacks in Quincey McAdoo and Dwight McGlothern, and Hudson Clark is again as properly. The incoming freshman class may also assist bolster the place properly.

With the switch portal open once more, search for Woodson and defensive coordinator Travis Williams to search out one other defender who can present assistance on the again finish, almost certainly on the security place.

This place group is fascinating, just because Arkansas has, for probably the most half, stuffed out the group properly out of the switch portal. Throughout the first switch window, the Hogs signed defensive ends John Morgan III and Trajan Jeffcoat, and former Maryland defensive sort out Anthony Booker Jr. lately dedicated to Arkansas.

Leaving Arkansas and hitting the switch portal on the finish of final season had been defensive ends Jordan Domineck and Eric Thomas, and defensive sort out Isaiah Nichols. The Hogs additionally misplaced defensive finish Dorian Gerald and defensive sort out Terry Hampton, each of whom ran out of eligibility.

The Hogs return defensive sort out Taurean Carter, who missed all the 2022 marketing campaign with an damage. He has since been cleared to return to soccer actions, and his presence supplies much more assistance on the road.

The place I feel the Hogs will go on the road is for depth. It is unlikely they land an instant-impact participant at this level within the offseason, however the place they may discover some worth is in a depth piece with a number of years of eligibility to sit down behind the blokes who’re already on campus.

A stable rotational piece with longer eligibility would offer each continuity from the 2023 to the 2024 seasons, in addition to present relaxation for the starters all through a grueling SEC season.

Gone are offensive linemen Ricky Stromberg, Luke Jones and Dalton Wagner, three of the 5 starters on the offensive line final season. The Hogs return a variety of guys who look the half however might not have as a lot expertise as Pittman desires, so it’s doable we see Arkansas discover one other offensive lineman within the switch portal.

The primary switch addition following the 2022 season was Florida offensive lineman Joshua Braun, who’s the lone addition alongside the road from the portal. Pittman did say after the Crimson-White recreation on Saturday he preferred he items he has.

“Heart is that man and I really feel actually assured with Beaux (Limmer),” Pittman mentioned. “I feel we have discovered one thing in (Patrick) Kutas on the market, particularly with him having three years to play. We additionally be ok with Ty’Kieast (Crawford) and a few guys on the market as properly. E’Marion (Harris) has performed on the market. However to have a look at Kutas on the market, I feel that was enormous for us, and we did that about possibly 6-7 practices in the past.”

With Sam Pittman being the offensive line guru he’s, he ought to be capable of appeal to high-level expertise on the place to Fayetteville. With 5 months left till the season begins, there’s loads of alternative for a man to switch in and make a right away influence.

**JOIN THE CONVERSATION WITH ARKANSAS FANS ON THE TROUGH, HAWGBEAT’S PREMIUM MESSAGE BOARD**