Bret Bielema enters 2015 with an Arkansas team that resembles his Rose Bowl-bound Wisconsin units more and more closely: an elite running game, a huge, bulldozing offensive line and a physical, aggressive front seven.

The offense returns eight starters next season, so Bielema is hoarding players at his two favorite positions, offensive line and tight end. Seriously, one-fifth of the current class, four players out of 20, are tight ends, including two of the team’s three highest rated commitments in C.J. O’Grady and Will Gragg.

The defense must replace its three best players in LB Martrell Spaight, DE Trey Flowers and DT Darius Philon. Again, Bielema and the Razorbacks focused their best recruiting efforts on big, physical players at the line of scrimmage, as three of the team’s seven best commitments are defensive linemen, including the country’s 15th-best defensive tackle in Hjalte Froholdt.

Arkansas is tracking to finish in the Top 25 this recruiting cycle, but the Hogs would love to nab another touted receiver. The team may even be able to offer early playing time to, say, K.J. Hill (North Little Rock, Ark.), as the team could use some more pass-catching threats to surround senior quarterback Brandon Allen.

It’s hard to believe, but as of Monday night, 247Sports ranked this Razorbacks class No. 21 in the country, and that was good enough for dead last in the SEC West. So Bielema and the coaching staff will need to do a nice job developing these players and executing their philosophy on the field to clamor out of last place in the West standings.

But Arkansas is assembling a nice class with plenty of classic Bielema body types. The team should have plenty of depth to work with in his third season in Fayetteville.

ASSESSING ARKANSAS’ 2015 CLASS

Current commits or enrollees: 20 (avg. star: 3.4)
Remaining primary targets: OT Toby Weathersby, WR K.J. Hill, WR Dominique Reed, OT Klint Harvey
National/SEC rank: 21/10

NOTABLE COMMITS

NAT RANK PLAYER STAR POSITION HEIGHT WEIGHT
143 Hjalte Froholdt 4 DT 6-4 282
197 C.J. O’Grady 4 TE 6-4 230
204 Will Gragg 4 TE 6-4 245
220 Jamario Bell 4 DE 6-6 225
224 Ty Storey 4 QB 6-3 216
243 Jalen Merrick 4 G 6-5 295
18* Jeremiah Ledbetter 4 DT 6-3 281

*Junior college transfer