It’s not every year Arkansas lands a five-star recruit so when the Razorbacks do, it’s understandable the expectations around that player are through the roof in Fayetteville. Can defensive lineman McTelvin “Sosa” Agim possibly live up to the hype?

Agim was one of two early enrollees for Arkansas this offseason and participated not only during the spring but in bowl preparations leading up to last season’s Liberty Bowl.  Without singling Agim out, head coach Bret Bielema make it clear he expects contributions from his 2016 recruiting class this season.

“I will be surprised defensively if we don’t have someone help us up front,” Bielema said according to Nate Allen of Whole Hog Sports. “I think at running back can help us (too).”

The Razorbacks of course signed four-star running back Devwah Whaley and athlete T.J. Hammonds. It appears both players will be given an opportunity to help ease the loss of Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams.

However Bielema was quick to note that coaches never really know what to expect from true freshmen until they officially enter the program and face the challenges of not only acclimating to a new team but to the college lifestyle. Some players thrive in the environment, while some unexpectedly find the transition overwhelming their first year on campus.

“I have had kids come in and been really surprised they helped us,” Bielema said. “Then ones I thought were going to help us didn’t help us. You get everything from A to Z. You have never coached them and found their football IQ completely.

“A lot of the limiting thing about a freshman playing isn’t his physical ability. It’s mental. Can he handle the system? The change. The new [terminology]. We don’t want ever to put a young man in an academic situation where they might fail. If they don’t have the maturity to handle a college workload in the class room in addition to what’s going on on the field, I won’t play them.”

If the Razorbacks are going to improve off last season’s 8-5 record, they will certainly need contributions from the incoming class on the field. The only question is, which freshmen are ready to step up and answer the challenge?