Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Arkansas Razorbacks

Rebuilding the offensive line is Arkansas’ top concern for 2016

Glenn Sattell

By Glenn Sattell

Published:


There are severals areas of the Arkansas Razorbacks football team that have fans wringing their hands – and they all appear to be on the offensive side of the ball.

First and foremost, who will play quarterback? Who, if anyone, can fill the shoes of departing senior QB Brandon Allen, who led a prolific Razorbacks offense that ranked second in the SEC? The stalwart under center, who played in 42 games at Arkansas and ranked first in the SEC for 2015 in passing efficiency rating (166.5), will certainly be missed.

Will it be younger brother Austin Allen to take his place, or possibly 6-foot-3, 209-pound Southern Cal transfer Ricky Town?

There are big shoes to fill and running back and tight end, as well, with both RB Alex Collins and TE Hunter Henry declaring for the NFL draft? Those are players who led the Razorbacks offense in 2015 and you don’t normally just plug in the next guy on the depth chart and not miss a beat.

Still, those aren’t the biggest areas of concern for Arkansas in 2016.

The biggest worry the Razorbacks face next season are the guys up front doing the blocking for those skilled players. In addition to losing Henry, a monster blocker himself, the Razorbacks must replace senior C Mitch Smothers along with the left side of the offensive line. That includes LT Denver Kirkland, who declared early for the NFL draft.

New offensive line coach Kurt Anderson has his work cut out for him as well. Replacing the very well-liked Sam Pittman, who took the same position at Georgia, Anderson will put his stamp on the relatively new group.

An assistant offensive line coach the past three seasons for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, Anderson comes to Arkansas with solid credentials. A 2001 graduate of Michigan, where he played center, Anderson had a hand in the Bills’ NFL-leading rushing game, which averaged 152 yards per game and 4.8 yards per rush.

He’ll lean on senior-to-be RT Dan Skipper to bolster the line in 2016. The 6-foot-10, 331-pound Skipper will be a man among boys again next season. He was a big part of Arkansas’ two-year reign as the largest offensive line in football, at any level, averaging 328 pounds across the front.

Another rock on the right side of the line, sophomore RG Frank Ragnow (6-foot-5, 311) started every game in 2015.

But who will step up to fill the other three-fifths of the interior? Behind those players on the Arkansas depth chart are either freshmen or redshirt freshmen. Or will they go the JUCO route with Terrance Malone (6-foot-4, 308), who is part of the class of 2016?

Those are the questions facing Anderson and Razorback Nation.

None of the group of freshmen has started a game at Arkansas. And while all have seen the field, none have even played in more than three games. There could be some shifting of positions, but the group includes redshirt freshman LT Johnny Gibson (6-foot-4, 330), freshman LG Josh Allen (6-foot-2, 300), freshman C Zach Rogers (6-foot-1, 310), and redshirt freshman RT Brian Wallace (6-foot-6, 317).

It will be interesting to see what Anderson does with that group and the new signing class. But it remains the biggest area of concern heading into spring ball.

Glenn Sattell

Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.