Ladies and gentlemen, the state of the Arkansas Razorbacks union is stable and growing.
Bret Bielema’s squad is coming off an 8-5 (5-3 SEC) season that has left Hog nation buzzing about the future.
For all the bluster and bravado, Bielema’s Razorbacks weren’t just arguably one of the most-entertaining teams in the SEC in 2015, but a squad that no one wanted to play down the stretch.
Here’s a look at the current state of the Razorbacks, as the program gears up for spring practice in April.
ON-FIELD PERFORMANCE
SEC Standing: Upper middle
Grade: B+
The Arkansas offense enjoyed a banner year in 2015 with the second-highest scoring offense in the SEC that averaged 35.9 points.
The Razorbacks didn’t miss a beat after No. 1 running back Jonathan Williams was lost for the season in the preseason. Alex Collins stepped up and into the Arkansas annals, rushing for 1,577 yards and 20 touchdowns — and now sits at No. 2 all-time on the Hogs rushing list (3,703 yards).
It was the Razorbacks passing game that was the surprise last season, however, as Brandon Allen matured into an NFL-caliber quarterback, small hands be darned. Allen used his senior year to throw for the fourth-most yards in a single season for an Arkansas quarterback (3,440 yards).
Helping Allen was an impressive corps of receivers and tight ends who routinely produced late in games and in overtime. The unit — Drew Morgan, Dominique Reed and Jared Cornelius — combined for 1,771 yards and 19 touchdowns. That doesn’t include quite possibly the finest collection of tight ends in Hunter Henry and Jeremy Sprinkle (1,128 combined yards, 9 TDs), the latter who returns to Fayetteville next year.
Defensively, Arkansas showed signs of dominance, but it was often outweighed by inconsistent play. The Razorbacks were vulnerable through the air and thin at linebacker after Fayetteville High School alums Brooks Ellis and Dre Greenlaw, who finished Nos. 1 and 2 in tackles last season (197 combined).
Defensive coordinator Robb Smith has the makings of a talented defense, which was highlighted by two newcomers in Greenlaw and defensive end Jeremiah Ledbetter, who had 7.5 tackles for a loss and finished second on the team in sacks (2.0) behind Deatrich Wise (8.0).
With a five-star defensive end and two four-star defensive tackles in their 2016 class, Arkansas’ defensive line, a bipolar unit in 2015, could develop into one of the better front lines in the conference.
RECRUITING
SEC Standing: Middle of the pack
2016 Rank: No. 25 nationally, No. 9 in SEC
Grade: B
McTelvin “Sosa” Agim is a testament to the program Bielema is creating. When the No. 3 defensive end in the nation committed to the Razorbacks’ 2016 recruit class, he became the first five-star recruit in the seven-year history of ESPN’s ranking system to choose Arkansas as his new home.
While Bielema’s 2016 class dropped two spots in 247Sports’ national rankings to No. 25, compared to 2015, Arkansas rose that many slots to No. 9 in the SEC this year. The coach’s four recruiting classes have been steady, averaging around No. 25 nationally and No. 10 within the conference — paying dividends such as Collins, Henry and left tackle Denver Kirkland, all of whom figure to be drafted this spring.
This year’s class came with several recruiting coups aimed at replacing stars and adding depth. Among them are a slew of four-star talents, including defensive tackles Austin Capps and Briston Guidry, as well as offensive guard Jake Heinrich, athlete T.J. Hammonds and potentially the man to replace Collins in Devwah Whaley.
All told, the class comprises 20 recruits and has four players — three four-star talents — from the Natural State, led by the state’s No. 1 player Agim from Hope.
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
SEC Standing: Middle of the pack
Grade: B
Bielema is coming off his best season in Fayetteville, but the 2016 campaign might truly test his acumen. Arkansas will be without two vital weapons in Brandon Allen and Collins. Combine that with openings on the offensive line and the Hogs will have a different look next season. Bielema has lured the talent to keep that success going to Arkansas, but now must continue his SEC West ascension with several young and untested players. Chief among them are at those two skill positions.
Bielema has options with experience in Allen’s younger brother Austin and running back Kody Walker, each of whom played in 2015. They’ll be pushed by a slew of talented quarterbacks Ricky Town, Ty Storey and Rafe Peavey.
New running backs coach Reggie Mitchell gets a shot a developing four-star recruit Whaley as well as Rawleigh Williams III, who is expected to recover from a neck injury suffered against Auburn.
With talent comes the job of honing it. Bielema and his staff have done so, as demonstrated by the six Razorbacks invited to this year’s NFL Scouting Combine. That’s the same amount as Ole Miss and more than LSU (5) and Tennessee (2), to name a few.
Bielema loaded up his 2016 class with depth along his defensive line. Molding the defense into a tighter unit than the one that finished No. 11 in the SEC in 2015 could be the difference in improving on their eight-win campaign next season.
FACILITIES
SEC Standing: Improving
Grade: C
Eliminating 100 parking spots close to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in a place nicknamed “The Hill” sounds painful, but if the university’s athletic department gets its way, the area surrounding Arkansas’ home is going to get much, much nicer.
That’s courtesy of a $160 million proposal lobbed on the desk of the Arkansas Board of Trustees in late January to renovate the Hogs’ pen, replete with an addition to the stadium’s north end zone.
COACHING
SEC Standing: Middle of the pack
Grade: B+
Bielema isn’t one to hold back his thoughts. It can be both endearing and maddening, but it’s unique to the Arkansas head coach.
No matter what you think of the man who is 18-20 after his third season in Fayetteville, you can’t argue that he has the Razorbacks heading in a northerly direction in the SEC West.
There’s still the matter of getting off to a strong start in September and gearing up for inferior opponents, such as Toledo. But the Hogs have improved each year, earning five more wins in 2015 than in 2013. Under Bielema, the Razorbacks have become a second-half team — a trend that continued this year finishing with victories in six of their final seven games.
Bielema knows what he has in offensive coordinator Dan Enos, who helped develop Brandon Allen, turning the mediocre quarterback into a legitimate NFL prospect and igniting one of the more potent offenses in the conference, in the process.
So when new Georgia head coach Kirby Smart came a knocking for a chance to interview Enos, Bielema’s reaction was a swift and precise: no way. A non-compete clause in Enos’ contract surely softened the way Bielema rejected the Bulldogs’ new coach.
Smart instead poached Bielema’s offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who stockpiled the biggest offensive line in all of football in 2015, edging the San Diego Chargers in total girth. Bielema replaced Pittman with his doppelganger mini-me in Kurt Anderson, who recently helped coached the Buffalo Bills offensive line under Rex Ryan.
Look at it as a lateral coaching move for the unit as Arkansas looks to continue its patented strong line play under Bielema.
Bielema also added a wealth of experience in defensive backs coach Paul Rhoads, who is tasked with bolstering a unit that allowed the most passing yards in the SEC in 2015. Rhoads spent the past seven years as head coach at Iowa State after one season as Auburn’s defensive coordinator in 2008.
Bielema is a walking sound bite waiting to go viral. His affable nature, however, and pattern of success is making Fayetteville not just a destination for recruits, but coaches, as well.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
