The REALITY is this team has a good core of players returning,

[InHOGuration Ball]

Looking at the roster, there are a lot of good players at every class level returning.  Rather than dwell on the 2018 players not coming, check out the players that we have returning.  Many players who haven't had an opportunity or who have been injured will have that opportunity next year.  It's a new beginning, a clean slate.

Regardless of where we finish up in the recruiting rankings this year, we are going to be okay.  There will be an  improvement in coaching and conditioning.  We will catch up in recruiting.  Have some faith, Coach Morris and his staff will make it happen.  Come on, let's get behind the exceptional young players we have now as well as the new recruits  we have coming in.  We will be glad we did this time next year.  Go Hogs!   

[hawginbigd1]

Agree with the returning players, however you can't have a donut hole class in the middle so no I won't be giving them any breaks, he took the job, now do it.

[farmhawg]

Agree with the returning players, however you can't have a donut hole class in the middle so no I won't be giving them any breaks, he took the job, now do it.

In two weeks? freaking brilliant.

[InHOGuration Ball]

Agree with the returning players, however you can't have a donut hole class in the middle so no I won't be giving them any breaks, he took the job, now do it.

I see your point but the likelihood of having a donut hole this year is based on speculation of not having a highly ranked recruiting class compared to others.  We only have about 15 spots available this year regardless of who is doing the coaching / recruiting.  And yet there is still time to finish out this class.   We can only hope for it to work out.   

[hawginbigd1]

In two weeks? freaking brilliant.

Brilliant enough to know that he has a lot longer than 2 weeks to get this done, unlike you apparently Mr. Genius!

[VirginiaHog]

Brilliant enough to know that he has a lot longer than 2 weeks to get this done, unlike you apparently Mr. Genius!

He has only been on the job 2 weeks. Anyone who expected something major today does not understand college football.
The rest of the class will sign in Feb. And the class will only be about 15 so it won't be rated high

[hawginbigd1]

He has only been on the job 2 weeks. Anyone who expected something major today does not understand college football.
The rest of the class will sign in Feb. And the class will only be about 15 so it won't be rated high

Exactly this doesn't end till Feb. at that point if we don't have our 14-18 recruits whatever it is, and sure I would like top 20 class, but not gonna happen. Just better have the class filled with an average rating of about 86 + or he has not met expectations IMO.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Agree with the returning players, however you can't have a donut hole class in the middle so no I won't be giving them any breaks, he took the job, now do it.

[jkstock04]

Looking at the roster, there are a lot of good players at every class level returning.  Rather than dwell on the 2018 players not coming, check out the players that we have returning.  Many players who haven't had an opportunity or who have been injured will have that opportunity next year.  It's a new beginning, a clean slate.

Regardless of where we finish up in the recruiting rankings this year, we are going to be okay.  There will be an  improvement in coaching and conditioning.  We will catch up in recruiting.  Have some faith, Coach Morris and his staff will make it happen.  Come on, let's get behind the exceptional young players we have now as well as the new recruits  we have coming in.  We will be glad we did this time next year.  Go Hogs!   

Love this....vintage Hogville. Coach (fill in blank) is building things the right way and it doesn't matter what the stupid recruiting rankings say, "we will be just fine."

I'm not holding this class on Chad Morris...especially this early signing period. But if this class does end up epic proportions bad...that doesn't bode well for us a few years down the road.

[East TN HAWG]

Love this....vintage Hogville. Coach (fill in blank) is building things the right way and it doesn’t matter what the stupid recruiting rankings say, “we will be just fine.”

I’m not holding this class on Chad Morris...especially this early signing period. But if this class does end up epic proportions bad...that doesn’t bode well for us a few years down the road.

If you look at the overall ranking, it will be epic proportionally bad.  It would be that way if Saban was recruiting.  There very few slots available, and the way recruiting rankings work is the more you sign the higher the ranking.  This will be our worst overall recruiting ranking in years, and it would not matter who is coach. 

[JIHawg]

Looking at the roster, there are a lot of good players at every class level returning.  Rather than dwell on the 2018 players not coming, check out the players that we have returning.  Many players who haven't had an opportunity or who have been injured will have that opportunity next year.  It's a new beginning, a clean slate.

Regardless of where we finish up in the recruiting rankings this year, we are going to be okay.  There will be an  improvement in coaching and conditioning.  We will catch up in recruiting.  Have some faith, Coach Morris and his staff will make it happen.  Come on, let's get behind the exceptional young players we have now as well as the new recruits  we have coming in.  We will be glad we did this time next year.  Go Hogs!   

My thoughts exactly.  We have way too much negativity around here.

[searkhogfan]

He has only been on the job 2 weeks. Anyone who expected something major today does not understand college football.
The rest of the class will sign in Feb. And the class will only be about 15 so it won't be rated high

^^^^THIS^^^^

[bphi11ips]

If you look at the overall ranking, it will be epic proportionally bad.  It would be that way if Saban was recruiting.  There very few slots available, and the way recruiting rankings work is the more you sign the higher the ranking.  This will be our worst overall recruiting ranking in years, and it would not matter who is coach. 

Yep. Was going to be poorly ranked one way or another simply because of the number.

I like the core of this team. Spoke to Richard Davenport for a while at a game this year.  He said Bielema won more recruiting battles than any coach at Arkansas, and he's right. Personnel decisions have been baffling and seemed to get worse this year, but I can't remember having more talent recruited by bigtime schools on the roster.

[Vantage 8 dude]

Love this....vintage Hogville. Coach (fill in blank) is building things the right way and it doesn't matter what the stupid recruiting rankings say, "we will be just fine."

I'm not holding this class on Chad Morris...especially this early signing period. But if this class does end up epic proportions bad...that doesn't bode well for us a few years down the road.

I'm convinced that Morris will be most definitely relieved you won't be holding this class on him, good or bad. Whew, now that we have that out of the way how about let's see what the rest of the class holds-obviously this was going to be a small class no matter what-but more importantly, let's see how the Hogs perform next season. And that would be both ON the field as well as the recruiting class of '19. We should have at least a recruiting class more normal in terms of the full class size. More importantly, it will all give us a much better reading on how Morris and his staff actually do with a full year to recruit. IF most folks are still greatly disappointed then perhaps there would be more reason to be concerned.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

Agree with the returning players, however you can't have a donut hole class in the middle so no I won't be giving them any breaks, he took the job, now do it.

How can you honestly not be impressed so far.!?

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

I'm convinced that Morris will be most definitely relieved you won't be holding this class on him, good or bad. Whew, now that we have that out of the way how about let's see what the rest of the class holds-obviously this was going to be a small class no matter what-but more importantly, let's see how the Hogs perform next season. And that would be both ON the field as well as the recruiting class of '19. We should have at least a recruiting class more normal in terms of the full class size. More importantly, it will all give us a much better reading on how Morris and his staff actually do with a full year to recruit. IF most folks are still greatly disappointed then perhaps there would be more reason to be concerned.

Too much like right... +1

[Al Boarland]

We do not have enough quality depth on the roster. That's why when a couple guys go down our record goes with it.

[jackflash]

We have 70 percent  of our offense scoring back. like where we are at TE, RB, WR and QB. Defensive we have Agim, Harris, Ramsey, Pulley  this  is  a start

[pghawg1]

 If Alabama had signed just the players we signed yesterday ALL of these players would have more stars beside their names., just because they signed with Alabama .

[Bubba's Bruisers]

If Alabama had signed just the players we signed yesterday ALL of these players would have more stars beside their names., just because they signed with Alabama .

Simply not true.  You act as if Bama's recruits are overrated.  They're not.  If you can't see the talent they field compared to ours, then I don't know what to tell you.  It's not even comparable. 

[Bubba's Bruisers]

I need to go relook at the depth chart to see what we'll have on the roster in 2019 season.  We might be fairly competitive next season due to all the returning players, getting healthy, and improved schedule...new coaches and systems notwithstanding.  2019 might be more interesting.

[DiamondHogFan]

Bowl eligibility is our target next year with a floor of 6-6 and ceiling of 8-4 in regular season.  Anything less than 6-6, there should be concern.
Anything more than 8-4, we hit the jackpot in CCM. 

The 2019 recruiting class will be the measuring stick for CCM.  We have a solid instate class and he will have had time to connect his Texas roots to the U of A. 

[bphi11ips]

Simply not true.  You act as if Bama's recruits are overrated.  They're not.  If you can't see the talent they field compared to ours, then I don't know what to tell you.  It's not even comparable. 

He's not saying that. He's saying player evaluations are influenced by offer sheets.

[Bubba's Bruisers]

He's not saying that. He's saying player evaluations are influenced by offer sheets.

I agree with what you're saying, but that's not what he said IMO.  And considering the offer sheet is the most credible thing any service can do, given that the services aren't qualified to "evaluate" talent.

[liljo]

Looking at the roster, there are a lot of good players at every class level returning.  Rather than dwell on the 2018 players not coming, check out the players that we have returning.  Many players who haven't had an opportunity or who have been injured will have that opportunity next year.  It's a new beginning, a clean slate.

Regardless of where we finish up in the recruiting rankings this year, we are going to be okay.  There will be an  improvement in coaching and conditioning.  We will catch up in recruiting.  Have some faith, Coach Morris and his staff will make it happen.  Come on, let's get behind the exceptional young players we have now as well as the new recruits  we have coming in.  We will be glad we did this time next year.  Go Hogs!   

I'm with you. I cannot believe all the negativity on this site!

All you've done is speak like a Razorbacks FAN, and I know there are those that will flame about it. The damage done by the previous coaching staff is going to take time to fix. But you are so right. There were quite a few impactful injuries last year that didn't help. And I always thought BB was very weak in player development. There are some good athletes on the Hill, and good coaching can have amazing results.

Additionally, I think Coach Morris is going to still land some more good recruits. I'm more concerned with seeing him get a great staff in place, and believe that will have more impact than any recruits we can land right now. I'm DEFINITELY no expert, and after reading tons of threads around here I think it's safe to say that a whole lot of Negative Nancys around here aren't either. As a FAN, I'm going to stand with this staff and team. I think we have some offensive weapons already in place that just need a coach with the imagination to put them in positions to succeed.

Defensively, the good news is we got a lot of returning players. The bad news is, they didn't appear to be very good. Still, I have hopes that the right coaching staff will develop those players to be the best they can be. The improvement will be seen on the field, and can't be predicted on an Internet forum with any degree of accuracy.

So far, after just these few days on the job, I don't see a single thing that Coach Morris could have done better.

[jkstock04]

I'm convinced that Morris will be most definitely relieved you won't be holding this class on him, good or bad. Whew, now that we have that out of the way how about let's see what the rest of the class holds-obviously this was going to be a small class no matter what-but more importantly, let's see how the Hogs perform next season. And that would be both ON the field as well as the recruiting class of '19. We should have at least a recruiting class more normal in terms of the full class size. More importantly, it will all give us a much better reading on how Morris and his staff actually do with a full year to recruit. IF most folks are still greatly disappointed then perhaps there would be more reason to be concerned.

When did I infer that Chad Morris should care what I think? I'm just a faceless text on the internet...just like you. So since you may have a homer viewpoint about things do you think he is going to come on here, specifically read your post and go home with a happy smile and fist pump? Neat if so!!

If you want to talk about expectations next year, 6 wins and a bowl game is a must. Integrity and uncommon isn't going to put as many butts in seats as it did in 2015 as evidenced by historically bad attendance the past couple of home games. Winning has now firmly come back into the equation...and being that our new AD comes from a school where they actually have real winning expectations? Yep, winning is most likely going to be a top priority once again.

Going 0-8 next year in conference with a pat on the butt with a smile/wink, a quadruple helping of thanksgiving pecan pie with years of relaxation on the mind like we had in 2013 ain't gonna happen. Gotta win a few games and it's obvious to me we now have a coach hell bent on it.

2019 recruiting class I'm expecting Morris to deliver on at least 10, upwards to 15 quality recruits from Texas....while at the same time locking down our top in state recruits because he will have had an entire year to develop relationships.

[hogsanity]

The reality is next season was always going to be on the backs of the players already on campus. The recruiting classes from 15,16,17 mainly and any rs left from the 14 class. CM was going to have to make due with what he was left.

That most were brought in to run something different is a draw back, but so many kids play some sort of spread in HS many of them are at least somewhat familiar with that type of play. The OL is more suited to pass block for quick passes, the rb's are good enough to pop some runs. The biggest questions to me are:

Can the WR's get open. They seem to struggle off the los.

Can the defense not give up over 30ppg

[nwahogfan1]

We have 70 percent  of our offense scoring back. like where we are at TE, RB, WR and QB. Defensive we have Agim, Harris, Ramsey, Pulley  this  is  a start

We will have to see if the returning talent is a great enough fit that translate to 2 or 3 more wins, closer loses and fun football that puts butts in our beautiful upgraded stadium.

[nwahogfan1]

The reality is next season was always going to be on the backs of the players already on campus. The recruiting classes from 15,16,17 mainly and any rs left from the 14 class. CM was going to have to make due with what he was left.

That most were brought in to run something different is a draw back, but so many kids play some sort of spread in HS many of them are at least somewhat familiar with that type of play. The OL is more suited to pass block for quick passes, the rb's are good enough to pop some runs. The biggest questions to me are:

Can the WR's get open. They seem to struggle off the los.

Can the defense not give up over 30ppg

Good points. 

New staff, new schemes on both sides of the ball will be tested and graded.

I am staying positive for now.

[pghawg1]

 Alabama s may not be overrated but the ones we signed Wednesday are darn good football players.

[nwahogfan1]

Looking at the roster, there are a lot of good players at every class level returning.  Rather than dwell on the 2018 players not coming, check out the players that we have returning.  Many players who haven't had an opportunity or who have been injured will have that opportunity next year.  It's a new beginning, a clean slate.

Regardless of where we finish up in the recruiting rankings this year, we are going to be okay.  There will be an  improvement in coaching and conditioning.  We will catch up in recruiting.  Have some faith, Coach Morris and his staff will make it happen.  Come on, let's get behind the exceptional young players we have now as well as the new recruits  we have coming in.  We will be glad we did this time next year.  Go Hogs!   

I am not saying your wrong but I am curious if all that talent is coming back why was CBB going after so many JUCOs?

[tbhogfan]

We have some superb athletes returning. 

CCM mentioned yesterday that the team needs to be in better condition, which was music to my ears.  Hopefully, better conditioning, better schemes, and better attention to detail can produce a few more wins.

[The NewEra]

We had the talent level to win 2-3 more games in 2016.

We had the talent level to win 2-3 more games in 2017.

The talent level on this team has been and still is capable of winning eight games.  Coaching will be the most critical component for the 2018 season, followed by, does the team buy in to the new staff and system.  Placing a huge emphasis on Special Teams will be worth seven points per game compared to the last staff.  Unpredictability with the new offense will make us hard to defend against.  Playing at a faster pace will put significant strain on opposing defenses. 

Bringing in a defensive scheme that utilizes the talent we have and allowing those players to play fast and aggressive will totally transform the look and productivity of our defense. 

We have the talent on the team to be  50% or better in conference play.  I look forward to seeing a coach and staff who finally put our current players in a position to win.  If we win 8 or more games next year it could allow CCM to have a really good recruiting year with the positive vibes that will surround the program.  Once he adds the speed, length, athleticism and winning attitude to the team he's targeting then the program will be on a new, upward trajectory.

I'm so glad that old staff is gone and we can look forward to a re-energized team and fan base.

[wachhog]

When you fire the guy who resuscitated your program and replace him with an AD's  water boy, who's then given five years , this was to be expected.

[SooieGeneris]

If you look at the overall ranking, it will be epic proportionally bad.  It would be that way if Saban was recruiting.  There very few slots available, and the way recruiting rankings work is the more you sign the higher the ranking.  This will be our worst overall recruiting ranking in years, and it would not matter who is coach.

Riddle me this Batman: when is the last time we had this few slots available?

Whether that is good or bad as far as how the returning players fit with the new systems that will be in place is something we won't know for awhile.

But having few slots is automatically bad? That's just silly! Attrition has been one of our biggest problems for years. One thing BB did right, maybe the only thing as far as on field performance, was slow the outflow of players leaving the program with years of eligibility remaining.

But having few slots to fill is not a bad thing unless many of the players already on the roster are not SEC caliber. We don't know that yet on most.

Florida State is currently ranked 70th, a program almost always in the Top 10 of the recruiting rankings. They only won 2 more games than we did in spite of being ranked #2 in the polls at the start of the season.

They had a season much like we did with Johnell not at the helm in 2012. Johnell got axed as he should have, but Jimbo got PAID with a ten year deal at A&M.

Johnell had never won a NC of course, but had a good record at Louisville and Utah State or Idaho or somewhere out west before that.

In fact, we had fans saying they didn't want Petrino back in 2007 claiming that BP only won because of the foundation Johnell had in place at Louisville. How ridiculous is that?

Don't forget: this recruiting class is NOT OVER until Feb. Once there is a DC in place and a full staff, there are a lot of good players who won't sign until Feb.

I don't think our ranking will rise above the high 40s or low 50s by the end, but who knows? As long as we get speed and skill with the remaining slots, this won't be a "Bad" class.

Also: coaches have never had to deal with the time pressures of the early signing period. For coaches who have been on their current job for what, a little over 2 weeks, that is a big deal.

Uncharted waters, but at least we no longer have the Captain of the Titanic at the helm..

[SooieGeneris]

I am not saying your wrong but I am curious if all that talent is coming back why was CBB going after so many JUCOs?

He knew if he returned that he had to win NOW for sure! It was desperation, going for the quick fix and we would have paid for it down the line..

[InHOGuration Ball]

I am not saying your wrong but I am curious if all that talent is coming back why was CBB going after so many JUCOs?

Good point!  However, I believe the answer to your concern resides in the evaluation differences and coaching philosophies  between the old staff and the new staff plus we have several good freshman and sophomores returning that I believe will step up and be productive.   

[ChicoHog]

I think we all agree we will score points as long as we get decent QB play.  The defense is what is troubling.  We have 2-4 NFL players at most on defense; Agim, Pulley if he recovers from injury, maybe Harris and maybe Curl.  We need lots of help on the Dline, LBs and DBs-especially here since we lost many to graduation.  Can the younger guys step up?  Time will tell.  In the meantime the new DC and Morris need to emphasize defensive talent improvement asap. 

[Pudgepork]

I need to go relook at the depth chart to see what we'll have on the roster in 2019 season.  We might be fairly competitive next season due to all the returning players, getting healthy, and improved schedule...new coaches and systems notwithstanding.  2019 might be more interesting.

Quite a few of the more talented players are very rested. They weren't used much.

[redeye]

I entirely agree that we have a good core of players returning.  Bielema was a better recruiter than many want to acknowledge and his retention rate was excellent.  We're in much better shape than when Petrino left, but some seem to think the situations are equal.  In fact, this is the reason our class is ranked so low right now and why it'll finish ranked low for Arkansas.

[hogsanity]

I think we all agree we will score points as long as we get decent QB play.  The defense is what is troubling.  We have 2-4 NFL players at most on defense; Agim, Pulley if he recovers from injury, maybe Harris and maybe Curl.  We need lots of help on the Dline, LBs and DBs-especially here since we lost many to graduation.  Can the younger guys step up?  Time will tell.  In the meantime the new DC and Morris need to emphasize defensive talent improvement asap. 

Defense? We don't need no stinking defense.

[InHOGuration Ball]

I entirely agree that we have a good core of players returning.  Bielema was a better recruiter than many want to acknowledge and his retention rate was excellent.  We're in much better shape than when Petrino left, but some seem to think the situations are equal.  In fact, this is the reason our class is ranked so low right now and why it'll finish ranked low for Arkansas.

Good insight Redeye! 

[InHOGuration Ball]

Good points. 

New staff, new schemes on both sides of the ball will be tested and graded.

I am staying positive for now.

Well stated.  I'm right there with both of you.