SDS: The National Media's View of The 2015 Razorbacks

[MuskogeeHogFan]

From the article:

•Arkansas completed just 29 passes of 20 or more yards last season, 98th in the FBS according to ESPN. Keon Hatcher, the No. 1 option at receiver, and tight end Hunter Henry are reliable, consistent players, but they aren't game breakers. The Hogs need one or two players from the group of Dominique Reed, Jojo Robinson or Eric Hawkins to provide that dynamic.

•The Razorbacks may need to rely on 5-foot-10 walk-on Josh Harris as a rotational player at linebacker, which speaks to the team's lack of depth at the position.

•Despite a few of the team's offensive linemen dropping weight — including a significant amount by LG Sebastian Tretola — the average weight among the 10 players listed at the position at the end of spring was 319.2 pounds, according to Athlon Sports.

•You probably knew that Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins each rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season. But this was a surprise to me: no other FBS team shared that distinction. Arkansas claimed the only pair of 1,000-yard rushers in one backfield in '14, according to Athlon Sports.

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/arkansas-football/what-the-magazines-are-saying-about-2015-arkansas/

[Hog N Bama]

Good article. Thanks Muskogee Hog for sharing.
I think everyone is underestimating BA.
Further, the prediction of 5th in the West is way off IMO. :razorback: :razorback: :razorback:

[lefty08]

I thinks that's disrespectable to Harris. Isn't it possible the kid is just that good or is that impossible for a walkon?

[Steef]

I thinks that's disrespectable to Harris. Isn't it possible the kid is just that good or is that impossible for a walkon?

I took it differently.

I took it as disrespectful of Randy Shannon's recruiting while he was here, that we are so thin at linebacker.

Harris IS a walkon. Not really a disrespectful thing. Just a fact. And if I was him, I would be proud of the fact I had worked my way onto the travel squad.

[Choctaw Hog]

I thinks that's disrespectable to Harris. Isn't it possible the kid is just that good or is that impossible for a walkon?

Anybody know what they wrote preseason about Spait and Arkansas' linebackers last year? 

[Dominicanhog]

Good article. Thanks Muskogee Hog for sharing.
I think everyone is underestimating BA.
Further, the prediction of 5th in the West is way off IMO. :razorback: :razorback: :razorback:

I also thought it was a good article... I agree with his assesment as well, we will go as far as BA can take us... We'll have to make some plays down the field..

[gmarv]

I think what ba gives us will be the difference between a good or great season.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Anybody know what they wrote preseason about Spait and Arkansas' linebackers last year? 

As I recall, LB was an area of concern last year as well, but then Spaight 2.0 occurred. And who saw that coming after a less than stellar 2013 season for Spaight? There has been some talk about Hackett following Spaight's example of being a game film addict and if true, might we see Hackett bloom as a dominant MLB?

For the first time in recent memory we have SEC sized LB's across the board, all over 6-1 and over 230 lbs. each. So while I understand the questions regarding that area for everyone except Brooks Ellis and questionable depth that lacks having a lot of experience, that doesn't necessarily mean that this group won't be very good.

[rzrbaxfan]

Josh Harris just might be the most underrated player on this team going into 2014.  If he gets playing time, it will be because of his determination to play, not lack of depth.

[Mike Irwin]

Josh Harris just might be the most underrated player on this team going into 2014.  If he gets playing time, it will be because of his determination to play, not lack of depth.

Josh Harris is no ordinary walk-on. I watched the kid a lot last spring. He can play. Khalia Hackett told me that because of the way Harris was pushing him he had to work his butt off just to keep his job.

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

As I recall, LB was an area of concern last year as well, but then Spaight 2.0 occurred.

Everything last year was an area of concern because in 13 we won nothing.

Some "experts" were saying we could go winless in the SEC again in 14.

[Pigsknuckles]

Don't worry about Tretola dropping a few pounds. It will enhance his scrambling ability if he has to check off his primary receiver.

[HF#1]

Being "thin" at Linebacker isn't anything new for Arkansas.  It's part of our history.  Arkansas doesn't produce enough LB's to attract top notch LB's from other states. 

I think Bielema is improving this though.

[Biggus Piggus]

I remember when Alabama had to rely on a walk-on in its safety rotation. Won a national championship.

[bennyl08]

Josh Harris just might be the most underrated player on this team going into 2014.  If he gets playing time, it will be because of his determination to play, not lack of depth.

Not really true. Consider right now we have 4 scholarship LB'ers and 3 walk ons. Just by definition there will be minimum 2 walkons on the two deep. Now, we do have two incoming scholarship freshmen. So that gives us 6 total scholarship LB'ers and 3 walk ons at the position. At least one of those walkons will get playing time simply due to a lack of bodies (i.e. depth). Which walk-on will be function of who is the best and it is fully possible that if they play well enough to beat out the scholly player.

So, my post isn't saying anything about the quality of a player Josh Harris is as I can't say I've ever actually seen him play. Simply, that the statement you made is incorrect.

[Biggus Piggus]

Plain and simple, the outsider media do not know how good Arkansas is going to be -- offense and defense. I like it when the Hogs are underestimated. Does not bother me in the least.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Plain and simple, the outsider media do not know how good Arkansas is going to be -- offense and defense. I like it when the Hogs are underestimated. Does not bother me in the least.

I agree and while we think that we are going to be pretty good because of what we see in this team, the truth is that there are a lot of lingering questions about certain aspects of this team that we won't have answers for, until the season rolls around.

[Hog N Bama]

I agree and while we think that we are going to be pretty good because of what we see in this team, the truth is that there are a lot of lingering questions about certain aspects of this team that we won't have answers for, until the season rolls around.

Just watch or listen to any recent interview of Rob Smith if you are having serious doubts about our defense this year. You will feel better. :razorback:

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Just watch or listen to any recent interview of Rob Smith if you are having serious doubts about our defense this year. You will feel better. :razorback:

No, I don't, not really. All I'm saying is that coaches are going to say what coaches are going to say at this time of the year. By the 3rd or 4th game of the season we will all know more about what we have as a team and how much progress has actually been made.

I feel good about this team but all we have at this point is hopes and projections.

[Hog N Bama]

No, I don't, not really. All I'm saying is that coaches are going to say what coaches are going to say at this time of the year. By the 3rd or 4th game of the season we will all know more about what we have as a team and how much progress has actually been made.

I feel good about this team but all we have at this point is hopes and projections.

Sorry. Didn't mean you specifically. I just meant anybody having concerns about our defense this year.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Sorry. Didn't mean you specifically. I just meant anybody having concerns about our defense this year.

No, it's fine. I didn't take it that way, I just meant I don't have any doubts that we have a good team this year, but I do want to see how the LB's perform, the WR's and our QB's. And I'd like to see if the DB's have plugged up the "big play" hole we had at times last year. And then there is the punting and place kicking/FG's. So it isn't as if we already know that all of those things are better than last year. As good as I feel about where we are headed, questions do still remain.

[Hog N Bama]

No, it's fine. I didn't take it that way, I just meant I don't have any doubts that we have a good team this year, but I do want to see how the LB's perform, the WR's and our QB's. And I'd like to see if the DB's have plugged up the "big play" hole we had at times last year. And then there is the punting and place kicking/FG's. So it isn't as if we already know that all of those things are better than last year. As good as I feel about where we are headed, questions do still remain.

Our kicking game and special teams in general is the ? IMO.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Our kicking game and special teams in general is the ? IMO.

I'd say that is certainly one of the questions since we were tied for 11th in the SEC with LSU for total points generated by kicking and 12th in the SEC (106th nationally) in FG scoring.