Arkansas Razorbacks is a household name in the state of Arkansas. But in football, the Razorbacks have a brand in need of rehabilitation going into the 2024 season after mediocrity dating back to the early 2010s. 2023 was a losing year and its end was merciful.
The Hogs then hired Bobby Petrino as the offensive coordinator which rationalized keeping the head coach, acquired some key recruits from high school and the transfer portal, and had a decent spring practice season. Coach Sam Pittman was encouraged up until then, saying “Hey, we just don’t lose anybody that we have and don’t add anybody, we’re gonna have us a fine football team.”
The Arkansas Razorbacks Look to Change Direction in 2024
Shortly after Pittman spoke these words, the lure of the portal pulled eight Razorbacks into it and away from the Hog roster. It started with running back Isaiah Augustave, who entered the portal almost immediately after the conclusion of spring practice. It was not long before seven more Hogs followed to various destinations. It was almost as if the departures were designed to spoil Pittman’s comments specifically.
Pittman’s quote traveled far and wide on Razorback social media with each announced transfer. With the dust now starting to settle, the flurry of players leaving can likely be chalked up to fewer student-athletes than ever being willing to take on a reserve or backup role. This is presumably an issue for all college sports teams at the moment, with the transfer portal option and NIL deals abounding. Perhaps Hog fans are still cautious from all the down years and saw all the defections as a bad sign. Pessimism crept back in.
But the exodus stopped with the departure of defensive back Lorando “Snaxx” Johnson and reversed itself with the commitment of running back Rodney Hill, a quick back who played at Florida A&M. From there, the numbers only got better. The Hogs even added 28-year-old former professional baseball player Monte Harrison who agreed to play wide receiver as a walk-on.
Now that the numbers have been replenished, the internal debate over quality can begin. The departing players have gone to the likes of Baylor, North Carolina, and Colorado, while the newcomers have come from schools like Utah State, Marshall, and South Florida. But the average player rating between the outgoing and incoming groups is close.
Former Major Leaguer Monte Harrison is heading back to school to play football for @RazorbackFB, and he's bringing the wheels with him. 👀 pic.twitter.com/XgFSiMXXXl
— MLB (@MLB) May 8, 2024
Another factor to consider is that this is mostly replaced depth. It might be too much to ask that injuries don’t take a toll, but “the replacements” here are essentially good enough to bolster the numbers. And depth is what often separates the wheat from the chaff over the course of an arduous college football season.
On offense, aside from Hill, the Hogs added offensive lineman Joe More from Syracuse, quarterback Blake Boda from Coastal Carolina, running back Tyrell Reed from the junior college ranks, and wide receiver Khafre Brown from South Florida. On defense, the Razorbacks added linebacker Larry Worth from Jacksonville State, linebacker/safety hybrid Anthony Switzer from Utah State, linebacker Stephen Dix from Marshall, and defensive tackle Danny Saili from BYU.
The former pro baseball player in Monte Harrison played for the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels and was actually rated a four-star high school football recruit in 2014, which makes him the most high-profile recruit of the spring season despite being a walk-on. His arrival fully seals the hole left in the Hogs by their post-spring practice departures. One wonders what Pittman would say now.
