Arkansas, Georgia vie for LSU transfer lineman Carius Curne

Razorbacks, Bulldogs collide again, this time in the portal, chasing LSU tackle and Arkansas native Carius Curne as window opens.

LSU Tigers offensive lineman Carius Curne (57) waits for the snap during the fourth quarter against the Ole Miss Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The SEC has always been a neighborhood where borrowing your neighbor’s lawn mower comes with a recruiting pitch attached.

But even by league standards, the latest skirmish feels fittingly theatrical with Arkansas and Georgia gearing up to battle for LSU offensive lineman and Arkansas native Carius Curne, who confirmed he will enter the transfer portal Jan. 2.

Because nothing says “holiday season in the SEC” quite like two programs fighting to reclaim — or re-poach — a player who grew up a few hours up the road.

Curne told On3 he intends to enter the portal when it opens, kicking off a sweepstakes that instantly vaulted him near the top of every trench-needy program’s wish list.

This isn’t Arkansas’ first rodeo with Curne. Far from it. Back in his high-school recruitment, the 6-foot-5 lineman famously told OMSpirit, “I’m going to have to say Arkansas right now,” when asked who was recruiting him hardest.

The Razorbacks clutched that quote like a love letter. It gave the entire state permission to imagine a future where Curne anchored the Hogs’ line for years. And then he signed with LSU.

NEW: LSU OL Carius Curne plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @Hayesfawcett3 reports.

The former 5-star recruit played in 7 games this season. https://t.co/OZn70afyXz pic.twitter.com/4CUOLNWGAj

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) December 17, 2025

If Razorback fans seem cautiously optimistic this time around, well, you would be too if your prom date once told you yes and then drove off with someone else.

Now the portal has reopened the door, and Arkansas is once again trying to convince the in-state star that “home” is more than a convenient slogan on a graphic.

But Arkansas isn’t the only SEC heavyweight in the running — and certainly not the one holding the recent national hardware.

Georgia, the league’s resident talent vacuum, was involved in Curne’s high-school recruitment as well. The Bulldogs were early evaluators, even considering him as a defensive lineman at one stage. And in a moment that every program now has bookmarked, Curne once said of Georgia, “I just feel like we clicked from the first time we talked.” (On3 (via Rivals quote)

“Clicked.” It’s a harmless word unless you’re trying to recruit against Georgia, in which case it’s the emotional equivalent of a cold front moving through your living room.

The Bulldogs don’t lose many battles for big, athletic linemen. And when they do, it’s usually because they chose not to fight. This time, they may fight.

Meanwhile, the Hogs have to make their pitch with the tools they have: opportunity, playing time, home-state pride, and the chance to help rebuild a unit that badly needs immediate reinforcement.

Curne started games at both right and left tackle for LSU this season. That's versatility Arkansas desperately needs. The Hogs’ revamped coaching staff can offer a blank slate and a fast track to the field.

🚨Prediction Alert🚨

I’m predicting LSU OL Carius Curne to Arkansas!!!! The Marion Native started several games this past year for the Tigers and was committed to Arkansas in the past!

🐅➡️🐗 pic.twitter.com/Vw0z2narcJ

— ArkansasRazorbackRecruitingUpdates (@ArkansasFBFan94) December 17, 2025

And of course, they can offer the intangible that won’t show up on any recruiting graphic: your mom can be at the game in two hours.

For some players, that’s worth more than whatever Georgia keeps in its trophy room. For others, well, have you seen what Georgia keeps in its trophy room?

Let’s not pretend this is just a recruiting story. This is a revealing test of where Arkansas sits in the modern SEC pecking order.

If the Razorbacks can pull an in-state star out of the portal despite Georgia poking around, it signals that the program still has gravitational pull or at least enough emotional equity to win certain fights.

If they can’t? Then it becomes yet another reminder that the league’s biggest predators rarely stay hungry for long.

Arkansas once had Curne committed. Georgia once “clicked” with him. LSU once signed him. Now the portal throws them all back into the room together, like a family reunion run by airline schedulers.

Someone’s going home happy. Someone’s going home annoyed. And someone’s going home explaining to their message board why this was always part of the plan.