All Hogs

Wise to hold off on judgement of Razorbacks until August

Hogs targeted needs in portal, maybe spring game cancellation was best after all
Jacob Davis|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman at spring practice on the outdoor practice fields in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman at spring practice on the outdoor practice fields in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Razorbacks happened to land each of their four official visitors this weekend, but some fans still came away unsatisfied on social media.

Going 4-for-4 on transfer visitors is extremely hard in this era, but Arkansas coaches earned commitments from each of their top targets, which ought to be commended. Not every single transfer has to be an impact, day one starter either.

That's the reality of where Arkansas is right now. There's quality players up and down the depth chart and at every level of the defense there are SEC caliber starters and depth pieces.

Razorbacks defensive coordinator Travis Williams during spring practice drills
Arkansas Razorbacks defensive coordinator Travis Williams during spring practice drills on the outdoor fields in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

Coach Sam Pittman isn't going to blow smoke when he says his program is funded well like he did in December. While that can be taken in a multitude of ways, it doesn't mean that he is ruthlessly going to spend that extra cash either.

He knew there was a need for help in the secondary after having one of the worst units in the country in two of the past three seasons. When Stanford defensive back Julian Neal, the No. 4 available transfer, came back on the market after Cardinal's coach Troy Taylor was fired, it gave Razorbacks coaches an opportunity to pounce successfully.

One player won't transform a unit, but it does give defensive backs coach Nick Perry somebody to work with who was extremely productive in the competitive Mountain West Conference. Neal earned a 70.3 overall defensive grade for his performance in 2024, held opposing quarterbacks to just a 48% completion percentage and surrendered one touchdown in 330 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Maine defensive back Shakur Smalls and Southern Utah/Kent State linebacker Trent Whalen both transferred in after productive careers with their respective FCS schools. Whether these two end up playing a considerable amount of snaps at Arkansas next season is unknown, but neither deserve to be judged yet based off playing in a lesser division.

Pittman and his staff have done a decent job evaluating talent who transferred in from smaller schools. Whether athletes have come from the FCS level or Division II, Arkansas coaches have hit more than they have missed over the past five seasons.

Non-FBS Transfers Taken by Arkansas Since 2020

DT John Ridgeway, Illinois State (2021)
WR Isaac TeSlaa, Hillsdale (2023)
WR Andrew Armstrong, Texas A&M Commerce (2023)
RB Rodney Hill, Florida A&M (2024)*
DE Anton Juncaj, Albany (2024)
RB Tyrell Reed, JUCO (2024)
DL David Oke, Abiliene Christian (2025)
DB Keshawn Davilla, JUCO (2025)
TE Rohan Jones, Montana State (2025)
TE Jeremiah Beck, JUCO (2025)
DB Shakur Smalls, Maine (2025)
LB Trent Whalen, Southern Utah (2025)

*Hill transferred in winter portal window in 2023 from Florida State, stayed at Florida A&M one semester before transferring to Arkansas for 2024 season.

Smalls comes to Arkansas after playing parts of the past five seasons for the Black Bears. The 6-foot, 205 pound cornerback has been one of the top FCS defenders in the country throughout his career appearing in 38 games while posting 164 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 20 pass break-ups, four interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Whalen's commitment was the first of four commitments this weekend and is thrilled to a be a part of the Razorbacks for 2025. His decision to transfer stems from Kent State coach Kenni Burns being fired earlier this month because I of several allegations which led to an internal investigation of the program.

While at Southern Utah, he proved to be a dependable option at the second level for the Thunderbirds recording 123 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass break-ups and one recorded fumble.

Of course, there's a very vocal minority out there who want to rip the Band-Aid off Pittman's tenure and start over once again. While he has faced intense heat over the past two years, athletics director Hunter Yurachek has stood by his side in support.

With the fanbase partially divided, it might be time to hold off the judgement of this Razorbacks team until the finished product is on display at Razorback Stadium on Aug. 30.

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Jacob Davis
JACOB DAVIS

Jacob Davis is a reporter for Arkansas Razorbacks on SI, with a decade of experience covering high school and transfer portal recruiting. He has previously worked at Rivals, Saturday Down South, SB Nation and hosted podcasts with Bleav Podcast Network where his show was a finalist for podcast of the year. Native of El Dorado, he currently resides in Central Arkansas with his wife and daughter.

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