Dispensing with 'Lunatic Fringe' Rumors Swirling Around Housecleaning

Sooners hired defensive coordinator a month ago, but Hogs appear to be cleaning out on defense and Hornsby is gone

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Jan 7, 2022 3:19 PM EST
Original:
Jan 7, 2022

Let's immediately dispense with the nonsense that's out there right now floating among the Hogs Nation Lunatic Fringe:

• Arkansas defensive coordinator Barry Odom won't be taking the same role at Oklahoma because Brent Venables hired Ted Roof last month and added a co-defensive coordinator not named Odom this week.

• All-SEC safety Jalen Catalon is coming back to Arkansas as he said in an Instagram Live thing Thursday night.

• Everybody is saying cornerbacks coach Sam Carter is not the reason players are leaving (which would likely explain only secondary players anyway).

• The Hogs probably aren't finished with the player movement.

After Thursday evening's alert from backup quarterback Malik Hornsby that he was entering the transfer portal Friday morning he did exactly that, according to multiple reports and team sources.

That pretty much leaves the Razorbacks with a guy who hasn't played a lick (Lucas Coley), another one coming off recent knee surgery (Kade Renfro) and a junior who wasn't expected to be coming back (John Stephen Jones) behind KJ Jefferson.

Jefferson's aggressive running style probably makes coaches want to have someone who can come in because the odds are good he's going to get banged up.

Another defensive player entered the transfer portal on Friday morning with Jalen Williams announcing his departure.

A few starters on defense are among those in the complete list and the guess is coaches would have preferred they stay.

Others are probably housecleaning items the coaches didn't exactly put on a full-court press to try and keep on the team.

Confirmed transfer portal departures

QB Malik Hornsby

DB Joe Foucha

DB Nick Turner

DB Devin Bush

DB Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan

DL Jalen Williams

DL Andy Boykin

DL Solomon Wright