Depth Not One of Many Questions Facing Hogs on Offense

Roster full of talented players, but questions about offensive line will determine result

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Jul 30, 2023 3:03 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — With all of the previews and projections right now around Arkansas and everybody else in college football, everyone is counting on big things from quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders.

They also add quickly there are some good players behind him in AJ Green and Rashod Dubinion along with Dominique Johnson expected to return from being slowed by a knee injury all of 2022. There's also hope incoming freshman Isaiah Augustave can play, but there's the word too many people are using right now.

Hope isn't exactly a good way of projecting in the summer what could happen by November with a team. My preferred way of doing it is there are questions and we won't know all the answers for a few months. Right now, the guess is we don't even know what the questions are, exactly.

With the offensive line this year, the questions are more about who's going to be blocking for them up front. We have no idea if they can get the production out of players in front of them everybody is hoping they will have. If those answers turn out positive, everything will get good. If they turn out spectacularly well, the season could be one to remember for a long time.

There are also questions at wide receiver, which will make a difference, but the players in the line will likely hold the key to how quarterback KJ Jefferson is able to produce in the passing game. Few quarterbacks have won many awards after a season they spent throwing primarily from a horizontal position.

As for the running backs, it can be summer simply by pointing out very few All-American runners don't have a lineman or two that gets post-season awards, too. If this team has those questions answered in a big way, the season will be good.

The depth is there. Oh, there may be a drop-off, but it won't be a huge one unless they have a rash of injuries with runners. That doesn't usually go very deep. But none of them will be perform if the biggest questions up front aren't answered, but running backs isn't one of those questions.