For Razorback Football, Only Given is More Change

Will take months before Arkansas roster settled, even longer before starters, potential can be ascertained

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Jan 9, 2024 12:25 PM EST

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Everyone keeps asking what we think about the Razorbacks football team Sam Pittman is putting together for this upcoming season and who is going to start.

The answer is no one knows, not even Pittman. To begin with, one would need to know what the Arkansas roster is going to look like, and until May rolls around, that's not possible. Another 10 spots will likely have a new name beside them by that point.

There are still players in the portal both giving and receiving serious looks as it pertains to the Razorbacks. Same goes for a few high school players out there. Then there's the second round of the transfer portal window. There's still a lot of change on the horizon.

As far as starters, outside of Jaylon Braxton at defensive back, Landon Jackson rushing off the edge and most likely Luke Hasz at tight end, everything else is the old wrestling term "card subject to change."

It's possible the entire offensive line is different. There are young guys who should show a lot of growth over the offseason, Andrew Chamblee being one, but whether he makes enough strides to beat out all the new offensive linemen who are coming in remains to be seen.

The same can be said for Josh Braun. He's a good man with a good heart who can be a leader along the offensive front, but he's going to have to work his tail off if he wants to start next season. Odds are quite high that at least one starter on the offensive line isn't on the roster yet.

Of course, everyone wants to know who's going to be calling signals next season, but if the battle is handled fairly, that's not going to be answered until August. Other than linebacker, quarterback may be the most up in the air position on the team.

As a freshman, Malachi Singleton displayed more than enough raw talent and touch with his powerful arm that it's easy to see him pushing to the front with another offseason to develop. If this were the pre-transfer portal days, it would be good money to bet on him growing into at least a two-year starter who potentially earns All-SEC accolades.

If there were a game this Saturday, Jacolby Criswell would likely be the starter. He has the most Power Five experience on the team and appears to be the most even keeled leader of the three, although, to be fair, Singleton hasn't had much of a chance to show that part of himself.

Criswell is smart with the ball and a capable runner. He avoids mistakes that will cost the Razorbacks games and can turn potentially bad plays into positive gains. He also gets his eyes up faster than a lot of quarterbacks. This means the ball gets out quicker, thus avoiding sacks other quarterbacks would normally take. It's a major strength so long as he does it every time and it doesn't become a tip to defensive backs and linebackers.

Of course, that leaves the elephant in the room – Boise Stat transfer Taylen Green. There may be no more unpredictable wildcard in all of college football when it comes to a quarterback battle. He has the most experience of the bunch, but little against Power Five teams.

When he has started against a Power Five team, it hasn't gone well. For instance, last season in the opener at Washington, he completed just over 48% of his passes and got picked twice. In Corvallis the year before, which was Green's best season, he was better at 19-for-28, but had an interception and no touchdowns.

That's the extent of his Power Five experience. Two games, three interceptions, one touchdown. And that's the the giant anchor holding Green back. He is reckless with the ball. Last season he threw almost exactly one interception for every touchdown, and that was against lesser defensive backs. He also doesn't have the arm strength of Criswell or Singleton.

While his high risk quotient should slot him as the third quarterback at the moment, there's an x-factor at play and it's not the NIL investment that has been made on his behalf. Of the three quarterbacks, Green has the highest potential ceiling.

Arm strength should increase with an SEC level strength and conditioning program, which can help cut down interceptions. However, if offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino can improve how Green sees the field and sharpen how he makes decisions, what he's able to do from an athletic standpoint is off the charts.

It's been written here and talked about extensively on broadcasts. Green has Matt Jones level running ability. He didn't throw any touchdowns against Oregon State, but he did run for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Five times he's rushed for at least 90 yards. Five times he's run for multiple touchdowns.

While quarterback will be a hard decision, running back won't be easy either. Fortunately, the three best options can divide up the load instead of having to choose just one.

Isaiah Augustave showed a ton of promise as a freshman. No one ran with more heart and got more production when no one else was making headway than he did. However, Rashod Dubinion has logged a ton of experience and will be out to prove it's his time in the spotlight.

Still, the back who stands to gain the most from a switch to a Petrino offense is Dominique Johnson. He's a big back with good speed and soft hands who delivers a powerful punch in pass protection – a perfect fit for Petrino.

There are also players coming in both out of high school and through the portal who are going to push hard for time. There's no telling who gets the start, but rest assured this will be a team strength.

While there are plenty of other positions to look at that are far from settled, it's time to close with one a lot of people seem to assume actually is a semi-locked position. Despite what people think, the roles at wide receiver are also very much in the subject to change category.

It was said before the season and was proven throughout the year. This receiving group is big, but lacks the true speed to get the separation needed. Andrew Armstrong is the only featured receiver from last year who has the game speed necessary to get free enough to not be at risk of an interception on every throw if he runs a good route.

The hallmark signature of a Petrino offense is receivers getting separation, displaying soft hands and utilizing breakaway speed once the ball is caught. There's not a receiver from last year's group who truly fits the bill.

With the growth of an NFL approach of churning the roster in the transfer portal era, there is high potential for change to continue in the receiving room if drastic improvement isn't shown over the next few months. Arkansas has to win now and no position group was in bigger need of an upgrade outside of offensive line.

So, hang tight. Don't bother with trying to put together a depth chart. Make sure the roster is in pencil. So much is going to change before Arkansas takes takes the field against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in August. It's the only thing certain at this point.