Aaron Gershon

Coming off one of the worst seasons in school history, the Arkansas Razorbacks will look to improve in year two of the Chad Morris era.

2018 Record: 2-10 (0-8) SEC

2018 Bowl Game: Did Not Qualify

The 2018 season was nothing short of a train wreck for the Arkansas Razorbacks. In their first year under new head coach Chad Morris, the Hogs lost all eight of their SEC match-ups and even lost to North Texas of Conference USA at home in one of the most embarrassing losses in all of college football. As a result, the Hogs finished the season 2-10 with their wins coming against Eastern Illinois of the FCS and Tulsa of the American Athletic Conference.

Turning the page to 2019, the Razorbacks are looking to take steps forward to get back to bowl contention. Despite the down year, Morris was able to sign a top-25 recruiting class in 2019 and brought in two transfers at quarterback as he continues to reshape a program that former coach Bret Bielema left in shambles.

In a loaded SEC West, making a bowl game will be quite the challenge for Arkansas, but there is enough talent on the Razorback’s roster to give the team a fighting chance.

Returning Offensive Starters: 5

  • RB Rakeem Boyd
  • WR Mike Woods
  • TE Cheyenne O’Grady
  • C Ty Clary
  • RT Dalton Wagner

It will be a bit of a new-look offense for the Hogs in 2019. However, they do return a handful of players from last season’s offensive attack. Former “Last Chance U” star Rakeem Boyd returns at running back after rushing for 734 yards and two touchdowns in eight starts. Receiver Mike Woods also returns after hauling in 18 passes for 206 yards in his freshman season. On the offensive line, the Hogs return center Ty Clarly and right tackle Dalton Wagner who will look to anchor a unit that struggled mightily last season.

The biggest question mark on the Hog’s offense is the quarterback position. A pair of transfers in former SMU quarterback Ben Hicks and former Texas A&M quarterback Nick Starkel are battling for the job. Starkel appeared in only four games for the Aggies last season. Meanwhile, Hicks played under coach Morris when he was at SMU. Hicks appears to be the more likely option as he is in his final year of eligibility and threw for 3,569 yards and 33 touchdowns in Morris’ offense in 2017.

Returning Defensive Starters: 5

  • DT McTelvin Agim
  • DT T.J. Smith
  • MLB De’Jon Harris
  • SS Kamren Curl
  • CB Jarques McClellion

Like the offense, the Hogs defense will have a lot of players that will go from reserves to starters. However, they still have some returners on the defensive side of the ball with none more important than middle linebacker De’Jon Harris. Harris was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2016 and SEC Second-Team Defense in both 2017 and 2018. As a senior for Arkansas in 2019, Harris will hope to guide the Razorbacks defense to a much improved season.

Returning Special Team Starters: 2

  • K Connor Limpert
  • P Reid Bauer

Both kicker Connor Limpert and punter Reid Bauer are back for the Hogs in 2019. Limpert will be entering his fourth and final season as the Razorbacks kicker, while Bauer is back for his second season as the punter.

Key Loss: Hjalte Froholdt

Hjalte Froholdt was the anchor of the Arkansas offensive line the last three seasons and was named Second-Team All-SEC in 2018. After graduating in 2019, Froholdt was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. With a young offensive line in a conference loaded with talented pass rushers, losing Froholdt will hurt.

Key Newcomer: QB Ben Hicks

By landing graduate transfer Ben Hicks, Arkansas reunites Chad Morris with his former starting quarterback at SMU. Under Morris’ wing, Hicks had the best year of his college carer in 2017. Now he will likely get the chance to start in the same offensive scheme that allowed him to have that success.

Wins SEC If:

All 13 other SEC teams disband.

Circle This Game: @ Ole Miss, September 7th

If the Arkansas Razorbacks want to make a statement, they will have a chance to do it in week two by winning their first SEC game since 2017. Ole Miss, like Arkansas, is in the midst of a rebuild and early on in the season will likely be vulnerable. This game poses the best chance for the Razorbacks to steal a win in conference play and starting 1-0 against the SEC would build a ton of confidence.

Week By Week Prediction:

  • vs. Portland State W 38-0
  • at. Ole Miss L 41-38
  • vs. Colorado State W 30-23
  • vs. San Jose State W 45-17
  • vs. Texas A&M L 30-20
  • at. Kentucky L 34-30
  • vs. Auburn L 48-20
  • vs. Alabama L 52-10
  • vs. Mississippi State L 31-20
  • vs. Western Kentucky W 20-17
  • at. LSU L 34-17
  • Missouri L 41-13

Projected Record: 4-8

While I do see the Razorbacks getting two more wins than last season I still don’t see an SEC victory for them in 2019. The SEC West is as deep as ever. They also play a tough Kentucky team on the road as their SEC East opponent, in addition to their yearly battle with Missouri – who will have Kelly Bryant under center. However, expect the Hogs to go 4-0 in their non-conference slate, even while playing two solid teams in Western Kentucky and Colorado State.