The Arkansas Razorbacks face several questions heading into the 2025 college football season. Is this the final year of Head Coach Sam Pittman and is Arkansas finally a contender in the daunting SEC conference?
Several key factors will determine the upcoming season. Can Taylen Green lead the Hogs in his second season with the team and limit the turnovers on offense that plagued them all season?
Here is how the team is shaping up heading into the 2025 football campaign.
Future of Arkansas Football Could be Defined in 2025
Offense
In 2025, Pittman should be preaching to his team about the importance of ball security. Last season, the Hogs were abysmal holding onto the football with 30 total fumbles. When Arkansas lost two or more fumbles in a game, they went 1-5 and 6-1 when the offense didn’t.
Green threw only nine interceptions but had just 15 passing touchdowns. The quarterback will have to produce from the pocket if Arkansas is going to compete in a tough SEC as other top quarterbacks in the conference are averaging close to 30 passing touchdowns a season.
Receiving Targets
The Hogs lost their top targets from last season but replaced them with just as much talent in the transfer portal.
Look for O’Mega Blake from Charlotte to lead the team in receiving, after averaging 25 yards per catch with nine touchdowns last year. Another option for Green will be a former highly touted recruit Ismael Cisse from Stanford. Additionally, Raylen Sharpe coming over from Fresno State brought in 51 receptions last season, and Kam Shanks from UAB brought in 62 passes last season.
At tight end the Hogs will have more power than finesse. Andreas Paaske will be hard to miss with his massive frame sitting at 6-6, 265-pounds, and Rohan Jones transferred in from Montana State after catching nine touchdown passes in 2024.
The Hogs upgraded at the offensive line. Arkansas landed Corey Robinson II from Georgia Tech, who was one of the best tackles in the transfer portal. They also added Caden Kitler from UCF to solidify the Center position.
Defense
Last year’s defense for the Razorbacks was reliable for the most part except for a couple of instances. The Hogs couldn’t get stops against an Oklahoma State team that turned out to be an average offense by season’s end.
However, Arkansas played solid defense for most of the season only allowing 28 points or fewer in nine games and being stout against the run. With some returners and new transfer portal acquisitions, the defense has a chance to be better this season.
Linebacker will be the strength on this side of the ball for the Razorbacks. The position will be led by Xavian Sorey Jr., who had 99 tackles with 2.5 sacks, including nine tackles for loss. Stephen Dix is back after making 72 tackles, and they will be aided by a top recruit Tavion Wallace.
The biggest question mark will be on the defensive line. After losing Landon Jackson to the NFL Draft, where will the pass rush come from? Quincy Rhodes and Charlie Collins will be relied on to get after the quarterback. However, there aren’t any players on the line who have proven they can consistently get in the backfield.
In the middle, they will be stronger and will be calling on 389-pound Ian Gerrard and 326-pound Cameron Ball to penetrate up front. The D-line should have depth after they brought over David Oke from Abilene Christian after having a phenomenal season at the FCS level.
The secondary should have a superb season. This position might have the most depth on the entire roster. Coming off an injury, Miguel Mitchell is expected to be one of the safeties along with Larry Worth III. Still, they will be challenged for their jobs by Caleb Wooden from Auburn, Kani Walker, who came over from Oklahoma, and Quentavius Scandrett from Eastern Michigan.
At corner, the two expected starters are returner Jaheim Singletary, who is the most experienced, but Selman Bridges has the most potential upside. However, the Razorbacks added players from the transfer portal who may win the position. Julian Neal out of Fresno State was considered a top corner in the portal, Kani Walker out of Oklahoma can be plugged in anywhere in the secondary, and Jordan Young from Cincinnati made 69 tackles with 12 pass breakups during the last two seasons.
Prediction:
Wins: Alabama A&M, Arkansas State, Mississippi State, Missouri, Auburn, Notre Dame, Texas A&M,
Losses: at LSU, at Memphis, at Ole Miss, at Tennessee at Texas,
Record: 7-5
Despite avoiding Georgia and Alabama this year Arkansas still faces a gauntlet of a schedule. They finish the last three games at LSU, at Texas, and Missouri. It will be hard to find another team that has a tougher finish this season than Arkansas.
The Hogs will earn another bowl game bid and realistically have a chance of getting to 8-4. However, 7-5 seems more likely due to the strength of their schedule. The calls for coach Pittman to be let go will get louder and louder if they finish 7-5 for the third time in the past four seasons.
Main Image: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
