National Signing Day 2011: Arkansas' Top Five Positional Needs for 2011
The offseason in college football is very hectic as teams scramble to build up their personnel to compete for a national championship. The unique thing about college football is that there is always constant turnover as students graduate or choose to leave early for the professional ranks.
This absence leaves the college football coach with holes that he has to fill on the team.
Here is a look at the top five positional needs for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
5. Cornerback
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A big reason for the Razorbacks' success in 2010 was steady improvement on the defensive side of the ball.
Ramon Broadway started nine games and was sixth on the team with 42 tackles before suffering a dislocated ankle that ended his time with the Razorbacks. The Hogs played without him, allowing Petrino to fill the spot with a mix of players that will aid in determining who will get his starting spot this year.
4. Offensive Line
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A quarterback is one of the most important positions on the field, so it only makes sense that protecting him should be a priority.
The Hogs will have some holes to fill up front as they lose a pivotal tackle in DeMarcus Love. Love is a first-team All-SEC selection that will be sorely missed.
Head coach Bobby Petrino realizes that if he wants to run his high-octane offense, protecting the quarterback is a must. Petrino has plenty of big men in stock and focused recruiting on grabbing some of the best available.
3. More Offensive Line
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The offensive line also has to prepare for life without Ray Dominguez.
In Dominguez the Hogs lose perhaps the hardest thing to replace in college football, experience. Dominguez was a mainstay up front and an expert at longevity and creating holes for running backs. Although not a household name outside of Arkansas, Dominguez will be very hard to replace up front.
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2. Tight End
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Tight end D.J. Williams was a very productive piece in the Petrino quick-strike offense. Williams, however, will be missed as much for his play on the field as his character off the field. He embodied the true spirit of the student-athlete as he was an advocate for domestic abuse awareness. This led to receiving the Disney Spirit Award, given annually by Disney Sports to college football’s most inspirational figure.
Williams is a vertical threat on the field that can also block for the running game. He will be missed at Arkansas and nearly impossible to replace.
1 Quarterback
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Hogs QB Ryan Mallett declared for the NFL and left one glaring hole for the Razorbacks at possibly the most important position on the field. Mallett leaves two big shoes that need to be filled, considering he set the record for school passing yards and touchdowns in just two seasons.
The likely successor at signal-caller is Tyler Wilson, but he will get competition from Brandon Mitchell and Jacoby Walker as practices begin.
Wilson should have the advantage, considering that he played last season in relief of Mallett against the eventual national champion Auburn Tigers. Wilson threw for 332 yards and four touchdowns, and nearly pulled off the upset.
That kind of experience in a big-game SEC atmosphere is hard to duplicate.
The Hogs lost some quality players, but are deep enough to survive and actually improve, even with the losses. The Hogs will still have an explosive offense, and with seven players back on defense, the Hogs will be ready to compete again this season.
Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews and predictions. Feel free to contact Matt at mregaw@gmail.com.
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