Arkansas Football: An in-Depth Preview for the 2011 Season

This season will define the Razorback football program. If Arkansas wins 10 games or more, then the Hogs are a legitimate elite program on a national level under head coach Bobby Petrino. If they regress and struggle to become bowl eligible (which is doubtful), you could make the argument that 2010 was that special season that happens once every five to 10 years, but the program still hasn’t quite turned the corner yet.

When I look at this Arkansas team, two things jump out immediately. First, the Hogs are not a spread team that can’t run between the trenches or play defense. They are a pro-style offensive team with a balanced attack. Last season, they had 465 pass attempts and 421 rush attempts. Secondly, Tyler Wilson may be a better college quarterback in the mold of Brian Brohm (who played under Petrino at Louisville) than Ryan Mallett. Brohm was an elite college quarterback but didn’t quite develop into a starting NFL quarterback due to a lack of arm strength. Wilson will take command of the offense and have a monster season (more on Wilson shortly).

Looking at the schedule, the Hogs have three tough games away from home: Alabama, Texas A&M (Arlington,TX) and LSU. Other than that, the rest of the schedule is very manageable. I don’t see the Hogs winning all three, but as long as they don’t go winless, they should be in great shape to reach double-digit wins for back-to-back years and establish themselves as a top-15 program nationally. If they can just land one upset over either Alabama or LSU, then catch a break by having the other slip up against someone else, 7-1 in the SEC West just might get them into the SEC Championship Game.

Quarterbacks

Arkansas fans caught a glimpse of their 2011 QB Tyler Wilson last year as he stepped in for an injured Ryan Mallett in the Auburn game. Wilson electrified the offense, throwing for 332 yards and four TDs. While he threw two interceptions in that game as well in the 65-43 loss to the Tigers, Wilson handled the pressure much better than anyone could have expected. At 6'3", 215 pounds, Wilson doesn’t have nearly Mallett’s size or strong-arm, but he is a perfect fit for an Arkansas system under head coach Bobby Petrino.

While Wilson is the definite starter for the Hog offense, look for a battle at the backup position as 6'4", 230-pound sophomore Brandon Mitchell, and 6'2", 220-pound redshirt freshman Jacoby Walker go at it.  Walker was a top recruit a few years back and will bring a solid threat to the running game. Considering Wilson doesn’t move much, Walker has wheels and can bring the dual-threat package to the table.

Mitchell will most likely get the nod at the No. 2 position. He is big, athletic and received some limited time last season. With his size and arm strength, he should be able to play a big factor in this Hog offense down the road.

Running Backs

Arkansas could have been the home of the SEC Rushing Title winner in 2011. RB Knile Davis was likely to steal the show on the offensive side of the ball. At 6'3", 230 pounds, Davis brought it all to the table. He has the power, agility, speed and the ability to make defenders miss either by making a cut or by simply running over them. The first part of the season last year for Davis wasn’t the best. In games against Georgia and Alabama, Davis racked up a combined 35 yards rushing. However, in the second half of the season, Davis took the nation by storm. Over the last seven games, Davis went off running for over 100 yards in each game.

There is no question Davis would have been the highlight reel for the Arkansas running backs and he will be sorely missed; however, don’t take your eyes off of Ronnie Wingo, Jr..

6'3", 231-pound Ronnie Wingo Jr. will most likely take the lead role due to injuries for the Hogs. Wingo is quick and has nice hands for a big man. Not only did he rush for 274 yards and four TDs a year ago, he also caught 27 passes totaling the same amount of rushing yards and TDs.

Dennis Johnson was considered to be a leader and potential starter at running back last season. However, the 5'9", 213-pound junior was knocked out for the year with a perforated colon. He is a very quick back with tremendous kickoff return skills, and looks to be in the mix if he can come back to be 100 percent.

Wide Receivers

Not only are the Razorbacks returning their top three running backs from a year ago, they are also returning four of their top wide receivers. Touted as one of the best receiving corps in college football, Tyler Wilson will have plenty of targets to choose from.

Wilson will have go-to receivers in Joe Adams (813 yards, 16.3 per catch, 69 percent catch rate), Greg Childs (659 yards, 14.3 per catch, 75 percent catch rate, 6 TDs in eight games), Jarius Wright (788 yards, 18.8 per catch, 55 percent catch rate, 5 TDs), and Cobi Hamilton (630 yards, 19.7 per catch, 59 percent catch rate, 6 TDs).

Heading into the season, Childs will most likely be the No. 1 target.  The 6'3", 217-pound veteran is a playmaker who almost always comes through when needed. If healthy, Childs will be a huge factor for this Arkansas offense.

On the opposite end of the field will be WR Joe Adams. Adams was the leading receiver on the Razorback offense a year ago and will be play another key player for the Arkansas offense once again this year. The 5"11", 190-pound Adams isn’t the biggest target nor the toughest, but he manages to find the seem to get open and is able to dominate in one-on-one coverage.

Perhaps the most dangerous wide receiver for the Hogs will be 5'10", 180-pound Jarious Wright. The team’s quickest player—running the 40 in under 4.3 seconds—showed off tremendous skills and playmaking ability last year. Wright is another small target at the WR position and is someone who will be able to create big plays.

At 6'3", Cobi Hamilton is the corps returning starter that will be the largest target for Wilson. Hamilton is strong and quick, with great hands. Hamilton is another speedy receiver who can make big plays as well. Last year, Hamilton’s biggest game came against LSU when he recorded three catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Look for him to step up even bigger this year.

With the loss of D.J. Williams, the Hogs are hoping that Chris Gragg or Austin Tate will be able to fill the hole. Gragg has decent size at 6'3", 238 pounds and brings experience from a year ago. Gragg recorded eight catches for 171 yards and two scores last season. Tate stands at 6'6", 250 pounds and will be used more as a blocker than receiver at the tight end position.

Offensive Line

The Razorbacks' offensive line in 2010 was not necessarily extremely good. They produced a quality ground game due to teams reluctance to be shredded through the air by the Hawg's dominant passing attack. Heading into 2011, the line appears to have an even steeper climb on their plate, replacing three starters, including the star, DeMarcus Love.

Grant Freeman and Anthony Oden will be batting for Love's position on the line. The 6'7", 305-pound Freeman will get the first opportunity to win the job, and he must improve upon the play he has provided in limited minutes throughout his career. Oden, a 6'8", 320-pound mount of a man is just a sophomore. He has a nice skill-set, but he needs more polishing before he is ready to compete on every down.

With left tackle being a major concern, right tackle is also on the list of problems. Ray Dominguez has departed, but an incoming freshman is poised and ready to become a star from the moment he arrives on campus. At 6'7", 320 pounds, Brey Cook is the school's top incoming recruit, and he turned down a buffet of the country's most prominent institutions to come to Fayetteville.

Travis Swanson, Alvin Bailey and Grant Cook will round out the interior of the offensive line. Swanson was the most consistent guard on the roster a year ago, and really developed out of the gates. He is looking to provide an even more dominant presence up front.

Overall, this unit will struggle to duplicate the production from a year ago with the loss of Love; however, they do have a bright future with the promising young talent that exists up front.

Defensive Line

The defensive side of the ball had been a consistent struggle for the Razorbacks during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but in 2010 they found a pass rush, started defending the pass at a better rate and found themselves sitting in a BCS bowl. They must continue to improve against the rush to reach an elite level, though.

The major improvement on the front side of the defense in 2010 was the ability to get constant penetration into opposing backfields. The Razrobacks finished ninth in the country in sacks and in the top 15 in tackles for loss. They were a terror at rushing the passer, and they should continue to bring the heat in 2011.

Jake Bequette, a second team All-SEC member last season, will lead the way for the front four. The 6'5", 271-pound senior is an extremely dangerous pass rusher but must improve his rush defense to help this line become the complete package. Tenarious Wright, DeQuinta Jones and  Bryan Jones will round out the starting rotation for Petrino and company. Bryan Jones possesses the most potential in the group, and the young sophomore has the ability to become an All-SEC caliber lineman throughout his career.

Chris Smith, Robert Thomas and Alfred Davis will round out the rotation and provide quality depth for an improving group of defenders.

Linebackers

Arkansas has struggled terribly on the back end of the front seven over the years, but finally saw some progression from their linebacker corps in 2010.  Jerry Franklin returns to lead a fast and disruptive group that has speed at all the positions and will be capable of defending the run and/or the pass.

Jerico Nelson and Terrell Williams will join Franklin in the startling lineup and attempt to replicate the improvements that occurred during the 2010 season.

Williams will be attempting to replace the skills of Anthony Leon, the lone departure from the group. If Williams can stay in the backfield as often as Leon did, the Razorbacks will once again be in good shape with their linebacker corps.

Braylon Mitchell, Ross Rasner and Jarrett Lake are a solid group of backups that have been brought in over the last couple of years and will provide the Razorback defense with the most depth they have had in several years.

Defensive Backs

The most impressive portion of the entire Razorback program in 2010 was the drastic improvement displayed by the secondary. The Hawgs had been derailed by opposing passing games over the past several years, and to see this team finish in the top 20 in the country in passing defense was impressive. The secondary was constantly being tested because of a quick-strike offense that often put the opposing team behind the eight ball. That makes last season even more impressive for this group.

Tramain Thomas will headline the 2011 unit from his safety position. Thomas is a strong hitter, but also very versatile in his ability to cover all positions on the field. He is by far the most consistent athlete in the secondary. Eric Bennett is the most likely candidate to join Thomas in the deep secondary, replacing the departed  Rudell Crim.  Bennett has excellent speed and is capable of making plays all over the field.

Jerry Mitchell and Darius Winston are the two most talented corners on the team, but Winston has failed to live up to the tremendous hype he received upon entering the program. If he continues to falter, veteran Isaac Madison will be jumping to seize the opportunity.

Elton Ford, De'Anthony Curtis and Darrell Smith will all be trying to break into the rotation as the season progresses, providing the Razorbacks with quality depth throughout the defensive backfield.

It will be a tough challenge for this unit to duplicate the tremendous production of 2010, but the talent exists to make it plausible.

Final Synopsis

Coach Petrino has exceeded expectations in Fayetteville, taking this program from a middle of the pack SEC school to a prominent fixture in the SEC West race.  As long as Bobby P is at the helm, they will continue to recruit at a high level, possess one of the most prolific offenses in the country and be on the verge of greatness.

This season they were cursed with the one of the most difficult schedules in the country, and if they survive with only two losses, that should be considered a grand year for the program. I realize that the Razorbacks have dreams of a BCS Championship, but traveling to Alabama and LSU, playing Texas A&M, South Carolina and Mississippi State is a tough road to hoe for even the most talented teams in the country.

Factor in the injury to Davis, and this season has lost some of the luster. The Razorbacks must find a capable replacement for their most talented player.

The best case scenario? If the Hawgs can somehow sweep every game and split with Alabama and LSU. Pig Sooie, an 11-1 record would not be so bad, right?

Last Year's Record: 10-3

Projected 2011 Record: 9-3