The good news is that new coach Sam Pittman has replaced former coach Chad Morris and is hoping to get the Razorbacks back on competitive footing.
The Razorbacks’ offense returns some talent in 2020, but will have to improve from what they showed on the field in 2019. Rakeem Boyd returns at tailback after a 1,000-yard season in 2019. Arkansas also returns several offensive linemen with starting experience. Quarterback is up in the air with several possibilities, but the most intriguing is graduate transfer Feleipe Franks from Florida, who is likely to earn the starting nod. If the line play can improve and Franks can hook up with his young receivers, it should give Boyd a boost, making Arkansas’ offense potent.
The defense has nowhere to go but up after ranking 110th in total defense and 122nd in rushing defense. Arkansas does return some line and linebacking talent, but the Razorbacks will need to greatly improve all across the defense.
The schedule doesn’t give Arkansas any favors, facing the usual SEC West gambit, including backto- back games against LSU and Alabama. Although both games are at home, the Razorbacks will be hard pressed to win either.
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- Feleipe Franks
The biggest question might be how Pittman will handle the situation. He was the far less sexy hire after Ole Miss and Mississippi State managed to grab high caliber, nationally known coaches. A few years ago when Arkansas hired coach Bret Bielema, he joked about how he would handle the SEC West. Neither he nor Morris were able to, and now it falls on Pittman to try to right the ship.
