Advertisement
Published Mar 18, 2020
10 Razorbacks we were dying to watch during spring football
circle avatar
Nikki Chavanelle  •  HawgBeat
Managing Editor
Twitter
@nikkichavanelle

The SEC has cancelled the remainder of all spring sports, the University of Arkansas has moved to all online classes and the spring game set to be held April 25 is off. All of this is a gigantic bummer.

While they're not playing any games, spring football is hugely important for the players to get ready physically and mentally ready. It's also the first time the media gets to see a lot of players either at all or for the first time since November.

Health is obviously priority number one, but we here at HawgBeat are selfishly depressed after not even getting single practice to check out the players' new physiques and skills. Hutch and I compiled a draft-style list of the players we're most upset about not getting to watch this spring:

Advertisement

Hutch's No.1 Pick - Feleipe Franks (QB)

Hutch's first pick was an obvious one. Quarterback storylines always top the charts during spring and fall camp, and they're even more intriguing when it's a new transfer making his debut with the program.

A former Florida Gator, Franks is coming off ankle surgery, so we wanted to see how mobile he really is after months and months of rest and rehab. We've seen clips of him working out and running around but naturally, we wanted to judge his gait for ourselves.

We also wanted to see how he's been clicking with his top targets like Treylon Burks, Trey Knox, Mike Woods and more. How quick is he picking up Kendal Briles' system, etc. These are all questions it sounds like we'll be waiting until the fall to find out.

Nikki's No.1 Pick - Jalen Catalon (S)

Arkansas lost the No.1 safety from the 2019 team, Kamren Curl, as he entered his name a year early for the NFL draft. Jalen Catalon was one of the highest ranked members of Chad Morris's 2019 class and Arkansas landed him over Texas, but he had a bum shoulder for an undisclosed portion of last season and only got to play 33 snaps on defense. Catalon has fantastic instincts and typically makes big plays on the ball, so we're really excited to see him step up as a potential starter in 2020.

Hutch's No.2 Pick - Trelon Smith (RB)

The Razorbacks return leading rusher Rakeem Boyd for 2020 but as we've seen, he needs a reliable No.2 so that when he checks in the game he can run full-tilt. Trelon Smith was heralded last season as one of the best players sitting the season out and he always looked explosive on the practice field. Will the former Sun Devil solidify a spot as Boyd's backup or will redshirt freshman A'Montae Spivey emerge?

Nikki's No.2 Pick - Mataio Soli (DE)

A native of Georgia and a Razorback legacy, Mataio Soli racked up sacks in high school but was pretty limited in 2019 due to a club protecting his fractured hand all season. He didn't record any sacks in his true freshman season but had six hurries according to ProFootballFocus. We caught a glimpse of Soli at Pro Day as he watched his former teammates perform their drills and he certainly looks like he's put on some good weight this spring. He was playing at 239 last season. Can Soli hold on to his starting spot or will Zach Williams, Eric Gregory or a newcomer surpass him?

Hutch's No.3 Pick - Jerry Jacobs (CB)

The Razorbacks got a nice group of five transfer in Jerry Jacobs from Arkansas State this off-season and he's been fully cleared for action after tearing his ACL in 2019. Jacobs played for new LB coach Rion Rhoades at Hutchinson CC before heading to Ark. State. He had 32 tackles, eight passes deflected and four interceptions for the Red Wolves in 2018, so we were very much looking forward to seeing if his skills continue to translate at the highest level of college ball. It's pretty safe to say no one's job is secure in the Arkansas secondary, can Jacobs push Jarques McClellion or Montaric Brown to start in 2020?

Nikki's No.3 Pick - Julius Coates (DE)

The lone JUCO addition in Sam Pittman's first recruiting class, Julius Coates is absolutely massive at 6-foot-7, 270 pounds. After seeing a bunch of players come out to Pro Day, Coates is the most noticeable of the group. He comes from one of the top JUCO programs in the nation (EMCC) and should be pretty ready to play when the season rolls around. Last season, Coates had 30 tackles, six sacks, nine tackles for loss and two forced fumbles with two scoop and scores. Coates will undoubtedly push for playing time in 2020 but will compete with returners like Mataio Soli, Zach Williams, Dorian Gerald and more.

Hutch's No.4 Pick - Luke Jones (OL)

We'd heard all season long that if he hadn't been forced to sit the year after transferring from Notre Dame, Luke Jones would've been starting on last year's offensive line. Jones will bring more competition at center and the battle at center would've been another one of the more intriguing storylines of spring football. Although Ty Clary was Arkansas's highest graded lineman in 2019, his snaps were constantly criticized. Can Jones beat out Clary or will he have to battle for a spot at either guard position with the likes of Ricky Stromberg, Kirby Adcock and Beaux Limmer.

Nikki's No.4 Pick - Hudson Henry (TE)

Class of 2019 signee Hudson Henry is one of just two returning tight ends from last year's team. With Blake Kern hardly getting any usage as a receiving tight end, Henry's skills are going to be critical in 2020. He had a setback in fall camp last season due to a concussion but we were really looking forward to seeing how far he'd progressed since he redshirted. He already looks more physically imposing but is he ready to be the No.1 guy this season? We'll see.

Hutch's No.5 Pick - Bumper Pool (LB)

Arkansas's linebacker group was pretty bad in 2019 and Bumper Pool played the second-most snaps of the group. He's now returning as the most experienced linebacker in 2020 and the Hogs really need him to take big strides, specifically in run defense. The tough thing about the linebackers is we can't know how much of the group's problems were due to scheme or talent since John Chavis seemed to be wholly ineffective as a coordinator. Pool will be heavily depended on again for snaps and leadership as most of the depth is young and inexperienced.

Nikki's No.5 Pick - Kelin Burrle (LB)

Louisiana native Kelin Burrle was one of Arkansas's five early enrollees in the 2020 class and his athleticism is very intriguing. He's quite small for an outside linebacker at 6-feet, 205 pounds on signing day but we don't know how much weight he's put on this spring. He has really good coverage skills, so could he be a candidate to backup Gregory Brooks next season?