2020 Arkansas Freshman Report - Week 2

In a normal year, HawgBeat publishes a “Redshirt Tracker” after each week of the season to keep an eye on which players have played enough to burn their redshirt.

This started a couple of years ago when the NCAA made a rule change that allowed all players - not just freshmen - appear in as many as four games and maintain the year of eligibility.

Last season, this proved to be a significant piece because of the way former head coach Chad Morris bungled the rule for a few players, using them on meaningless kneel downs in multiple games to essentially waste one of those four games.

However, this is far from a normal year. With the constant threat of COVID-19 forcing players to miss games - through positive tests or contact tracing - and even possibly canceling or postponing games, the NCAA voted to grant all players an extra year of eligibility, regardless of how much they play.

That will allow true freshmen and upperclassmen alike to play in every game this season without having to worry about burning their redshirt.

Because of that, HawgBeat decided to turn its “Redshirt Tracker” into simply a “Freshman Report” in which we give a rundown of which true freshmen have appeared in games this season.

Here is the update after Arkansas’ upset win at No. 16 Mississippi State…

K Vito Calvaruso

Games Played: 2

Snaps: 8 on ST

PFF Grade: 77.3 (ST - kickoff grade)

Once again the only non-scholarship true freshman to play for Arkansas, Calvaruso continued handling the kickoff duties. He had a pair of touchbacks well into the end zone, while his other two were fielded at the 1-yard line. Those two were returned 26 and 23 yards respectively.