Analyzing Arkansas football's signing classes between 2016-2020

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Due to extra eligibility granted to everyone in 2020, Arkansas's roster will be comprised of recruits from six different classes.

Those classes are the final two of the Bret Bielema era, two from the Chad Morris era and two from the Sam Pittman era. In the chart below, we have analyzed the players signed in that span, except for the 2021 signees who haven't played yet.

Out of 112 athletes signed either out of high school or junior college, 53 are still on the roster, 15 graduated from the university after exhausting their eligibility and 30 transferred before their eligibility expired. Another seven either left the program or never arrived after signing their NLI, and six medically retired.

Also included are how many snaps - according to Pro Football Focus - each player got while at Arkansas. Here is the full chart, followed by a few tidbits and observations…

*Note these class breakdowns do not include transfers or walk-ons who earned scholarships*

Bret Bielema's final two classes at Arkansas were questionable at best with a load of non-contributors surrounding a group of solid players and a few NFL-caliber players in McTelvin Agim, De'Jon Harris and Kamren Curl.

The players left on the roster from these classes have been through three different coaching staffs and a whole lot of losses, but they've stuck it out and that's commendable. Ty Clary, Hayden Henry, De'Vion Warren, Dalton Wagner and Montaric Brown will be playing for starting reps in the fall.

Top 2016 Contributors

De'Jon Harris
McTelvin Agim
Jonathan Marshall
Austin Capps
Devwah Whaley

Top 2017 Contributors

Ty Clary
Kam Curl
Montaric Brown
Jarquez McClellion
Dalton Wagner

Chad Morris scraped together his 2018 class right before early signing and then delivered a star-packed 2019 class before he was fired ahead of 2020 signing. Only nine of the 2018 signees remain, which is a good example of the consequences the early signing period have created for programs who fire their coach after the regular season.

Even with high transfer rates, the two Morris classes have already developed as many 500+ snap contributors as the 2016-17 classes and most have three years left to play still.

2019 signees Treylon Burks and Jalen Catalon could be Arkansas's first early entrants into the NFL draft since Kam Curl.

Top 2018 Contributors

Mike Woods
Bumper Pool
Joe Foucha
Rakeem Boyd
Isaiah Nichols

Top 2019 Contributors

Myron Cunningham
Ricky Stromberg
Greg Brooks Jr.
Trey Burks
Jalen Catalon

Sam Pittman, like Morris before him, had to do a rush job on the 2020 class and while the Razorbacks are still recovering from four of their seven defensive line signees in this class either not making it to campus or transferring, there are some rising stars in the group already.

Myles Slusher, Jashaud Stewart, Dominique Johnson, Nick Turner, Jacorrei Turner, Eric Thomas, Marcus Henderson and Khari Johnson are all making contributions as backups as they head into what would be their redshirt freshman season on the Hill.

Top 2020 Contributors

Julius Coates
Myles Slusher
Khari Johnson
Nick Turner
Eric Thomas