FAYETTEVILLE — Whomever Sam Pittman hires as his new defensive coordinator will have to replace Arkansas’ best player on that side of the ball.

Following a successful junior season, safety Kamren Curl has announced he will forgo his final season with the Razorbacks and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.

“My time at Arkansas has been some of the best days of my life,” Curl wrote in a message posted to Twitter. “I will be a Hog for the rest of my life and will never forget my time at Arkansas.

“There is no doubt that the best fans in America are in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I want to thank all of the coaches and staff that took the time out to help develop me as a player and a person.”

As the Razorbacks’ starting strong safety, Curl finished fourth on the team with 76 tackles and a team-high two interceptions despite missing the finale against Missouri. He also had four tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including one he returned 69 yards for a touchdown at Ole Miss.

The performance earned him an 87.6 grade from Pro Football Focus, the highest on either side of the ball for Arkansas. That earned him a spot on PFF's All-SEC second team and was a step up from his 69.1 grade as a sophomore. He earned a 59.3 grade as a true freshman.

Curl was a 5.7 three-star safety from Muskogee, Okla., in the Class of 2017 who also had offers from Baylor, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and several other schools.

However, he broke into the Razorbacks’ starting lineup as a cornerback his freshman year, starting the final 11 games of the season after Ryan Pulley went down with a season-ending injury. He finished that year with 46 tackles and eight pass breakups, which was tied for the team lead.

The following season, Curl moved to his natural position at safety and started the first 11 games, racking up 53 tackles and five pass breakups. He was suspended for the final game of the season after being caught, along with Pulley, flirting with Mississippi State dance team members before the prior week’s game.

With his departure, the Razorbacks are down to 71 scholarship players for the 2020 season, according to our projected distribution. They will likely get to the 85 limit through recruiting and use of the transfer portal.