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With the season quickly approaching, Arkansas has less than three weeks left to finalize its roster - who is and isn’t on scholarship - for the 2021 season.
It’s an ever-evolving situation, with multiple transfers and other departures throughout the offseason. The latest development was linebacker Levi Draper retiring for medical reasons.
That news brought the Razorbacks down to 90 total scholarship players, according to HawgBeat’s unofficial scholarship distribution chart. However, that number include 10 so-called “super seniors” who returned for an extra senior season thanks to the NCAA’s pandemic-related eligibility relief.
Those players don’t count toward the 85-man limit, so Arkansas is actually sitting at 80 scholarship players. That means head coach Sam Pittman has five scholarships available.
The Razorbacks have to get up to 85 in order to preserve their ability to bring in early enrollees, so those final few spots will be filled by walk-ons.
Asked about it following Thursday’s practice, Pittman said he hadn’t made any decisions on who might receive those scholarships and that it’d likely be a week or two before he did.
“If I had it my way, I’d give them all a scholarship, but you want to make sure when you do that you’re giving it to whomever is helping the team on the field the most,” Pittman said. “They’re all helping the team, but whoever’s helping the team on the field the most you want to make that happen.”
With that in mind, here’s a look at which players HawgBeat believes will earn scholarships before the end of camp…
QB Kade Renfro -AND/OR- WR Warren Thompson
We grouped these two players together because they are in similar situations, as both were on scholarship at a Power Five program before transferring to Arkansas as walk-ons this offseason.
What also separates them from the following players is that if they were to be awarded scholarships this semester or next semester, not only would they count toward the 85-man limit, but they would also be considered “initial counters” because they’ve been on campus less than a year.
Every school is limited to 25 initial counters annually. Those are high school and junior college signees, as well as transfers. If a school goes over that limit, the excess counts toward the following class.
The Razorbacks had already reached their 25-man annual limit when they brought in the trio of defensive line transfers this summer, so they will be counted toward 2022. That means Arkansas can sign only 22 players in that class. That number would drop to 20 if both Renfro and Thompson get scholarships or 21 if only one of them does, so that is an additional layer the coaches have to consider with them.
On the field, Renfro - an Ole Miss transfer - is currently in a battle with Lucas Coley and John Stephen Jones for third-string quarterback. If he can separate himself from that group, Pittman has said he would then push Malik Hornsby for the backup job. However, KJ Jefferson is the clear starter at that position, so barring injury, it’s unlikely Renfro would get on the field much this year even if he was the No. 2 guy.
Thompson, a former top-100 recruit who began his career at Florida State, is in the mix at wide receiver. Listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, he certainly looks the part and has flashed his talent in limited media viewing periods, but comments by teammates and coaches indicate that he’s still learning the playbook, plus Pittman has said he’s dealing with a hamstring injury.
WR John David White
Probably the most likely walk-on to receive a scholarship, White has worked his way onto the field in each of his first two seasons with the Razorbacks. He caught a pair of passes against LSU in 2019 and then played 50 total offensive snaps as a redshirt freshman last year.
After a productive spring capped by a 5-catch, 87-yard performance in the Red-White Game, it became clear that White will carve out a role for himself in 2021. He may not be a starter, but he’ll likely be in the two-deep and a good amount of reps.
LB Jackson Woodard
Under previous rules, Woodard wouldn’t be eligible for a scholarship without being considered an “initial counter” like Renfro and Thompson because he’s been on campus for only one year. However, the rules were changed recently to reduce the residency requirement from two to one year.
As a true freshman, the Little Rock Christian product found his way on the field in four games. Not only did he play 16 special teams snaps, but he also got eight defensive snaps when there were various injuries ahead of him at the linebacker spot.
The senior trio of Grant Morgan, Hayden Henry and Bumper Pool will likely get the majority of snaps at linebacker, with Andrew Parker probably being the next guy in line. Right behind them, though, is Woodard, especially if Deon Edward’s injury suffered in Saturday’s scrimmage proves to be serious.
Even if he doesn’t play much on defense, linebackers coach Michael Scherer said Woodard would at least be “a heck of a special teams player.”
TE Nathan Bax
A transfer from FCS Illinois State, Bax had to sit out the 2019 season before making his collegiate debut last season. He played just two offensive snaps, but was a significant contributor on special teams.
This season, Pittman has indicated he’d like to use more 12 personnel, meaning two tight ends on the field at the same time, but that’d require having more than just Blake Kern and Hudson Henry at the position. It sounds like Bax is No. 3 at that spot, as tight ends coach Dowell Loggains recently said he’s the most improved tight end so far in camp.
P Reid Bauer -OR- P Sam Loy
Last year, the Razorbacks brought in George Caratan as a scholarship transfer. He has since reentered the portal, leaving a pair of walk-ons - Bauer and Loy - to compete for the starting job.
Pittman said Bauer punted well in Saturday’s scrimmage, but acknowledged Loy was probably the No. 1 punter before getting dinged up and missing the scrimmage. When he returns from his injury, the battle will likely continue throughout camp.
Whichever guy wins the job might be an excellent candidate to earn a scholarship.
Other Candidates
K Vito Calvaruso
As a true freshman last season, Calvaruso had a solid touchback percentage as the Razorbacks’ kickoff specialist. He may have that role again this year, but Pittman has said he also has a lot of confidence in scholarship freshman Cam Little.
OL Austin Nix, OL Drew Vest
Both of these linemen have solidified spots in the three-deep depth chart when healthy. Nix is dealing with an ankle injury, but is expected back next week. He had been the third-team center, but might be fourth now with Pittman considering Ty Clary as the No. 2 guy. Vest is capable of playing guard and tackle. However, Nix and Vest are both far down the depth chart and probably won’t play much.
DB Nathan Parodi, LB Jake Yurachek, WR Harper Cole
These three players probably won’t play on offense or defense, but will be key special teams contributors. Parodi is even competing for the punt return job, which he held part of the 2020 season. Yurachek and Cole each played special teams last year, with Cole doing so as a true freshman.
