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Whether Hunter Yurachek hires a proven Power Five coach, an up-and-comer from the Group of Five ranks, an exciting coordinator or someone in between, one thing is certain: Arkansas’ next head coach faces a daunting up-hill task.
The Razorbacks have reached historic lows, winning just four games over the last two years with inconsistent (sometimes horrible) play on both sides of the ball. The next coach must find an answer to the quarterback question, fix the offensive line problem and figure out how to stop opposing offenses, among other things, to help them get back to their winning ways.
However, the most significant issue immediately facing whomever Yurachek hires has nothing to do with scheme. Instead, he must get the roster under control.
Switching from Bret Bielema’s ground-and-pound style to his spread attack, former head coach Chad Morris completely overhauled Arkansas’ roster. That meant a wave of transfers and other departures, including 21 who left the team for various reasons from the beginning of the 2018 season to the beginning of this season.
Even with a large class of 25 signees and three transfers, the Razorbacks were still left with seven open scholarships. Needing to fill those spots in order to have the option of bringing in early enrollees, they awarded seven walk-ons to get to 85 scholarship players.
It is not rare for walk-ons to receive scholarships - Arkansas actually had arguably the most famous such player in college football history in Brandon Burlsworth - but it is uncommon for so many to be given out at one time.
Unlike previous seasons and other programs across the country, the Razorbacks did not make a big deal of the walk-ons-turned-scholarship athletes. Just a year earlier, they released a video from practice of Connor Limpert kicking a field goal with D’Vone McClure as a holder and Grant Morgan as a snapper that ended with all three receiving scholarships and being mobbed by teammates.
