Hog fans had some nagging Arkansas Razorback questions on Twitter, Facebook and on the Trough, and I've got answers in this week's HawgBeat Mailbag:
1. Is Kendal Briles any good? Is this QB from Florida good?
In short? Yes.
Florida State improved from 113th in scoring (21.9 ppg) to tied for 65th at 29.1 points per game this year under Briles. Everywhere else Briles has been an offensive coordinator has had a top-10 scoring offense. His units at Houston and Florida Atlantic ranked fifth and eighth nationally, averaging 40.6 and 43.9 points, respectively. Baylor had the No. 1 scoring offense in college football in 2015, Briles’ first season as the offensive coordinator. That helped him become a finalist for the Broyles Award, which is annually given to the nation’s top assistant coach.
Feleipe Franks won the starting job at Florida in 2018, led the Gators to the Peach Bowl and a 10-3 record and held on to the job for 2019 until his season ended in game three due to a broken ankle. Thinking he's just another Nick Starkel? Here's why he's not.
2. Is the coaching staff still after additional QBs for the 2020 class?
Arkansas is hosting two more quarterbacks for official visits this weekend, we'll have a detailed breakdown of the visit list tomorrow:
3. Based on the players we have in the spring, where would you rate us on a pure talent level among all other SEC teams?
This one's a really tough question. Given that my focus is all on Arkansas, I know a ton more about what talent they have returning, who they've lost and who they're bringing in than I know about every other SEC program. If we're just going off of recruit class rankings over the last four-five years, Arkansas's "talent level" is around 10th or 11th in the SEC with West teams Missouri and Miss. State below Arkansas. This likely surprises nobody.
4. What do you feel our chances are of getting Malik Hornsby and Broderick Jones?
Georgia just gained the No.1 QB prospect in the nation for their 2021 class so that makes me worry less about the Bulldogs at this stage in recruitment and Baylor finally found a head coach in former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda but Kendal Briles has a longer relationship with Hornsby. I like Arkansas's chances for Hornsby heading into his official visit this weekend, here's what he had to say about his top options last time he spoke Rivals.
I don't see Arkansas pulling Broderick Jones away from Georgia and his home state but it's not totally out of the question. I'd give Pittman in the Hogs a 20% chance with the Auburn Tigers at 30% and Georgia at 50%. He's taking his Auburn and Georgia officials next but here's what he had to say about his Arkansas visit.
5. Any of the tight ends we’re recruiting going to commit?
The Razorbacks just hosted Crockett, Texas tight end and former commit Allen Horace for his official visit, here's what he had to say. He still has official visits to UTSA and Ole Miss coming up but he likes the playing time opportunity he'd have at Arkansas.
Things are looking less solid with former commit Brandon Frazier. Frazier just finished a visit at Auburn where he named the Tigers and Texas Tech Red Raiders as the two edging for the top of his list right now. Arkansas will still get him for a one-night visit this weekend so we'll see if anything changes after that.
6. With our new coaches, how much will our offensive line improve?
It's hard to say how much they'll improve in one year, your guess is as good as mine. But they did improve from 2018 to 2019 so I expect even more for 2020 as several of Arkansas's 2019 signees continue to grow into their own and 2019 sit-outs Luke Jones and Noah Gatlin get back into the mix for playing time.
Last week, Hutch took a look at Arkansas's offensive line improvement using PFF data.
7. Is six wins possible?
Possible? Absolutely. Probable? I wouldn't put much money down on it. It's rare (like 21%) for teams to go from two wins to bowl eligible the next season. We don't have the stats compiled for teams that went 2-10 in back-to-back years. On the brightside, Arkansas was in a lot of close games to start both seasons, they just could never finish. If Arkansas goes 3-1 in non-conference play, the players gain some confidence in themselves and a lot goes in their favor like injuries and what not, it could happen.
8. Are we still pass first with Pittman or (unlike Morris) are we going to have a run game in 2020?
Chad Morris's offense was always supposed to be more of a 50-50 offense but the way games went and early deficits forced them to throw the ball more. It sounds like Kendal Briles' offense is slightly more pass heavy than run heavy, it's uptempo and the quarterback will take off and run quite a bit. Boyd was sixth in the SEC last season in carries per game and they're going to utilize his talents, not to worry.
9. Coach Pittman and Coach Musselman have been doing things together. Is it for publicity or do they work together in other areas like recruiting, etc?
I think they're doing what is pretty much expected with the head football coach and the head basketball coach at a major university, but it's especially good publicity since they're both brand new to the school. I don't think they'll be consulting with each other too, too much but Musselman in particular does like to learn from other coaches so he'll probably check out practice in the spring when he has time. Coaches all over the athletics department interact but no one is on social media more than the head ball coaches.
10. Are you hearing TQ Jackson will transfer to Ole Miss?
So I know there's been a lot of speculation about TQ Jackson and his departure from Arkansas but to my knowledge, it's nothing more than just talk. Jackson, from my experience, has been nothing but great and I empathize with the depressed feelings he felt this season or semester. I did notice that the Ole Miss offensive coordinator followed him recently but that's typical for someone who has entered the portal and from what I've been told, he hasn't been in communication with the Rebels at this point.
11. Are the coaches looking to add any more grad transfers?
I would definitely assume so. There are over 200 immediately eligible grad transfers in the portal right now, just from the Power 5 schools and I'm sure the personnel staff is looking through all of them to see if they can help. Tight end is the most pressing area given that they have only two scholarship tight ends right now (neither being a returning starter either). I haven't quite sorted through all the grad transfer tight ends available right now but I'm sure I'll get to it soon.
12. Do you think the Razorbacks will make the CFP in the next 10 years?
There are a lot of factors that need to be perfectly right for a team to make it all the way through to the CFP. Nothing is impossible but given the landscape of the SEC right now and Akransas's inherent disadvantages in recruiting I just don't see it happening within a decade. There could definitely be a shake up and a major rise for the program in the next decade but history has come to show how rare it is for Arkansas to make it all the way to the top.
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