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HawgBeat's 10 best offensive transfers Arkansas faces in 2021

Arik Gilbert transferred to Georgia after just one season at LSU.
Arik Gilbert transferred to Georgia after just one season at LSU. (Jay Biggerstaff - USA TODAY Sports)

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Last season, Arkansas fans got a first-hand look at the impact a transfer can have on an offense.

After losing the starting job at Florida thanks to an injury, Feleipe Franks entered the portal and emerged in Fayetteville as the Razorbacks’ starting quarterback under first-year head coach Sam Pittman and offensive coordinator Kendal Briles.

It went about as well as anyone could have hoped, as he led Arkansas to three victories - and two narrow losses - while shattering the single-season school record for completion percentage that had been set four decades earlier.

They likely won’t have the same immediate impact as Franks, but the Razorbacks did bring in former four-star recruit Ty’Kieast Crawford to bolster the offensive line this offseason, plus added two other offensive transfers as walk-ons - quarterback Kade Renfro (Ole Miss) and wide receiver Warren Thompson (Florida State).

With that in mind, HawgBeat decided to take a look at Arkansas’ schedule and figure out which teams added the best transfers on that side of the ball. Here’s our top 10…

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1. WR/TE Arik Gilbert - Georgia (from LSU)

One of the highest ranked tight ends in Rivals history, Gilbert was the No. 9 overall recruit in the Class of 2020 and made an immediate impact at LSU. Despite a lack of consistency at quarterback, he caught 35 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns in only eight games, as he opted out of the final two games. Gilbert earned a 70.7 grade on 550 snaps from Pro Football Focus, as well.

After originally committing to Florida out of the portal, the Georgia native changed his mind and ended up at Georgia. That means the Razorbacks will see him when they visit Athens on Oct. 2. The last time Gilbert faced Arkansas, he caught five passes for 55 yards. Now listed as a wide receiver and with a better quarterback - JT Daniels - throwing him passes, he could put up monster numbers in 2021.

2. OL Jahmir Johnson - Texas A&M (from Tennessee)

Needing to replace four of its starting offensive linemen, Texas A&M hit the transfer portal in search of a tackle and found one with extensive SEC experience in Johnson, who is taking advantage of the NCAA’s eligibility relief. A former JUCO transfer, he started every game at left guard for the Volunteers in 2018 and then played left tackle the last two years, which were marred by injuries.

When he was on the field in 2019, Johnson was pretty good, with PFF giving him a 72.5 grade on 209 snaps. It didn’t go so well last year, as he posted a 44.9 grade on 289 snaps, but it’s worth noting that his injury happened in the first game of the season.

Although he appeared in Tennessee’s loss at Arkansas last season, he played just three offensive snaps. Johnson will likely get a much better look at the Razorbacks this year, as he’s projected to be the Aggies’ starting right tackle.

3. WR Jameson Williams - Alabama (from Ohio State)

A top-100 recruit coming out of high school in 2019, Williams turned down Alabama and numerous other schools to go to Ohio State. However, he caught just 15 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns over the last two seasons with the Buckeyes and found himself buried behind the likes of Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.

On the flip side, Alabama needed to replace Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith and No. 6 overall pick Jaylen Waddle. They have talented receivers waiting in the wings, but none with the elite speed that Williams brings to the table, so the Crimson Tide added him from the portal.

Arkansas - which limited Smith to 22 receiving yards last season - will travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Nov. 20.

4. WR Demetris Robertson - Auburn (from Cal/Georgia)

No one on this list was ranked higher coming out of high school than Robertson, who was a five-star recruit and the No. 8 overall prospect in the Class of 2016. He signed with Cal and had a huge freshman season, catching 50 passes for 767 yards and seven touchdowns to earn Freshman All-America honors.

Robertson’s second season was cut short by an injury and then he decided to transfer closer to home, landing at Georgia. However, his production with the Bulldogs did not live up to the hype, as he caught only 42 passes for 443 yards and three touchdowns.

Auburn is hopeful he’ll be able show the potential he flashed five years ago as a freshman because it needs a receiver to step up with Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz and Eli Stove moving on to the NFL. Outside of those three guys, no wide receiver on Auburn’s roster caught more than seven passes or had more than 84 receiving yards in 2020.

Last season, Robertson caught a season-high four passes for 29 yards against Arkansas. He’ll return to Fayetteville with the Tigers on Oct. 16.

5. WR Mookie Cooper - Missouri (from Ohio State)

With only five touchdown receptions by wide receivers last season, Missouri set out to add a playmaker to its roster and believes it found one in Cooper. An in-state, 6.0 four-star recruit who originally committed to Texas before flipping to Ohio State, he decided to return home after spending one year with the Buckeyes and not playing.

Although the Tigers return the likes of Keke Chism, Barrett Banister and Tauskie Dove, many are already projecting Cooper as a starter because of his elite speed and quickness, despite his 5-foot-8, 174-pound frame.

The Razorbacks welcome Missouri to Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Black Friday, Nov. 26, for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on CBS.

6. OL Orlando Umana - Ole Miss (from Utah)

Despite being just a 5.6 three-star recruit in the Class of 2017, Umana evolved into a solid player for Utah. He earned a respectable 65.3 grade on 928 snaps as a sophomore in 2018 and a 61.4 grade on 729 snaps in 2019, when he was an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection.

Playing primarily at center with a handful of snaps at left guard, Umana was expected to be a key player for the Utes in 2020 and was even voted a team captain, but suffered a season-ending injury in the first game of the year. With his backup playing well and taking over at center, he opted to enter the portal this summer and landed with Ole Miss.

His addition allows the Rebels to make several moves up front. Ben Brown, last year’s starting center, is now solidified at right guard, where he started in 2019, and Caleb Warren, who took first-team reps this spring, can shift back to left guard, where he started eight games in 2020. After knocking off Ole Miss in Fayetteville last year, Arkansas travels to Oxford on Oct. 9 this season.

7. QB Luke McCaffrey - Rice (from Nebraska/Louisville)

Known by many as Christian McCaffrey’s younger brother, McCaffrey signed with Nebraska as a 5.7 three-star prospect in the Class of 2019. Over the last two years, he completed 64.8 percent of his passes for 608 yards, three touchdowns and six interceptions as a backup. He also showed off his legs, running for 530 yards and four touchdowns on 89 carries - an average of 6.0 yards per attempt.

McCaffrey drew national headlines this summer when he initially transferred to Louisville, only to enter the portal again a few days later. He ultimately landed at Rice, which Arkansas hosts Sept. 4 to open the season.

It is no guarantee McCaffrey will be the Owls’ starter, but considering Louisville coach Scott Satterfield told reporters that he wanted to go somewhere he could be the starting quarterback, that seems to be likely, even though he’ll have to learn the playbook in a short amount of time.

8. RB Keilan Robinson - Texas (from Alabama)

Recruited to Alabama as a 5.8 four-star running back, Robinson earned a solid 74.8 grade on 56 snaps from PFF as a true freshman in 2019, when he ran for 254 yards on 39 touchdowns. However, most of his action came in mop-up duty and a big chunk of that production - 172 yards and both touchdowns - came against New Mexico State and Western Carolina.

After he opted out of the 2020 season, the Crimson Tide moved Robinson to wide receiver in spring practice. Instead of sticking at the new position, he decided to enter the portal and reunite with Steve Sarkisian, who was his offensive coordinator at Alabama and is now the head coach at Texas.

Despite that familiarity, it will probably be hard for him to climb too high up the depth chart because the Longhorns have a solid 1-2 punch at running back in Heisman hopeful Bijan Robinson and converted quarterback Roschon Johnson. However, he could be a dynamic third back when Texas visits Fayetteville on Sept. 11.

9. RB Amare Jones - Georgia Southern (from Tulane)

Probably the least publicized transfer on this list, Jones racked up 3,510 all-purpose yards as a versatile running back and return man at Tulane over the last three seasons. In his career, he has 976 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground and 520 yards and two touchdowns through the air, plus averaged 25.1 yards on 69 kickoff returns and 9.5 yards on 30 punt returns.

Making this even more of an intriguing transfer is the fact that Jones is leaving one option offense at Tulane and joining another at Georgia Southern. Being familiar with the concepts would presumably help him make a smooth transition.

The Eagles do return about two-thirds of their running back snaps from a year ago, including leading rushers J.D. King and Logan Wright, but even if he isn’t a major factor on offense, Arkansas will probably need to worry about Jones on special teams when they play Sept. 18.

10. QB TJ Finley - Auburn (from LSU)

This transfer addition has been rated higher by other lists, but Finley checks in at No. 10 on ours because he is not expected to beat out Bo Nix. Perhaps he’s the quarterback of the future for the Tigers, but Nix is a two-year starter and widely expected to be the guy again in 2020.

However, if there were to be an injury or something like that, Finley’s impact could be felt sooner. As a true freshman at LSU, he completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 941 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. Pro Football Focus gave him a solid 71.8 grade on 290 snaps, with his best game coming against Arkansas (89.7 grade on 92 snaps).

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