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Arkansas has dipped into the transfer portal to bolster its special teams for a second time this offseason.
Punter George Caratan, who has spent the last two seasons at Michigan as a preferred walk-on, announced his decision to transfer to Arkansas via Twitter on Sunday.
Although he is not a graduate transfer, Caratan is expected to be immediately eligible as a non-scholarship transfer, similar to Sam Loy from Colorado last season. He’ll join a room with Loy, a fifth-year senior and the returning starter, as well as redshirt sophomores Reid Bauer and Matthew Phillips.
In two seasons with the Wolverines, Caratan didn’t appear in a single game. He was a member of the Class of 2018 from St. Thomas More School in Connecticut, but also played two years of varsity at Loyola High School in Los Angeles.
At St. Thomas More, he averaged 46 yards per punt and made 4 of 5 field goals, including a 46-yarder. He notched touchbacks on 35 of 41 kickoffs, as well.
Caratan averaged 40 yards on 12 punts in his final season at Loyola, with seven pinned inside the 20-yard line. He also made 2 of 3 field goals - including a 49-yarder - and 16 of 17 extra points.
He was recruited by UMass, Penn State, Army and a couple of FCS programs before choosing Michigan.
The Razorbacks were very active on the transfer market this offseason, landing five graduate transfers before adding Caratan. They previously landed linebacker Levi Draper (Oklahoma), quarterback Feleipe Franks (Florida), cornerback Jerry Jacobs (Arkansas State), defensive tackle Xavier Kelly (Clemson) and kicker AJ Reed (Duke), all of whom will be immediately eligible.
The addition of Caratan and Reed is likely the result of new head coach Sam Pittman hiring a designated special teams coordinator in Scott Fountain.
