The transfer portal has been open for just over a week now, and it's safe to say that Arkansas has really only made one big splash — Boise State transfer quarterback Taylen Green.
Aside from picking up a talented new signal caller, the majority of transfer news regarding the Razorbacks has not been positive. The Hogs have lost names to the portal such as Rocket Sanders, Chris "Pooh" Paul Jr., Devon Manuel, AJ Green and much more.
Some might be overlooking the recruiting that head coach Sam Pittman and his staff have been doing with their own roster, though. It's the day and age where just about every player needs to release a statement just to say they are NOT transferring. Some of the names who have done that for the Razorbacks are big-time players.
The addition of UA's new official NIL collective Arkansas Edge has surely helped Pittman to keep players from leaving for financial reasons.
"The portal opens up in December, it opens up in April so you have two opportunities for somebody to poach financially your players," Pittman said Nov. 20. "That’s why it was so important for us to get the Arkansas Edge."
Announcements have been spread out since the season ended with a 48-14 loss to Missouri on Nov. 24. Here's a look at some of the biggest names that the Hogs have retained so far...
Key players who announced they WILL return to Arkansas
DE Landon Jackson
Some mock drafts had Jackson as a first round prospect for the 2024 NFL Draft, and ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. once had Jackson as his No. 1 defensive end prospect after Jackson totaled 3.5 sacks at Alabama on Oct. 14.
A former transfer from LSU, Jackson put on plenty of weight and muscle to check in a 6-foot-7, 281 pounds on the official roster this season. He set career-highs with 44 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as a junior in 2023.
Edge rushers are extremely valuable, and Jackson is as good as it gets in the position. Arkansas probably wouldn't be able to find a better defensive end in the transfer portal if it tried.
TEs Luke Hasz and Ty Washington
New offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino struck gold with this tight end duo.
Hasz was on his way to being a freshman All-American before breaking his clavicle on the first drive of the game on Sept. 30 against Texas A&M. The four-star freshman out of Bixby, Oklahoma, caught 16 passes for 253 yards and three scores while healthy. He caught six passes for 116 yards and two scores on Sept. 23 at LSU.
When Hasz went down, Washington stepped up. The redshirt freshman caught seven passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns at Ole Miss the week after Hasz has his injury against the Aggies. Washington caught four more passes for 80 yards before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury at Florida on Nov. 4.
Arkansas' tight end room added Eastern Michigan transfer Andreas Paaske over the weekend, so that group should be pretty set for position coach Morgan Turner.
RBs Rashod Dubinion and Isaiah Augustave
With star tailback Rocket Sanders hitting the portal alongside speedy running back AJ Green, the Razorbacks really needed to at least keep the duo of Dubinion and Augustave.
With Sanders hurt for a majority of 2023 and Green unable to take over as a "workhorse," Dubinion ended up playing 253 snaps as a sophomore. He rushed 82 times for 290 yards and one touchdown. His 3.2 yards per carry was the lowest of any Arkansas running back.
It's worth noting that Dubinion tore his meniscus in the FIU game on Nov. 18 and he didn't play in the finale against Missouri. Sanders also tore his labrum in that game against FIU and he didn't play in the Missouri game as well.
Augustave saw a significant uptick in carries with those two hurt, and the true freshman made the most of his opportunity. The native of Naples, Florida, rushed for 101 yards on 14 carries against FIU and he added 80 rushing yards and a score against Mizzou.
The Razorbacks might add a transfer portal running back, and they also have two incoming four-star freshmen in Jadan Baugh and Braylen Russell, but keeping Dubinion and Augustave was big.
WRs Andrew Armstrong and Isaac TeSlaa
Neither of these receivers entered the 2023 season with a down of Division I football on their resume, but now they each have a year of SEC football under their belts.
Armstrong led the team with 56 catches for 764 yards and five touchdowns, while TeSlaa added 34 catches for 351 yards and two scores to round out the top two.
While neither performed at an All-SEC level this fall, both have the size, speed, IQ and intangibles to really thrive in a Bobby Petrino-led offense. Look for the Hogs to add to the receiver position in the portal, but expect Armstrong and TeSlaa to be the go-to guys for whoever the starting quarterback is to start spring ball.
OL Josh Braun, Ty'Kieast Crawford and Andrew Chamblee
There is no question that the Arkansas offensive line was a weakness for the team in 2023, but the Hogs have a new scheme, a new offensive coordinator and a new offensive line coach in Eric Mateos, who worked under Sam Pittman at Arkansas from 2013-15.
Keeping an All-SEC performer in Braun really helps, as he was a rare bright spot on the offensive line this fall. His 71.3 grade from Pro Football Focus ranked second on the o-line behind center Beaux Limmer's 74.1.
Crawford will use his final year of eligibility to try and finally break through as a starter up front. He logged a few starts due to right tackle Patrick Kutas being hurt late in the year, and Crawford ended with a 64.6 PFF grade across 331 snaps.
As a redshirt freshman, Chamblee was called on to start at left tackle in eight games this fall. The Maumelle native had an up-and-down year with a 51.5 PFF grade, but he gained valuable reps that are hard to find in the portal.
DT Cam Ball
One of the more underrated players on the Arkansas roster, Ball had a solid season as a redshirt sophomore with 32 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, half a sack and a forced fumble.
Defensive tackle might be the hardest position to recruit in the portal, despite the fact that Arkansas added a pair of good ones in Keivie Rose and Anthony Booker Jr. last offseason.
Ball's 71.9 PFF grade this fall was second best of the interior defensive linemen and his run defense grade of 73.4 was third best on the team.
DBs Jaylon Braxton and Jayden Johnson
Braxton was one of the biggest roster surprises for Arkansas as a true freshman in 2023. The former four-star recruit logged six starts and 376 snaps as an integral part of the cornerback room.
A native of Frisco, Texas, Braxton totaled 20 tackles, nine pass deflections, one interception and one fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Johnson started all 12 games at safety as a junior and he really improved from his showing in 2022. After having a team-worst 46.7 grade as a sophomore, Johnson earned a 61.9 defense grade across 603 snaps this fall. His tackle grade really improved to a 74.5.
Returning these two is key for the secondary, especially with the all-but-official loss of star corner Dwight McGlothern to the NFL Draft.
