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Transfer Tracker: Where former Hogs landed, how they fared in 2021

Cole Kelley put up huge numbers at the FCS level.
Cole Kelley put up huge numbers at the FCS level. (SELA Athletics)

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Here’s an updated look at how former Razorbacks did at their new schools in 2021, as well as where those who transferred this offseason have landed…

*walk-on at Arkansas

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Transferred This Offseason

DT Andy Boykin - East Tennessee State (FCS)

A high three-star recruit in the Class of 2020, Boykin committed to Arkansas over several high profile offers on the traditional National Signing Day in February 2020. However, he never appeared in a game during his two seasons with the Razorbacks. Boykin has announced he'll continue his career at the FCS level, transferring to East Tennessee State.

DB Greg Brooks Jr. - LSU

One of the most impactful departures of the offseason, Brooks was a three-year starter for the Razorbacks, starting 30 total games. He steadily improved over that span, but did split reps at nickel back with true freshman Jayden Johnson this year, even coming off the bench three times late in the season. We may never know for certain, but that likely played a factor in his surprise decision to transfer. The New Orleans native has since committed to SEC West rival LSU.

DB Devin Bush - Grambling State (FCS)

Heralded coming out of high school, Bush was one of many four-star recruits in Arkansas’ 2019 class, but never found a steady spot in the secondary rotation. Injuries limited him to only 14 defensive snaps and 24 special teams snaps his first two years and then he played just 47 defensive snaps this season. Bush entered the portal after the bowl game, which he did not get to dress out for. It seemed like he was going to join teammates Greg Brooks Jr. and Joe Foucha in Baton Rouge by transferring to Southern, but he eventually flipped his commitment to arch rival Grambling.

K Vito Calvaruso - Wisconsin

The most notable of Arkansas’ portal departures before the Outback Bowl, Calvaruso was the best kickoff specialist in college football during the regular season, according to Pro Football Focus. He notched touchbacks on 85.1 percent of his kickoffs, which ranked fourth in the FBS, and had the second-best average hang time (4.26 seconds) in the country. However, he was likely never going to be more than a kickoff specialist because of Cam Little’s emergence as the placekicker and sources indicated he wanted to go somewhere he could do both. He apparently found that at Wisconsin.

WR Kendall Catalon - unknown

Catalon began his career at Southern, an FCS program, and put up good numbers his first two seasons. However, with his younger brother being a heralded four-star recruit, he decided to transfer and follow Jalen to Arkansas. After sitting out a year because of transfer rules, Catalon earned steady praise from coaches and teammates, but it never translated to much playing time. Rather than spend another season with his brother, he opted to use his super senior season by entering the portal.

OL Ray Curry Jr. - Alabama State (FCS)

Committed to Missouri until the early signing period for the 2020 class, Curry flipped to Arkansas because the Razorbacks hired the Tigers’ head coach (Barry Odom) and offensive line coach (Brad Davis). However, he was buried on the depth chart and never appeared in a game over the last two seasons. Curry flipped again as a portal recruit, originally committing to Alabama A&M - where he was set to join fellow Arkansas transfer and Memphis native Darin Turner - before announcing he would head to SWAC rival Alabama State instead.

S Joe Foucha - LSU

Perhaps the most surprising transfer of the offseason, even more so than Brooks, was Foucha’s decision to pursue his super senior season elsewhere. A team captain this season, he finished fourth on the team with 73 tackles and intercepted a pass in the Outback Bowl. Foucha played 2,323 career defensive snaps for the Razorbacks before deciding to transfer. Less than a week after entering the portal, he committed to LSU in his home state of Louisiana.

DB Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan - Hutchinson C.C. (JUCO)

Probably the most vocal recruiter for Arkansas in its 2021 class, Hamilton-Jordan was hampered by an injury during his true freshman season and never saw the field with the Razorbacks. Rather than heading to another four-year school, he is taking the junior college route and will play at Hutchinson C.C. in Kansas next season.

RB Josh Oglesby - Stephen F. Austin (FCS)

Originally just a sprinter on the track team, Oglesby joined the Arkansas football team after Pittman’s hire and made some noise in fall camp. However, he suffered a season-ending injury in fall camp before the 2020 season and then got buried on the depth chart in 2021. In his lone appearance, Oglesby rushed for 17 yards on three carries against Georgia Southern. He has since transferred down to the FCS level and will play at Stephen F. Austin, which is less than three hours away from his hometown of Katy, Texas.

LB Andrew Parker - Middle Tennessee

Despite being a two-star recruit from New Orleans, Parker was pursued by Texas and Texas A&M late in the recruiting process before sticking with Arkansas. Over the next four years, he established himself as a backup linebacker who played 281 defensive snaps, as a special teams contributor. Instead of playing with the Razorbacks as a fifth-year senior, Parker opted to enter the portal with two years of eligibility remaining. He found his new home at the Group of Five level, as he's heading to Middle Tennessee in Conference USA.

*K/P Matthew Phillips - unknown

A walk-on from Tennessee, Phillips actually got some playing time as a punter as a freshman in 2018 and booted a field goal as a redshirt sophomore in 2020. However, with Little solidifying things as the placekicker and two punters set to be on scholarship next season, he likely wasn’t going to see much - if any - opportunity to play in 2022, so he decided to enter the portal.

RB Trelon Smith - TCU

After earning praise as a "scout team Heisman" in 2019, when he had to sit out following a transfer from Arizona State, Smith eventually overtook Rakeem Boyd as the starting running back in 2020. He held that role until late in 2021, when he was surpassed by a pair of talented young running backs. Despite never have a full season as the starter, Smith racked up 1,308 yards and 10 touchdowns in two season. With his usage slipping down the stretch, he decided to enter the portal and pursue a super senior season elsewhere. That will be back in his home state of Texas, as he’s staying in the Power Five by transferring to TCU.

LB J.T. Towers - Ouachita Baptist (DII)

An in-state product out of Joe T. Robinson in Little Rock, Towers was a two-star recruit and late addition to Arkansas’ 2020 class. He never saw the field during his two years with the Razorbacks. Towers has since landed at Ouachita Baptist, the in-state Division II program in Arkadelphia where his older brother played in the early 2010s.

WR Darin Turner - Alabama A&M (FCS)

After originally committing to the previous staff and de-committing when they were let go, Turner rejoined the 2020 class when wide receivers coach Justin Stepp was retained. With Stepp gone and having not seen the field in two seasons with the Razorbacks, he decided to enter the transfer portal. Turner dropped down to the FCS level and will play at Alabama A&M.

DB Nick Turner - Toledo

The first player to leave Arkansas after the Outback Bowl, Turner was a late flip to Arkansas from Georgia Tech in the 2020 cycle. He actually played in nine of 10 games as a true freshman and started the regular-season finale. Although he carved out a heavy special teams role this season, Turner couldn’t build on his freshman performance and played defense in just two games. He is heading to the MAC, announcing a transfer to Toledo.

*WR John David White - UCA

A standout receiver at Pulaski Academy, White chose to walk-on at Arkansas and continue a long family tradition, as his great-grandfather, grandfather and uncle each played football for the Razorbacks. He consistently drew praise from coaches and teammates, but never could crack the wide receiver rotation. In three seasons, White caught three passes for 46 yards. Interestingly enough, each of those receptions came on the road against the eventual national champion - two at LSU in 2019 and one at Georgia in 2021. He is staying in the Natural State, transferring down to the FCS level to become the latest player in the Arkansas-to-UCA pipeline.

DT Jalen Williams - Southern Miss

One of the least surprising transfer of the offseason, Williams came to Arkansas with high expectations as a junior college transfer defensive tackle, but didn’t pan out the way the coaching staff had hoped. An injury limited him in spring ball and then Pittman admitted to reporters during fall camp that he wasn’t the same player they saw on tape in the recruiting process. After not appearing in a single game during his lone season with the Razorbacks, Williams entered the portal and quickly landed at Southern Miss, which is only about an hour from his hometown in Mississippi.

DT Solomon Wright - Oklahoma State (walk-on)

A surprise flip from Texas Tech last summer, Wright spent just one season at Arkansas before deciding to enter the portal. He was buried on the depth chart and never appeared in a game for the Razorbacks. Wright has landed at Oklahoma State, where he's joined the team as a walk-on. It is the same school where his father, Kenyatta, played before reaching the NFL. Wright's brother, Elijah, has also transferred to Oklahoma State from Division II Central Oklahoma.

Previous Transfers

*QB Austin Aune - North Texas

2021 stats: 151 of 295 (51.2%), 1,991 yards, 9 TD, 9 INT; 80 carries, 325 yards, 3 TD

A former minor league baseball player, Aune spent just one semester as a walk-on at Arkansas before leaving for North Texas. Part of a two-quarterback system with the Mean Green last year, he actually began this season as the backup before taking over as the starter for the final nine games. North Texas went 5-4 with him as the starter, including a five-game winning streak to end the regular season and reach a bowl game. Despite not having great statistics, Aune earned a 71.2 grade from Pro Football Focus.

WR Jarrod Barnes - Central Arkansas (FCS)

2021 stats: none

After catching 36 passes for 320 yards over the previous two seasons, Barnes did not record any statistics this year. Despite this being his fifth season in college, he is listed as a junior by the Bears.

S Chevin Calloway - SMU

2021 stats: none

The top signee in Arkansas’ 2017 class, Calloway transferred during his second year in Fayetteville and landed back close to home at SMU. Now a fifth-year senior, he left the team during fall camp because of personal reasons, but returned a few games into the season. However, Calloway appeared in just two games and played on three defensive snaps. He also played 19 special teams snaps, while not recording any official statistics. Calloway was a starter for the Mustangs in 2020.

P George Caratan - Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. (JUCO) / UMass

2021 stats: 42 punts, 40.4-yard average, 16 inside the 20, 11 fair caught, 4 touchbacks

Following two seasons in which he never played at Michigan, Caratan was special teams coordinator Scott Fountain’s hand-picked punter last offseason. He opened 2020 as the starter, but had a couple of punts blocked and also botched a hold on an extra-point attempt, leading to him losing his job. He entered the portal and decided to use the COVID-19 eligibility relief by going the JUCO route. After a solid season at MGCCC, Caratan committed to UMass.

DT Collin Clay - Oklahoma State

2021 stats: none

After getting significant reps on Arkansas’ defensive line as a true freshman, Clay opted to transfer closer to home. Unfortunately, a torn ACL sidelined him all of last season and he didn’t play at all this year as he recovered from the injury. However, Clay is expected to return to the field in 2022.

*WR Tobias Enlow - Central Arkansas (FCS)

2021 stats: 19 receptions, 188 yards, 3 TD

A former walk-on at Arkansas, Enlow transferred to UCA and became a contributor on the Bears’ offense as a sixth-year senior. Included among his 19 receptions were touchdown grabs against UAPB, Texas Wesleyan and Stephen F. Austin.

DT Billy Ferrell - Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (JUCO)

2021 stats: 14 tackles (10 solo), 5.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks

In his third season in junior college, Ferrell racked up 5.5 tackles for loss in just eight games. Considering he has now been in college for four years, including one year at Arkansas to begin his career, it’s unclear what his next step will be. The former in-state prospect chose the Razorbacks over Alabama and others coming out of high school and was committed to UTSA in JUCO at one point, but he never signed with the Roadrunners and doesn’t appear to be part of their class any more.

LB Kyrei Fisher - Oregon State

2021 stats: 30 tackles (10 solo), 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 4 QBH

For the first time in his five-year career, Fisher finally got extended playing time at Oregon State this year. After dealing with an injury and COVID-19 contact tracing his first two years with the Beavers, he was thrust into action late in the season because of an injury. He played 48 snaps against Arizona State and eventually started Oregon State’s bowl game against Utah State. Fisher ended the season with a 60.9 grade on 172 defensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

OL Nicholas Fulwider - Texas State

2021 stats: none

In three seasons with the Razorbacks, Fulwider appeared in just one game as a defensive lineman. His 6-foot-7 frame led to some fans calling for him to switch sides of the ball and that’s what he did at Texas State, as he’s now listed as an offensive lineman. However, he did not see the field this season for the Bobcats.

*WR Karch Gardiner - UTSA

2021 stats: none

Gardiner made some noise as a walk-on at Arkansas, but couldn’t crack the wide receiver rotation and decided to transfer down to the Group of Five level. He reunited with Jeff Traylor and Barry Lunney Jr. at UTSA, where he played just one offensive snap this season.

TE Grayson Gunter - Southern Miss

2021 stats: 14 receptions, 170 yards, 1 TD

Playing back in his home state and taking advantage of his “super senior” season, Gunter was Southern Miss’ starting tight end this season, starting all but one game and playing 613 offensive snaps. However, he struggled with penalties down the stretch, drawing eight flags over the final five games, and earned just a 50.8 overall grade for the season. That ranked 89th out of 97 FBS tight ends with at least 25 targets.

RB Chase Hayden - Illinois

2021 stats: 5 carries, 18 yards

Reunited with Bret Bielema after a brief stint at East Carolina, Hayden appeared in just six games this season. He played six offensive snaps and 15 special teams snaps as a fifth-year senior.

DB Korey Hernandez - Eastern Michigan

2021 stats: none

After playing significant snaps and starting four of six games for Eastern Michigan last season, Hernandez appeared in just one game this year. He played a single defensive snap against Toledo.

DT Enoch Jackson Jr. - North Texas

2021 stats: 19 tackles (4 solo), 2 TFL, 1.5 sacks

Although he didn’t start a single game for North Texas, Jackson was a key part of its rotation of defensive tackles. He played 278 total defensive snaps and was credited with 7 total pressures and 15 “stops” - tackles that constitute a “failure” for the offense - by Pro Football Focus, which earned him a 64.6 grade.

WR T.Q. Jackson - SMU

2021 stats: none

Having just completed his second season at SMU after appearing in just three games for the Razorbacks in 2019, Jackson did not see the field in 2021. He played some last year, thanks to immediate eligibility granted a couple games into the season, but struggled with mistakes as a return man.

DL Alexy Jean-Baptiste - Campbell (FCS)

2021 stats: 5 tackles (0 solo), 1 TFL

Despite enjoying some success as a defensive end at Florida International, Jean-Baptiste was a lightly used reserve at Campbell, an FCS program, this season. As a super senior in his sixth season of college football, he appeared in all but one game, but played just 94 defensive snaps and managed only two pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

WR Jordan Jones - Cincinnati / Missouri State (FCS)

2021 stats: 4 receptions, 31 yards, 1 TD

Playing for the first Group of Five team to reach the College Football Playoffs, Jones had a limited role as a super senior for Cincinnati. Among his four receptions this season was a touchdown grab that put the Bearcats up 48-0 against SMU in their penultimate regular-season game. He played just 68 offensive snaps this season.

Presumably getting a medical redshirt for the 2019 season he missed with injury, Jones will return to Fayetteville as a seventh-year senior in 2022 - but not in an Arkansas or Cincinnati uniform. Instead, he has transferred to Missouri State to play for former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino. The Bears play the Razorbacks on Sept. 17.

QB Cole Kelley - Southeastern Louisiana (FCS)

2021 stats: 406 of 552 passing (73.6%), 5,124 yards, 44 TD, 10 INT; 161 carries, 491 yards, 16 TD

Perhaps no recent transfer has enjoyed more success in his post-Arkansas career than Kelley. Freed from the curse that was Chad Morris, the 6-foot-7, 260-pound gunslinger won the Walter Payton Award as the top player in the FCS during the spring season and followed it up with arguably an even better season. Although he finished runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, Kelley piled up 5,615 total yards and 60 touchdowns in 13 games. Including his time with the Razorbacks, he threw for more than 10,000 yards and accounted for 133 touchdowns in college.

QB Jack Lindsey - Arkansas Tech (DII)

2021 stats: 189 of 302 passing (62.6%), 2,050 yards, 15 TD, 7 INT; 64 carries, 187 yards, 2 TD

One of five quarterbacks to start a game at Arkansas in 2019, Lindsey - a former walk-on - decided to finish his career with a super senior season at the Division II level. Although the Wonder Boys went just 4-7, Lindsey had a solid year at Arkansas Tech, completing 62.6 percent of his passes and racking up 17 total touchdowns with only 7 interceptions.

S Myles Mason - Louisiana Tech

2021 stats: 19 tackles (5 solo), 2 PBU

Mason played more than 700 snaps over three seasons at Arkansas before deciding to enter the transfer portal. He landed at Louisiana Tech and was a significant contributor to the Bulldogs’ defense despite not starting. He played 164 snaps over the first seven games of the season - an average of 23.4 per game - before missing the final five games.

*K Blake Mazza - SMU

2021 stats: 12 of 15 FG, 54 of 57 PAT - 90 points

After beginning his career as a walk-on at Arkansas in 2017, Mazza transferred to Washington State and had a huge redshirt sophomore campaign in 2019. That year, he made 20 of 21 field goals and was named a Lou Groza Award finalist and first-team All-Pac-12. Mazza decided to transfer closer to home (Plano, Texas) after three years with the Cougars and had another solid season in which he earned fourth-team All-AAC recognition from PFF. He is now 46 of 55 (83.6%) on field goals in his college career.

DB Jarques McClellion - Florida State

2021 stats: 29 tackles (18 solo), 1 PBU

A two-year starting cornerback at Arkansas before getting surpassed on the depth chart and deciding to opt out of the 2020 season, McClellion ended up transferring to Florida State. He converted to safety and didn’t appear in the season opener, but then played in the Seminoles’ last 11 games. He played 268 total defensive snaps without a start and earned a 71.1 grade from Pro Football Focus - much better than his 59.8 and 59.7 marks with the Razorbacks.

WR Shamar Nash - Memphis

2021 stats: none

One of four four-star wide receivers in Arkansas’ 2019 class, Nash never saw the field during two seasons with the Razorbacks and also didn’t see the field in his first season at Memphis, where he transferred to get closer to home.

OL Chibueze Nwanna - Charlotte

2021 stats: 12 games (7 starts)

The other half of what was essentially a trade that sent Ty’Kieast Crawford to Arkansas, Nwanna never set foot on the field for the Razorbacks. At Charlotte, though, he became a significant contributor as a super senior. After coming off the bench early in the season, Nwanna started the 49ers’ last seven games at left tackle. He ended the year with a 50.0 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus.

OL Silas Robinson - Texas State

2021 stats: 6 games (4 starts)

After playing only a pair of special teams snaps early in the year, Robinson - one of the first commitments of the Chad Morris era - was forced into action because of an injury. He ended up starting four games at center and earned a 46.4 grade on 323 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

*K Jared Sackett - South Florida / UTSA

2021 stats: none

A back-to-back Lou Groza Award semifinalist as a freshman and sophomore at UTSA, Sackett transferred to Arkansas and had to sit out the 2019 season because of NCAA transfer rules. He likely would have competed for the starting job the next year, but left following the coaching change. Following former Arkansas special teams quality control coach Daniel Da Prato, Sackett ended up at South Florida and made 5 of 7 field goals in 2020, but did not see the field this season. He has since transferred back to UTSA for his super senior season.

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DB Micahh Smith - Incarnate Word (FCS)

2021 stats: none

One of only a few potential super seniors who didn’t return to Arkansas, Smith transferred down to the FCS level for his final season of college ball. It doesn’t appear that he saw the field this season, but tweets earlier in the year indicate he might have had an injury setback.

RB A’Montae Spivey - East Mississippi C.C. (JUCO)

2021 stats: 64 carries, 335 yards, 1 TD; 11 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD; 2 fumbles (2 lost)

Landing at a well-known JUCO after leaving Arkansas during the 2020 season, Spivey was the No. 2 running back at EMCC this year. It’s unclear where he’ll continue his career, but he tweeted about an offer from ULM last March and an offer from Mississippi Valley State - an FCS program - last month.

*K Preston Stafford - LSU

2021 stats: 3 of 3 PAT, 2 kickoffs

After one season at Arkansas in which he redshirted, Stafford transferred back home to Baton Rouge. Over the last three seasons, he’s appeared in four games and kicked off three times while going 3 of 3 on extra points. He recently entered the transfer portal and will play his fifth season of college football somewhere else.

QB Nick Starkel - San Jose State

2021 stats: 128 of 248 passing (51.6%), 1,645 yards, 9 TD, 7 INT; 1 rushing TD

Following a storybook season in which he helped lead San Jose State to a surprising MWC championship last year, Starkel announced he’d return for a super senior season with the Spartans. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury early in the year that caused him to miss five games. He eventually got healthy enough to start the final two games of the season, but his Pro Football Focus grade dipped from 78.4 to 64.7.

WR Jimmie Stoudemire - Edward Waters (DII)

2021 stats: none

A junior college transfer who was originally believed to be a walk-on, it was later learned that Stoudemire was on scholarship at Arkansas. After never stepping foot on the field for the Razorbacks, he transferred down to the Division II level. Now at Edward Waters, Stoudemire was listed as a backup on the depth chart this season, but appeared in only one game and didn’t record any statistics.

*QB Jacob Switzer - Southeastern Louisiana (FCS)

2021 stats: none

Similar to Aune, Switzer was a walk-on quarterback at Arkansas for just one semester, practicing with the Razorbacks last spring. He then followed Kelley’s footsteps by transferring to Southeastern Louisiana, where he didn’t appear in a game this season.

TE/DE Blayne Toll - Colorado / Arkansas State

2021 stats: 3 tackles (3 solo)

Flipping back and forth from offense to defense as a freshman at Arkansas, Toll was a defensive lineman at Colorado. He appeared in three games, playing 33 total defensive snaps, before deciding to reenter the portal. Toll has since returned to the Natural State, transferring to Arkansas State.

RB Maleek Williams - FIU

2021 stats: 13 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD

According to Pro Football Focus, Williams appeared in all but one game for FIU this season, with most of his action - 51 snaps - coming on special teams. However, he did play 32 offensive snaps and rushed for 64 yards on 13 carries, including a touchdown run against Middle Tennessee State.

WR Mike Woods - Oklahoma

2021 stats: 35 receptions, 400 yards, 2 TD

Shortly after his surprise departure from Arkansas following the spring game, Woods landed at Oklahoma and was one of the Sooners’ top targets. Despite missing a couple of games with an injury, he finished tied for second on the team in receptions and second in yards, but had just two touchdown grabs. Those came against Western Carolina and Kansas State. His PFF grade ticked up from 68.0 at Arkansas in 2020 to 70.4 at Oklahoma this year.

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