The NFL season kicked off Thursday night, and several rosters are littered with former Razorbacks suiting up at the professional level.
All told, there are 22 Pro Hogs on 14 different teams, with five on practice squads and 17 on the initial 53-man rosters that were announced Aug. 27.
One of the longest-tenured Razorbacks in the NFL is quarterback Brandon Allen, who is going into his eighth season in the league and will — along with Joshua Dobbs — back up San Francisco 49ers starter Brock Purdy this season.
Allen and Patriots tight end Hunter Henry are both going into their eighth seasons of professional football.
There are three players from last season’s team who made NFL rosters. Cornerback Dwight McGlothern signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Minnesota Vikings and made the cut, while kicker Cam Little and offensive lineman Beaux Limmer were drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Arkansas has four offensive linemen in the league currently, and it’s interesting to note that most of them — save for Hjalte Froholdt, who was a defensive lineman at Arkansas until 2016 when he moved to offensive line — were coached by Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, either during his stint as offensive line coach from 2013-15 or as head coach.
HawgBeat scoured each NFL roster and compiled a full list of the players who will suit up this season:
San Francisco 49ers — Brandon Allen, Dre Greenlaw
As mentioned above, Allen is one of the longest-tenured Razorbacks still playing in the NFL. The Fayetteville native was drafted in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft and bounced around several teams.
He’s been with the 49ers since 2023, and was with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2020-2022, meaning he’s been on two teams that reached the Super Bowl in his career.
Dre Greenlaw has also been to the Super Bowl twice, as he’s been with the 49ers since being drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
During last year’s Super Bowl — a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs — Greenlaw suffered a torn achilles while running onto the field in the first quarter. He’s currently on the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform-list to start the year.
Arizona Cardinals — Hjalte Froholdt
Hjalte Froholdt started his NFL career with the New England Patriots after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He played for the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns before signing a three-year contract with the Cardinals in March 2023.
The Svendborg, Denmark, native is the first Danish player to ever be invited to the NFL Combine, which he did in 2019 ahead of the draft.
Los Angeles Rams — Kamren Curl, Beaux Limmer
Rams safety Kamren Curl is entering his fifth season in the NFL and his first In Los Angeles after spending his first four years with the Washington Commanders, who drafted him in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Curl has made the most of his opportunity, an he’s amassed 385 tackles, five sacks, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions so far in his career.
Beaux Limmer, on the other hand, is entering his first season in the NFL after being drafted by the Rams in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He was a mainstay on Arkansas' offensive line over the last three years.
Limmer made 40 starts with the Razorbacks in four years and was named Second Team All-SEC in 2022.
Detroit Lions — Jake Bates, Frank Ragnow, Dan Skipper
Lions kicker Jake Bates has had a long path to the NFL, as he spent last spring playing for the Michigan Panthers of the UFL. He started to turn heads after he nailed a 64-yard game winner in Week 1 of the UFL season and remained stellar throughout the year, which led to the Lions' decision to sign him to a contract.
Bates spent one season at Arkansas and only handled kickoffs. After the 2023 season ended, he joined the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent, but was waived, which led to him joining the Panthers.
At one point, offensive lineman Frank Ragnow was the highest-paid center in the NFL. Since he was drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, he's started 80 games for the Lions.
Offensive lineman Dan Skipper was teammates with Ragnow while at Arkansas, but his path to the Lions wasn’t as straightforward. He went undrafted in 2017 and bounced between several NFL organizations before joining the Detroit Lions last season.
Minnesota Vikings — Dwight McGlothern
The highest-rated cornerback in the SEC last year according to Pro Football Focus, Dwight McGlothern went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, but signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Vikings afterward.
McGlothern played well in the preseason and earned a spot on the 53-man roster.
The Houston, Texas, native transferred to Arkansas from LSU ahead of the 2022 season and started 25 games for the Razorbacks. He made 72 tackles and intercepted seven passes while at Arkansas.
New Orleans Saints — John Ridgeway III
Defensive tackle John Ridgeway is with a new team in 2024, as he was traded by the Washington Commanders on Aug. 28.
The Saints are actually the third NFL team he's been on, as he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys after one season at Arkansas in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was waived by the team and was picked up by the Commanders ahead of the 2022 season.
In his two seasons with the Commanders, Ridgeway totaled 55 tackles and forced one fumble.
Jacksonville Jaguars — Cam Little, Montaric Brown, Jeremiah Ledbetter
Cam Little appears to have locked up the starting kicker job for the Jaguars after being drafted in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The most accurate kicker in Arkansas history, Little made 82.8% of his field goals (53-for-64).
Defensive back Montaric Brown is entering his third season with the Jaguars after being drafted by Jacksonville in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In 20 games with the Jaguars, he's made 40 tackles and broken up four passes.
Jeremiah Ledbetter has been in the NFL for what will be his seventh season in 2024. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft and has bounced around several teams before landing with the Jags, where he's been since 2021.
Carolina Panthers — Feleipe Franks
Former Arkansas quarterback Feleipe Franks has found a new position at tight end in the NFL, and was just activated off the Panthers' practice squad Saturday.
After he transferred to Arkansas from Florida in 2020, Franks spent one year — the COVID-shortened 2020 season — with the Hogs.. He went undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft and joined the Atlanta Falcons, where he later converted to tight end.
Franks joined the Panthers organization on July 26 and was added to the practice squad before he was activated Saturday.
New England Patriots — Hunter Henry, Deatrich Wise, Armon Watts
Probably most known for his heroics against Ole Miss in 2015, Hunter Henry is heading into his eighth season in the NFL. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and has been with the Patriots since 2021.
Defensive lineman Deatrich Wise has spent the last six seasons in the NFL, all with the Patriots. He has made 285 total tackles and made 29 sacks in that span, and helped New England to a Super Bowl win in 2018 over the Rams.
Armon Watts is currently on injured reserve with the Patriots, his fourth NFL team after being drafted by the Vikings in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Tennessee Titans — Treylon Burks
Wide receiver Treylon Burks has had an injury-plagued career in the NFL after he was taken by the Titans with the 19th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
In 21 games for the Titans, Burks has caught 49 passes for 665 yards and one touchdown.
While at Arkansas, Burks was a consistent target for former quarterback KJ Jefferson in 2020 and 2021.
During his final season in Fayetteville, Burks grabbed 66 passes for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was named First Team All-SEC by the league's coaches for his efforts.
Denver Broncos — Drew Sanders
Linebacker Drew Sanders is starting the season on the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) list due to a torn achilles, which will likely sideline him for the entirety of 2024.
Sanders spent one season at Arkansas after transferring from Alabama, and was one of the key players for the Razorbacks defense that season. He was named First-Team All-American by the AP after he finished with 9.5 sacks, the most by a Razorback since 2012.
Practice Squad Pro Hogs
Several former Razorbacks didn't make the cut for the 53-man rosters, but are still on NFL teams' practice squads.
Linebacker Antonio Grier (Buccaneers), defensive lineman TJ Smith (Panthers), wide receiver Matt Landers (Patriots), offensive lineman Dalton Wagner (Raiders) and defensive lineman McTelvin Agim (Broncos) could all have their services called upon throughout the 2024 season.
