HawgBeat - Storylines for Arkansas football ahead of SEC Media Days
HawgBeat breaks down some storylines to look for ahead of Arkansas speaking at 2023 SEC Media Days.
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Talking season has arrived and that means it's time for the 2023 SEC Media Days to get underway. This year's event begins Monday and it will be held at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee.
Arkansas fans will have to wait until Wednesday for head coach Sam Pittman and his three selected players to speak. Joining Pittman will be quarterback KJ Jefferson, running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders and defensive end Landon Jackson.
The Razorbacks are set to speak after Alabama head coach Nick Saban and his three players, who will lead things off at 9 a.m. CT Wednesday. For a full list of who will go on what day and what players will speak for each team, click here.
There are plenty of storylines that will likely come up for the Razorbacks, so HawgBeat gets you set with a few to keep in mind ahead of Wednesday's festivities.
New coaches
Pittman's staff will look brand new for the 2023 season as he had to replace two coordinators, two position coaches and his strength and conditioning staff.
While the new staff has yet to coach a game from the sideline for Arkansas, it would be tough to say they could've done a better job off the field to this point. From a recruiting perspective, the Razorbacks have been on fire and that can be attributed largely to the addition of new coaches that can sell Arkansas.
New defensive coordinator Travis Williams will bring a new-look defense compared to what fans have seen from former defensive coordinator Barry Odom over the past three seasons. Look for the Hogs to have a four-man front more often and for the linebackers — Williams' specialty — to play different roles. Hopefully Pittman speaks about what the new defensive is set to feature.
Working with Williams has been co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson, who was previously the defensive backs coach at Florida State. His addition was a big one, as the Razorbacks had the worst pass defense in the FBS last season.
Also on the defensive side of the ball is secondary coach Deron Wilson, who came from Florida, where he was a defensive analyst. Wilson is another piece to the puzzle who recruits have spoken highly of.
Dan Enos is back in Fayetteville for his second stint as the Razorbacks offensive coordinator. He brings a welcomed change of pace that better fits the talent on the roster. Arkansas ran an up-tempo, air-raid type offense under former offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, but Enos will have Jefferson under center, he will utilize the tight ends more and he will get the most out of what is likely the best running back room in the nation.
New tight ends coach Morgan Turner brings a strong track record of coaching NFL tight ends to Fayetteville and he will have a talented group this season.
Quincey McAdoo's health
One of the best stories of Arkansas' 2022 season was freshman Quincey McAdoo switching from wide receiver to cornerback and emerging as one of the best defensive backs on the team.
McAdoo ended up starting the team's final four games of the season and he totaled 30 tackles, one sack, six pass deflections, two interceptions and a blocked punt. There was no questioning that his future was extremely bright.
After missing the first portion of spring ball, he was a full participant for most of the second half. After spring ball had wrapped up on April 15, news came out that McAdoo was involved in a serious car accident on May 3.
Very little has been revealed about McAdoo's status, but Pittman did tell reporters at the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Florida, in May that McAdoo's rehab was going well.
Newest transfer additions
The Razorbacks filled some key holes via the transfer portal throughout the spring. Not all of the transfers who enrolled after the spring semester will make an impact in 2023, but some will likely prove to be extremely valuable.
Georgia transfer Jaheim Singletary is a former five-star prospect who has the chance to work into a starting roll in the secondary. The Razorbacks also added two veterans in TCU transfer Kee'yon Stewart and Western Kentucky transfer AJ Brathwaite Jr. to the secondary.
At linebacker, Cincinnati transfer Jaheim Thomas is a very solid pickup, who might find himself in the regular rotation at the position.
Tight end transfers Var'Keyes Gumms from North Texas and Francis Sherman from Louisville were both key additions at a position lacking depth. Gumms is a candidate to start and he could catch plenty of passes this fall.
Arguably the most important additions came at defensive tackle. Maryland transfer Anthony "Tank" Booker Jr. and Louisiana Tech transfer Keivie Rose are both experienced big men who can plug holes and compete with SEC offensive linemen.
Junior college transfer Amaury Wiggins from Coffeyville Community College was a needed addition as a backup center to Beaux Limmer. Another JUCO addition was Chris Rhodes from Butler CC. Rhodes was a walk-on addition as a defensive back, but he's listed as a wide receiver on the official roster.
The rest of the transfer haul has been seen to some capacity in spring practices, expect for Baylor transfer safety Alfahiym Walcott, who missed the spring with an injury. It should be interesting to hear which names are standing out to Pittman through summer workouts.
Is Landon Jackson ready to take the next step?
Jackson was a defensive MVP candidate in the spring after coming along well late in the 2022 season. A transfer from LSU, Jackson recorded 23 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble during his sophomore campaign.
He was regularly in the backfield during spring scrimmages and the fact that Pittman chose to bring Jackson to Nashville of all the defensive players says a lot. The former four-star prospect out of Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas, is a candidate to lead the Hogs in sacks this season off the edge.
While the Razorbacks added two edge rushers via the portal — John Morgan and Trajan Jeffcoat — Jackson should be a Day 1 starter. We should hear plenty about his progress throughout summer workouts.
Should KJ Jefferson have Heisman hype?
Going into his third season as the starting quarterback for the Razorbacks, Jefferson is commonly being listed as the top passer in the SEC entering this season. The Sardis, Mississippi, native is also picking up some dark horse Heisman Trophy Award hype.
Preseason All-SEC teams will be voted on this week and it will be interesting to see if Jefferson comes away as the first team quarterback. While Pittman might not talk about how good Jefferson is very much — because it's widely know — he will for sure be asked about his quarterback.
Jefferson will also be attending his second straight SEC Media Days, so he should give some pretty good quotes during his session.
