ADVERTISEMENT

Top sports moments of 24

This year is amazingly winding down. I didn't believe it when people would tell me this when I was younger but The older you get (42) the faster these just blaze you by. It seems like we just started 24.
Anyway, I'm big on reflection and lists.

24 was not kind overall to Razorback sports fans at all. Had some glimmers of hope here and there in football, another solid regular season but horrible post season in baseball, and a blockbuster coach hiring in basketball that followed a mysteriously horrible and drama filled regular season. I'm also a Dallas Cowboys fan so its definitely been a rough on me in 2024 overall.

My top 5:

1) Hiring John Calipari and the recruiting success that followed. Not an on-field success but it gave us some big time hope for this season and seasons to come. A little bit of a slow start but I think we are coming together and continuing to get healthy. I think in 25 they will give us plenty to cheer about during the SEC season as we head into March. Hopefully we can get healthy and stay that way through the absolute gauntlet. I wish Coach would have added at least one more main roster player out of the portal.

2) Hagen Smith's 17 Ks vs Oregon in Arlington. That dude was just unbelievable that night. Best pitching performance I have ever seen in a Hog uni. Who knew this would be the zenith of our 24 baseball season? A lot of us were thinking Omaha and beyond after that. Just wore down once again as the season ended into June. Really hope this year in 25 is different and we get back to Omaha.

3) Oklahoma City Thunder run to the top seed in the NBA playoffs. Bowed out a little too early vs Dallas but they were a very very young team. Learning experience but it was a great ride.

4) Football win vs Tennessee in fayetteville. Great experience taking my family to see an unbelievable win and a field storming. Gave us that great moment we had been lacking in football for a while but there just weren't enough of these. Other than this game, we were horrible when it came to winning time in close games.

5) Michigan win in MSG. This game finally showed what this team could be just last week. This one will carry for a long long while. I still think Michigan is very good.


Here's hoping 25 is much kinder to us Hog fans that 24 was!! Lets go!!

What are your top five sports moments in 24?

Texas A&M transfer tight end commits to Arkansas

1734463528943.png

Texas A&M tight end transfer Jaden Platt committed to Arkansas on Tuesday.

Listed at 6-foot-5, 260-pounds, the redshirt freshman played just seven snaps in 2024 and earned a 53.8 Pro Football Focus grade in that span. As a freshman in 2023, Platt notched 17 snaps and one receiving touchdown.

Out of V.R. Easton High School in Haslet, Texas, Platt chose the Aggies over offers from programs like Baylor, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas and others.

Be sure to tune in to The Trough premium message board for updates on all the offseason action.

Login to view embedded media

Carmona talks 2025 season: '6-6 is not our ceiling'

Login to view embedded media
In the face of roster uncertainty and fan angst after a middling 6-6 (3-5 SEC) 2024 campaign, Arkansas left tackle Fernando Carmona Jr. communicated his confidence Tuesday for the Razorbacks' future.

A 6-foot-5, 322-pound redshirt junior, Carmona anchored down the left side of Arkansas' offensive line all year for fifth-year head coach Sam Pittman. The former San Jose State transfer announced his return to Fayetteville on Dec. 4 and credited a passion for improvement as his reason why.

"I think it goes kind of along with the love for (Pittman), the love for (Eric Mateos) and the love for the guys that are still here," Carmona said Tuesday. "I love this school. I love this university.

"6-6 is not what we wanted. This is not what I wanted at all. I think there's just more left in this tank and these fans deserve it. I just think coming back was the best decision for me because we have more left and 6-6 is not our ceiling. We're going to show people next year."

Fair concerns have arisen for Arkansas' offensive line following transfer departures from starters Addison Nichols, Joshua Braun and Patrick Kutas, but Carmona seemed confident that a rebuild through the portal will have a smoother transition than it did in 2024.

"I wouldn't say it's a concern just because of the simple fact of we were coming into a whole new offense (this year), and that's kind of the hardest part," Carmona said. "Obviously it's blending with the offensive line, but learning that offensive playbook is extremely hard. And now we're going to have three, possibly four people returning next year who know the playbook through and through.

"I'm not really too concerned at all, and I know we're going to get some extra pieces, and I'm going to bring them in with open arms, and we're just going to keep rolling as we always do."

So far, Arkansas has earned a portal commitment from Oregon transfer tackle JacQawn McRoy and has hosted offensive line transfers such as UCF transfer Caden Kitler, Georgia Tech transfer Corey Robinson II and more. The Razorbacks are clearly big-game hunting to upgrade what was an average offensive line this past season.

"It's exciting," Carmona said. "I had dinner with one of them last night, and it's just kind of nice meeting these new guys and people that are going to be probably in our new position group. And so it's fun just talking to these guys, just kind of seeing where their mindset's at and kind of just showing them how they're going to fit into our offense and what they can do for us and how we can help them.

"So it's just a lot of fun. We're recruiting our tails off as players and we're trying to bring the best of the best, and that's how you elevate rooms, is bringing the best of the best."

Up next, Arkansas will face the Texas Tech Raiders in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 27 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. That game will kick off at 6 p.m. CT and will air on ESPN.

HawgBeat Hoops Show: Razorbacks gearing up for SEC play

Login to view embedded media
Check out the HawgBeat Hoops Show with Jackson Collier and Daniel Fair from HawgBeat.com - the Rivals website covering the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The guys discuss the Hoop Hogs' 9-2 start under first-year head coach John Calipari. Talk about the recent win over UCA and the two remaining non-conference games to gear the Razorbacks up for SEC play.

Visit our homepage for full coverage of Arkansas basketball, football and baseball.

UCF transfer center Caden Kitler signs with Arkansas

Arkansas has signed redshirt sophomore UCF transfer center Caden Kitler, according to On3.

A 6-foot-3, 295-pound Dallas, Texas, native, Kitler started 11 games for the Knights this season and finished with a 67.5 offensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus. He also managed a 79.1 mark in pass-blocking and a 63.6 mark in run-blocking on 709 snaps.

Looking at the numbers, PFF also indicates that Kitler didn't allow a single sack in 2024 and gave up just nine quarterback hurries. His worst performance came against Florida (36.6 pass-block grade), but he played just 22 snaps against the Gators due to an injury.

Since entering the transfer portal, received offers from Mississippi State, Memphis, Florida State, Houston and others.

The former three-star product out of Pope John Paul II High School originally chose the Knights over programs like Air Force, Arkansas State, Army, Boise State, Memphis and others.

Login to view embedded media
  • Like
Reactions: cfcjr50

AAC wide receiver transfer commits to Arkansas

1734453603010.png

Redshirt freshman UAB wide receiver transfer Kam Shanks has committed to Arkansas, a source confirmed to HawgBeat.

He is also expected to sign with the Razorbacks, according to Pete Nakos of On3.

A 5-foot-8, 180-pound Alabama native, Shanks was named Third-Team AAC All-Conference after reeling in 62 catches for 656 yards and six touchdowns. He was named First-Team All-Conference as a return specialist after leading the nation in punt returns yards (329), punt return average (20.6) and punt return touchdowns (two).

Against the Razorbacks this season on Sept. 14, Shanks caught five passes for 31 yards and a score. According to his X bio, Shanks runs a 4.43 40-yard dash.

Pro Football Focus graded Shanks out with a 71.8 offensive grade, a 72.3 pass grade and a 70.4 run-block grade following the 2024 regular season. He also had a 91.1 grade in punt situations.

Be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on Arkansas' offseason recruiting.

Login to view embedded media

Jaylon Braxton addresses injury

Just now seeing this quote from the Ole Miss 247 site regarding Braxton’s injury, which began as bone bruise/tendonitis and then turned into a knee injury later in the season from what we were told.

"The injury was actually a fractured knee cap, The team doctors there at Arkansas had misdiagnosed me. They told me I had tendonitis and bone bruise. I actually had to go off-campus to my own doctors and figure that out myself. That's what happened with that. I'll be ready for spring ball. I didn't have to get surgery or anything. I'll be good."

Rodney Hill to lead Arkansas running backs in Liberty Bowl

Login to view embedded media
Arkansas is set to be without its top three running backs from the 2024 regular season when it faces Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 27 in Memphis.

Starter Ja'Quinden Jackson, a transfer from Utah, declared for the NFL Draft after rushing for 790 yards and 15 scores in his lone season with the Hogs.

Jackson will not play in the bowl, and it's unlikely that his backup — Rashod Dubinion — will player either. HawgBeat was told Monday that Dubinion is doubtful for the bowl game due to offseason knee surgery. Dubinion ran for 335 yards and two scores in eight games as a junior this season.

Four-star freshman Braylen Russell entered the transfer portal Sunday.

With position coach Kolby Smith's room depleted in scholarship numbers, he and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino will look to lean on redshirt sophomore Rodney Hill in the backfield.

Hill spent his first two seasons at Florida State and the past spring at Florida A&M before transferring to Fayetteville. The 5-foot-10, 186-pound Statesboro (Ga.) native rushed 20 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns while also adding eight catches for 68 yards in nine games this season.

"Just a guy that gets it," quarterback Taylen Green said Tuesday. "He gets everything. He can catch passes out of the backfield and of course y’all have seen what he can do running. He’s stepped into like a leadership role off the bat."

Hill was also a weapon in the kick return game, as he returned four kickoffs for 82 yards, plus he had a kickoff return for a touchdown called back in the Nov. 23 win over Louisiana Tech.

"I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for him really just getting the spotlight," receiver Isaac TeSlaa said Tuesday of Hill. "You’ve seen what he can do at running back and even as a kick returner, obviously against La. Tech having that kick return for a touchdown that unfortunately got called back. But that dude is just a crazy athlete. Hands, routes, running the ball — he can do it all."

Sophomore Tyrell Reed Jr. will check in behind Hill at running back. Nicknamed "T-Bird," Reed transferred from Hutchinson Community College and he's appeared in just two games. He carried the ball five times for 28 yards and a touchdown in the Aug. 29 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and he also appeared in the Oct. 5 win over Tennessee.

"Bird has been doing a good job of stepping in his role too," Green said. "(Hill and Reed) both are like yin and yang, you know, they both are a two-punch crew. I’m excited to see what they’re going to do in the bowl game."

A 5-foot-10, 211-pound native of Topeka, Kansas, Reed played in all 11 games and rushed for 833 yards on 132 carries with 13 touchdowns for Hutchinson C.C. during the 2023 season.

Freshman Julius "JuJu" Pope, a four-star prospect out of Pope, Mississippi, is the only other scholarship running back on the roster right now. Pope was originally a linebacker, but moved to running back at some point during the season and he has not appeared in any games. Head coach Sam Pittman said in fall camp that Pope had a hamstring injury, but it's currently assumed that he's available for the bowl.

As a senior for South Panola High School in 2023, Pope ran 24 times for 129 rushing yards and three scores over two games. He ran 41 times for 490 yards and eight scores as a junior in high school, per his Arkansas bio.

"Our whole running back room, we’ve been ready for the moment," Hill said. "Julius, Tyrell Reed, we’ve all been doing pretty well and we’ve just been trying to take advantage of the opportunity that we got right now."

Arkansas and Texas Tech are set for a 6 p.m. CT kickoff on ESPN at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Dec. 27.

Defensive leaders discuss staying at Arkansas

Login to view embedded media
Arkansas defensive tackle Cam Ball and linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr. were two of the first players to announce their intentions to return for another season in Fayetteville following a 6-6 regular season this fall.

The duo represents two key players at their respective positions for defensive coordinator Travis Williams, and they will be undoubted leaders on that side of the ball next season.

VIDEO: Sorey, Dix, Clark, Ball preview Liberty Bowl

Given the state of college football today, it was a refreshing point of view in Wednesday's press conference from Ball, a redshirt junior out of Tri-Cities High School in Atlanta.

"I’m big on loyalty," Ball said. "Arkansas believed in me back in high school when nobody did. Coach (Sam) Pittman did. Coach (Deke) Adams did, so you know, I just, I fell in love with the state of Arkansas. I fell in love with the university, and I want to be a part of the Arkansas Razorbacks, man, no matter.

"I was recruited before NIL and all of that stuff. It’s kind of, you know what I’m saying, messed up the game a little bit. It’s cool and all, but I came here to play football, and I love where I’m at, and I have no reason to leave."

Rated a 5.7 three-star prospect by Rivals coming out of high school, Ball had a career year this regular season with 42 total tackles, four tackles for loss and 1.5 sack across 12 games.

While Ball has been a Razorback his entire college career, Sorey transferred in from Georgia prior to last season. As a redshirt junior, he led the team with 89 total tackles while also adding 9.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and an interception during the regular season.

RELATED: Fernando Carmona Jr. talks 2025 season - '6-6 is not our ceiling'

Sorey said his teammates and Travis Williams, who coaches the linebacker position, were big reasons that contributed to his decision to return to Arkansas.

"For me, I just wanted to be with my coach another year, Coach T-Will, and just be around the guys," Sorey said Wednesday. "You know, that’s really it. My coaches and my teammates."

Another player who announced he will return for the Arkansas defense is linebacker Stephen Dix Jr., who emerged as a starter the second half of the season as a redshirt senior transfer from Marshall. Dix will use his final year of eligibility for the Hogs next year, but he communicated that he's understanding of the 20+ scholarship players who have hit the transfer portal from Arkansas.

"I mean, they have their own personal reasons," Dix said. "I’m never going to knock a guy for doing what I think is best for him, because at the end of the day, we don’t know what’s going on with him and his personal life. Obviously if they’re good players, we’d love to keep them.

"At the end of the day, they’re doing what’s best for them and you’ve just got to respect them. They’re grown men. We look out for one another, we care for one another as teammates. We’re brothers essentially, for real. Whatever they do is up to them. Just hopefully they do what is best for them, they make a smart decision. Then you just wish the best of luck to them."

ALSO READ: Arkansas running back Rashod Dubinion to transfer

While the Razorbacks have plenty of work to do with replacing talent via the portal, they have a very solid foundation with Ball at defensive tackle, plus the duo of Sorey and Dix at linebacker.

"We're just building our chemistry day-in and day-out, man," Dix said of him and Sorey. "I think we're going to be the best duo out there on the field next year in college football. So just stay tuned for that, man. But it's been awesome having to play next to him."

Arkansas will take the field one more time in 2024 on Dec. 27 against Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
  • Like
Reactions: cfcjr50

2024 roster construction thread

COMMITTED TO ARKANSAS:

RETURNING:
Trevon Brazile - Arkansas: 6'9" 215 - 8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks on 48.8 fg%, 35.3 3fg%, and 69.5 FT%

TRANSFERS:
Jonas Aidoo - Tennessee: 6'11", 230 - 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks on 51.5 fg%, 20.0 3fg%, and 62.6 FT%
Johnell Davis - FAU: 6'4", 185 - 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals on 48.3 fg%, 41.4 3fg%, and 85.7 FT%
Adou Thiero - Kentucky: 6'8", 222 - 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks on 49.2 fg%, 31.8 3fg%, and 80.0 FT%.
Zvonimir Ivisic - Kentucky: 7'2", 235 - 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks on 57.7 fg%, 37.5 3fg%, and 77.3 FT%.
DJ Wagner - Kentucky: 6'3", 175 - 9.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 40.5 fg%, 29.2 3fg%, and 76.6 FT%

FRESHMEN:
6'3" 155 PG Boogie Fland - five-star No. 10
6'5" 226 SF Karter Knox - four-star No. 21
6'6" 210 SF Billy Richmond - four-star No. 22
6'6" SF Jaden Karuletwa - unranked

NAMES TO WATCH: (roster fillers)

Emilio Sanchez (Hawaii Pacific University)

Big 10 transfer defensive lineman commits to Arkansas

1734384845963.png

Michigan State transfer defensive end Ken Talley committed to Arkansas on Monday after taking a recent official visit in Fayetteville.

Talley was rated as a four-star recruit coming out of Northeast High School in Philadelphia. He appeared in 15 games over two seasons with the Spartans and logged 11 total tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Login to view embedded media
Before joining Michigan State, Talley signed with Penn State out of high school in the 2022 class. He joined the Spartans in August of 2022. Talley will have two years of eligibility remaining.

This fall, Talley logged 152 total snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, which gave him a 57.8 overall defensive grade and a 60.3 pass rush grade.

Talley is a much-needed addition to a defensive line that is losing starters Landon Jackson (NFL), Eric Gregory (out of eligibility) and Nico Davillier (portal), plus more contributors as well.

Arkansas also landed Oregon transfer offensive lineman JacQawn McRoy on Thursday as the first commitment in this cycle. Stay tuned to The Trough premium message board for the latest intel on who could be next.

Baseball Update on baseball roster

Wanted to provide an updated list of guys who are moving on from the program. I’ve listed those moving on and the fall roster is attached as well.

Trenton Rowan (Jr. INF from Southeast CC

Kolton Reynolds (Jr. OF from Crowder)

Diego Ramos (R-Fr. RHP from Vian, Okla.)

Tucker Holland (R-Fr. LHP from Fayetteville, N.C.)

Jack Smith (R-Fr. LHP from Moulton, Ala.)

Kel Busby (Fr. RHP from PA in LR)

Josh Hyneman (R-So. RHP from Jonesboro)

Eli Crecelius (Fr. RHP from Jonesboro)

Jaewoo Cho (R-Fr. RHP from Seoul, South Korea)

Roster currently stands at 42

IMG_1348.jpeg

Hoops Where Arkansas basketball's analytics rank with SEC play looming

Login to view embedded media
The Arkansas Razorbacks (9-2, 0-0 SEC) are in the midst of a four-game win streak with just two non-conference matchups left before Southeastern Conference play starts on Jan. 4.

Last week, the Razorbacks took home a win over then-No. 14 Michigan at Madison Square Garden before they went to North Little Rock and dismantled in-state foe Central Arkansas.

The wins boosted the Hogs in the analytics rankings, which will be vital when it comes to NCAA Tournament selection and seeding. The AP Top 25 Poll still left Arkansas out on Monday.

As of Tuesday, Arkansas sits at No. 40 in the KenPom rankings. The Hogs started the season No. 25 and steadily dropped over the first few weeks of the season, but they've stayed in the 40-range for the last few weeks.

Arkansas offensive efficiency margin is +16.91. Its offensive efficiency margin is 113.4, which is ranked No. 58, while the defensive efficiency margin is at 96.5, good for 23rd.

The NET rankings made their debut on Dec. 2 and Arkansas started at No. 51. The Hogs dropped to No. 53 a week later, but after the string of victories is at No. 47.

This ranking evaluates game results, strength of schedule, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses. It breaks wins and losses into four quadrants, and is based on game location and the opponents' NET rankings.

— Quadrant 1: Home 1-30, Neutral 1-50, Away 1-75
— Quadrant 2: Home 31-75, Neutral 51-100, Away 76-135
— Quadrant 3: Home 76-160, Neutral 101-200, Away 135-240
— Quadrant 4: Home 161-353, Neutral 201-353, Away 241-353

The NCAA website says the number of Quad 1 wins and Quad 3 and 4 losses will be "incredibly important" for NCAA Tournament selection and seeding.

Right now, Arkansas is 1-2 in Quad 1 games, 0-0 in Quad 2 games, 3-0 in Quad 3 and 4-0 in Quad 4. There will be ample opportunities for the Razorbacks to notch big wins, as there are 12 SEC teams ahead of them in the NET rankings.

From a statistics perspective, Arkansas' offensive numbers have seen an uptick since our last update. The Hogs' field goal percentage jumped 1.1% to 50.9, which is good for sixth in the nation. The three-point percentage also jumped to 37.2% which is good for third in the SEC behind Auburn and Texas.

One interesting development has been the Razorbacks' assist numbers. Arkansas is now averaging 15.6 assists per game, a 0.8 APG jump from the last update. That jump could be attributed to Saturday's game against UCA, when the Hogs had 23 assists on 33 made buckets.

Where Arkansas needs to improve is in the free throw department. The Hogs are shooting 71% from the charity stripe on 17.5 attempts per game, which is 189th in the nation. Missed free throws made wins over Miami and Michigan much more difficult, as forward Adou Thiero missed two against Miami at the end of the game and Trevon Brazile missed two in the final minute against Michigan.

Thiero’s missed free throws would have pushed the Razorbacks' lead to two possessions against Miami and Brazile’s would have given Arkansas a three-point lead over Michigan.

Luckily for the Hogs, the outcome was still a win, but tightening up the free throw shooting will make things a lot easier for Arkansas once conference play starts.

Below is a closer look at some of the numbers for the Razorbacks...

Rankings​

AP: Unranked
Coaches: Unranked
NET: 47
KenPom: 40
BartTorvik: 42
EvanMiya: 34

Stats (Rank)​

Scoring offense: 80.5 (77)
Scoring defense: 65.6 (54)
Assists: 15.6 (95)
Field goal percentage: 50.9 (6)
3-point percentage: 37.2 (68)
Free throw percentage: 71 (189)
Rebounds: 35.5 (235)
Blocks: 5 (32)
Steals: 8.9 (51)

KenPom​

KenPom Analytics (Rank)
CategoryOffenseDefense
Adj. Efficiency113.4 (58)96.5 (23)
Avg. Poss. Length16.1 (64)17.4 (204)
Effective FG%57.8 (17)48.2 (97)
Turnover%17.6 (172)20.8 (60)
Off. Reb%27.5 (251)22.6 (6)
FTA/FGA29.8 (263)23.1 (11)
3P%37.2 (65)30.7 (86)
2P%58.9 (24)49.9 (152)
FT%71 (192)70.9 (157)
Block%5.9 (15)15.4 (15)
Steal%9.4 (159)12.5 (40)
Non-Stl TO%8.2 (200)8.3 (138)

Oklahoma State transfer tackle visiting Arkansas

1734387796039.png

Redshirt junior Oklahoma State offensive tackle transfer Isaia Glass will visit Arkansas today, he announced on Instagram.

A 6-foot-4, 305-pound redshirt junior out of San Tan Valley, Arizona, Glass finished the 2024 season with a 63.5 offensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus. He also earned 67.9 pass-block and 57.9 run-block marks on 656 snaps.

Glass began his collegiate career at Arizona State in 2021, where he played for three years and appeared in 21 games. The former three-star prospect chose the Sun Devils over offers from Arizona, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas State and others.

Be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on Arkansas' offseason recruiting action.

Login to view embedded media

AAC transfer safety to visit Arkansas

1734451223301.png

Junior Alabama-Birmingham safety transfer Adrian Maddox will visit Arkansas on Tuesday, according to a report by Max Olson of ESPN.

A 6-foot-3, 200-pound Georgia native, Maddox totaled 44 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, eight defended passes and two forced fumbles in 2024.

According to Pro Football Focus, Maddox earned a 77.6 defensive grade, a 64.7 run defense grade, a 63.4 tackling grade, a 78.9 pass-rush grade and an 83.9 coverage grade on 393 snaps for the Blazers.

Prior to his time at Alabama-Birmingham, Maddox played two seasons at Alabama State, where he recorded 90 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.

Login to view embedded media
ADVERTISEMENT

Filter

ADVERTISEMENT