Good morning from Hoover, Alabama, where the Arkansas Razorbacks will look to avoid elimination at the SEC Tournament this morning against Kentucky. Happy Hagen Smith Day!

Full game preview:


We will have inning-by-inning coverage in this thread, plus postgame coverage to follow!

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AR Line Up

Arkansas Starting Pitcher
#33 Hagen Smith

UK Line Up

Kentucky Starting Pitcher
#51 Trey Pooser

The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (43-14) exited the SEC Tournament on Thursday with an 0-2 record due to poor defense and struggles at the plate, but history may point to a possible reemergence in the NCAA Tournament based on the latest trends by league foes.

Since the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season, three SEC teams have won the national championship. Those three squads — LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State — combined for a 1-5 record at the SEC Tournament.

LSU’s 2023 team was the only program of those three to actually score more runs than its opponents in Hoover, Alabama, as Ole Miss and Mississippi State were outscored 3-1 and 25-3, respectively.

The three teams that won those respective SEC Tournaments — Arkansas (2021), Tennessee (2022) and Vanderbilt (2023) — all failed to make it past the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament to Omaha. Arkansas and Tennessee fell in the Supers despite being No. 1 overall seeds and the Commodores were upset by Xavier in the Regional round.

So, what does this mean for the current version of the Diamond Hogs? Well, for starters, a quick bow-out from the league tournament doesn't mean Arkansas can't get back on track once its in the healthy confines of Baum-Walker Stadium. After all, Dave Van Horn's club sports a dominant 33-3 home record this season.

Arkansas' lack of clean baseball across its two-day stay is certainly a concern, but it falls right in-line with what happened to the Bulldogs prior to their magial run. Mississippi State surrendered 33 hits across two games with two errors in 2021 and it seemed like all hope was lost, but everything changed once the NCAA Tournament began.

Here's a look at how those LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State championship-winning teams' SEC-only stats and final season stats compare to Arkansas' at this current juncture:

SEC Play Stats vs. Final Stats

Note: Stats listed include SEC games from regular season and SEC Tournament. Stats in parentheses are cumulative stats after NCAA Tournament.

Of the four teams, the Razorbacks have the best team ERA and fielding percentage but the worst batting average when accounting for SEC regular season games and the SEC Tournament.

"We've got to get better," Van Horn said Thursday. "We got to get better. That's what I just told 'em, we got to get more production up and down the lineup. It's spotty right now. I think guys are trying too hard, trying to do too much instead of just take what they give you sometimes.

"What I'm talking about is maybe a couple guys going out of the zone, put themselves in a bad count. We got to flip that, take the pitch, work for the next one. Yeah, we're going to have to swing the bats a lot better when we get to the regional."

On average, each team made a jump of 0.19 percentage points in batting average during the postseason. That would slot Arkansas at .263 if it makes a similar leap. The last team to hit in that range and still win the national championship was Florida in 2017, which finished with a .259 batting average.

Will that be good enough for Arkansas? Assuming the pitching staff and defense stay the same or improve, then the Hogs should have a solid chance at making another College World Series appearance.

Up next, Arkansas will return home to rest up before hearing their NCAA Tournament fate on the live selection show on Monday. It will broadcast at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.

We previously had this, but Arkansas just officially announced the hiring of Brad Calipari with his role. From Razorback Communications:

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FAYETTEVILLE – Brad Calipari has been named assistant coach/director of on-court player development, Razorback head coach John Calipari announced.

He comes to Fayetteville after two seasons working in player development at Vanderbilt and Long Island University.

Brad Calipari was the director of on-court player development at Vanderbilt this past season (2023-24). He helped Erza Manjon and Tyrin Lawrence rank among the top scorers in the SEC while Ven-Allen Lubin was one of the most improved players in the league.

In 2022-23, Calipari was the director of player development for Long Island University in Brooklyn. At LIU, Calipari worked alongside head coach Rod Strickland – an NBA veteran who made the transition to collegiate coaching.

Prior to his time in Brooklyn, Calipari was a graduate assistant for the Kentucky men’s basketball program, earning his master’s certificate in sports kinesiology in 2022.

As a student-athlete, Calipari began his career at Kentucky, suiting up for the Wildcats for his first three seasons (2016-19) on teams that made two Elite 8’s and a Sweet 16. He played the final two seasons of his collegiate career at Detroit Mercy for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.

Calipari graduated from Kentucky in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in communications and media studies before earning a master’s degree in liberal arts from Detroit Mercy in 2021.

CALIPARI FILE

Born: Nov. 11, 1996, in Franklin Lakes, N.J.

Hometown: Franklin Lakes, N.J. (MacDuffie (Mass.) School)

Collegiate Playing Career: Kentucky (2016-19); Detroit Mercy (2019-21)

Alma Mater: Kentucky ‘19 (Communications and Media Studies)

COACHING CAREER

2021-22 Kentucky (Graduate Assistant)

2022–23 Long Island University (Director of On-Court Player Development)

2023–24 Vanderbilt (Director of On-Court Player Development)

2024–pres. Arkansas (Assistant Coach/Director of On-Court Player Development)

From @jacksoncollier


Arkansas head coach John Calipari has been on the job for over a month now, and in that time he has made a lot of moves. The Razorbacks currently have seven scholarship players on the roster — four transfers and three incoming freshmen — with a nearly full coaching staff.

While there is plenty of work left to be done with non-conference scheduling and completing the roster, Calipari has gotten off to a hot start in Fayetteville so far.

To gauge what fans felt were important at this point in the offseason, HawgBeat opened the mailbag back up for reader questions up to this point in the offseason. This is the first edition, with more to come along as the summer goes by.

As a reminder, all questions submitted on the premium message board The Trough are answered, while only a select few questions from social media are chose. To ensure all your questions are answered, and to enjoy the full benefits of premium information across major sports and a tight-knit message board community, subscribe to HawgBeat.com.

Any chance we get to stay in Tulsa for a big game against maybe an Oklahoma State? Any other rumors of non league games that would excite the fans? Maybe Memphis State? - HawgBeat user @Hollywood_HOGan45​

Not sure about Tulsa. I did find out Eric Musselman was reportedly planning to schedule a true road matchup against Rutgers in New Jersey for this upcoming season, but that is no longer happening. I'm checking in with some of my scheduling sources to see if they've heard anything about Arkansas.

There have been rumors that the Razorbacks could be playing in Dallas and at Madison Square Garden this upcoming season. There's no way to prove or disprove that, but I would imagine it wouldn't be Rutgers given the road game falling through, and it will likely not be St. John's with their schedule being almost full.

If the MSG news is correct and if it would be against a regional opponent in the northeast... one could maybe think UConn? But I really have no clue.

Also, I have no clue on the Dallas opponent, but Houston comes to mind immediately.

Again, I don't even know if those two locations will happen or not — those are just the only type of leads I've had at all regarding scheduling news. There has also been a rumor from a credible source indicating a Multi-Team Event (MTE) on Arkansas' campus this season, as well.

Do you know if Joe Johnson will be on this staff in some capacity? - HawgBeat user @pokyredskin​

I know there have been a ton of rumors regarding former Hog Joe Johnson joining the coaching staff. I do not know how true those are, but I will say some trustworthy sources have hinted at him being in the role of a program ambassador of sorts — assisting with campus visits, a representative of the program, pro liaison, etc.

I'm not certain how true it is, but with him reaching out to prospects on social media, when he hadn't really been doing that at all in years past to my knowledge, seems like there could be something to it.

As a fun hypothetical, which player from last year’s team with remaining eligibility would be the best add to this roster? - X (formerly Twitter) user @The_Snap_Dragon​

Given what Arkansas has currently and where the areas of need are, I might wager Trevon Brazile. The frontcourt, while talented, is a little bit thin right now. There's a reason the staff has been targeting size, particularly in the stretch-four spot, and I think Brazile would fill that role perfectly — he would just need to stay healthy.

Now, will it happen? Almost certainly not, but technically I believe there is a path back for him if he chose. There's no way of knowing if the current staff would want him to return or that Brazile himself would have any interest in returning, and he's tested well at the NBA Draft Combine, but it's a fun hypothetical for sure.

Other options currently would be Khalif Battle (need another wing and scoring option) or Layden Blocker (need more than one quality point guard on roster).

What's up with DJ Wagner? - multiple readers​

The most common question asked for this edition of the hoops mailbag revolved around Kentucky transfer point guard DJ Wagner. He visited Arkansas over a week ago now, and has still not announced his anticipated commitment, leading many Razorback fans to get nervous around the prospects of him landing in Fayetteville next season.

From everything I've heard of late, most people are in the dark on what the delay is or why Wagner hasn't announced yet, but the thinking is also that he still ends up a Razorback before it is all said and done. Part of that thinking comes from the fact that there are not many realistic options where he could end up, at least that the public is aware of.

Wagner visited USC, but now the Trojans have a full roster. Some reports suggested Wagner would be headed to Gainesville for a visit with Florida, but reports also suggested that visit never materialized.
Rosters for top programs across the country are filling up. Arkansas still has six open scholarship spots, and it's doubtful the staff fills all of them, but the Razorbacks can offer a spot AND playing time with a solid role.

There could be some holdup in the decision for any number of reasons, but it would make logical sense for Wagner to eventually commit to Arkansas or to some team out of left field. At this point, I'm leaning towards the former.

HOOVER, Ala. — Arkansas' 9-6 loss to Kentucky that eliminated the Razorbacks from the SEC Tournament on Thursday began with an uncharacteristic start from ace left-hander Hagen Smith.

The 2024 SEC Pitcher of the Year, Smith threw just 36 pitches across two innings and he surrender two unearned runs in the shortened outing. Smith allowed two hits, walked one and struck out four.

"Yeah, I think probably a little amped up, leaving some things up, fastball up," head coach Dave Van Horn said postgame of Smith's outing. "Just not real sharp. I think he got a little frustrated. But that's about what we wanted him to throw right there, 35, 40 pitches, two to three innings, max.

"And we thought, 'Hey, that's enough.' So give him a little opportunity to have a couple days' rest more than normal leading into next weekend. But, yeah, Hagen is Hagen. He's good. He'll be ready to go."

Things didn't start great for Smith, who issued a leadoff walk to begin his outing and then he was credited with an error on a failed pickoff attempt right after.

"Hagen tried to quick pick and threw it wide," Van Horn said. "He's one of the best fielding pitchers I've ever had, and just threw him into scoring position there after a walk. Frustrated him a little bit."

The Wildcats plated their first run on a one-out RBI sacrifice bunt, and they quickly added their second via a throwing error down the third base line by catcher Hudson White. Smith responded with back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the first inning.

Smith's second inning was much cleaner, as he worked around a one-out single to retire the other three batters he faced, plus he picked up two more strikeouts in the frame.

One of the bigger concerns for the native of Bullard, Texas, was some thought his average fastball velocity could've been down, but he touched 96 miles per hour from what HawgBeat saw on the SEC Network broadcast. There did seem to be discrepancies between the TV radar gun and outfield scoreboard radar, which caused some confusion.

On the season now, Smith owns a 1.48 ERA with 30 walks and 154 strikeouts across 15 starts and 79.0 innings pitched. He's given up 13 earned runs on 37 hits, plus he's just two strikeouts away from being the new single season strikeout record holder at Arkansas (David Walling struck out 155 in 1999).

Arkansas now turns its attention to the reveal of the full NCAA Tournament field, which will be released live Monday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2. The Razorbacks are a virtual lock to be a top-8 national seed, which would allow them to host a regional at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville next weekend.

"They will get back and rest up just a little bit," Van Horn said. "Message out there was, this is where we wanted to be as far as we know we're going to be in a regional, a really good opportunity to host. It's time to take a step forward. We kind of went backward a couple weeks ago, sideways. We've been up and down. We need to make a move and finish this thing up the right way."

The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks' (43-14) SEC Tournament run came to an end following a 9-6 loss to the 3-seed Kentucky Wildcats (40-13) on Thursday in Hoover, Alabama.

Arkansas' offense took some steps in the right direction, but the Razorbacks still finished 9-for-36 at the plate (.250), 3-for-11 with two outs (.273) and 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position (.167).

Second baseman Peyton Stovall, third baseman Jared Sprague-Lott and center fielder Peyton Holt each collected two hits, and Holt added 4 RBIs thanks to two home runs against the Wildcats.

Ace left-hander Hagen Smith started the game for the Hogs but only made it through innings after striking out four and walking one. Two errors led to two runs being scored while he was on the mound, and Smith took his first loss of the season as a result.

Right-handed reliever Gage Wood took a step back after seeing some recent success, as Kentucky struck him for four earned runs in 2.2 innings of work. After a one-out stint from Will McEntire, Brady Tygart and Mason Molina each made appearances to combine for the final three frames.

Molina was especially excellent in his second straight bullpen opportunity, as the former Texas Tech transfer struck out three with only one hit allowed.

Top First - Arkansas 0, Kentucky 0

On a quiet morning in Hoover, Alabama, Arkansas leadoff man Kendall Diggs took some pitches and popped up to third base to begin the elimination game against Kentucky. Hudson White made good contact but lined out to right, and Peyton Stovall broke up the 1-2-3 frame with a hard single to right. He was eventually stranded after Jared Sprague-Lott struck out in a full-count.

Bottom First - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0

Lefty ace Hagen Smith took the mound for the Hogs, but his day got off to an uncharacteristic start thanks to a walk. The runner advanced to second after a failed pickoff attempt by Smith, and then he moved to third after a sinking liner got past the glove of Stovall for a single. With runners on first and third, a run would come in to score after a sac-bunt. The runner on second attempted to steal third and an errant throw by Hudson White resulted in another run for the Wildcats. Smith collected the final two outs via swing and miss in a 20-pitch frame.

Top Second - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0

You don't see legitimate stolen homeruns everyday, but Kentucky center fielder Nolan McCarthy robbed Ben McLaughlin to start the second. Wehiwa Aloy got down 0-2 in a hurry before grounding out and Peyton Holt swung at the first pitch of his at-bat for another groundball out.

Bottom Second - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0

Smith started his second more effectively with a strike out looking. A single by McCarthy past the glove of Aloy gave the Wildcats some life, but Smith picked up another swing and a miss before retiring the final batter via fly out.

Top Third - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0

In Ryder Helfrick's first at-bat of the game, he smacked a hard liner to shorstop for the out. Will Edmunson followed up with a grounder to first, and Diggs flipped the lineup over with a walk. White kept the lineup moving with a single to center that moved Diggs to third, but Stovall struck out on three pitches to end the threat.

Bottom Third - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0

Right-handed reliever Gage Wood took the mound in the third for the Hogs, and he started his day with a full-count strikeout. Wood collected a swing and a miss in a nine-pitch at-bat for the second of the inning. Diggs and Stovall collided in right field on a popup that resulted in a triple, but Wood escaped unscathed following a fly out.

Top Fourth - Kentucky 2, Arkansas 0

Sprague-Lott got things started with a grounder up the middle, but Kentucky second baseman Emilien Pitre made a nice play for the out. McLaughlin hit a grounder on the first pitch he saw and Aloy halted the 1-2-3 frame with a left-field single. The inning ended after Holt grounded out to shortstop.

Bottom Fourth - Kentucky 3, Arkansas 0

The first pitch of Wood's fourth inning was hit to deep left but held in the ballpark, but his fourth pitch was torched to right center over both fences for a solo homerun. Wood bounced back with a strikeout and groundout to get out of the frame.

Top Fifth - Kentucky 3, Arkansas 0

Ryder Helfrick sent a ball 430 feet to left field...foul, and then grounded out to end his at-bat. Edmunson did the same but to third base and Diggs capped things off with a high-swinging strikeout.

Bottom Fifth - Kentucky 6, Arkansas 0

Needing a quick inning to keep the game on track, Wood collected a grounder to start the fifth. The peace didn't last long, though, as Ryan Waldschmidt took Wood yard to left center for a solo bomb. A shallow popup to left center dropped out of a diving Edmunson's glove for a single, and that runner eventually moved to third after another Kentucky single to left center. Devin Burkes stole second to give the Wildcats two runners in scoring position, and Nick Lopez took advantage with an RBI-single to right. Lopez was thrown out at second and Arkansas made a pitching change to Will McEntire, who forced a fly out to end the inning.

Top Sixth - Kentucky 6, Arkansas 4

Kentucky turned to Jackson Nove out of the bullpen to start the sixth, and he began his outing with a grounder from White. Stovall and Sprague-Lott earned back-to-back singles and McLaughlin loaded the bases with a walk. An Aloy groundout scored a run, but Holt's three-run blast ignited the Hog dugout and brought the score within two runs. Helfrick walked on four pitches to bring the tying run to the plate, and Kentucky brought in Ryan Hagenow from the bullpen. Edmunson ended the big inning with a fly out.

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Bottom Sixth - Kentucky 6, Arkansas 4

Brady Tygart took the mound for the Hogs after a time away from the diamond, and he shined in relief. The right-hander only threw 10 pitches in a 1-2-3 frame that included a strikeout.

Top Seventh - Kentucky 6, Arkansas 4

Momentum was turning the Razorbacks' way in the seventh. A Diggs groundout started things off slow, but White walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch to give Arkansas some life. A Stovall walk put the leading run at the plate, but a popup by Sprague-Lott and a grounder by McLaughlin ended the inning.

Bottom Seventh - Kentucky 9, Arkansas 4

A fielding error by Tygart on a routine infield play gave the Wildcats a leadoff baserunner, and he came around to score following a two-run shot by Waldschmidt. Tygart followed that with a walk and a hit-by-pitch, and Van Horn handed the ball off to Mason Molina out of the pen. Molina started his outing with a strikeout before the runners on first and second performed a double steal. A sac-fly scored a run before Molina got out of the frame with another strikeout.

Top Eighth - Kentucky 9, Arkansas 5

Following an Aloy groundout to start the eighth, Holt homered for the second time of the day on a solo shot to left. Helfrick grounded out before Edmunson doubled to right center to give the Hogs a runner in scoring position. Kentucky turned to bullpen arm Evan Byers, who retired Diggs via pop up to end the inning.

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Bottom Eighth - Kentucky 9, Arkansas 5

Molina continued his strong bullpen appearance in the eighth, as he struck out one and forced two fly outs around a single to give the Hogs a fighting chance in the ninth.

Top Ninth - Kentucky 9, Arkansas 6

In need of a rally, White began the ninth with a groundout. Stovall struck out in a full-count and Sprague-Lott homered, but it was too little, too late for the Razorbacks as pinch-hitter Hudson Polk struck out to end the ballgame.

Up next, the Razorbacks will head back to Baum-Walker Stadium to rest as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Monday at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.

Box Score​

Jalen Rashada NIL

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kid says he wants released because FL has reneged on the deal.

who in their right mind would pay a high school QB 13 million ?

Now obviously someone is saying that wasn’t the deal, or it feel through, but you know what the kid expects if released.

Are NIL promises / contracts even approaching that amount. ? Guess so.

HOOVER, Ala. — Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn said his team had a game of missed opportunities Wednesday in a 6-5 loss to South Carolina at the SEC Tournament.

The Razorbacks had more hits, less runners left on base and more strikeouts, yet they were unable to overcome the 10-seed Gamecocks at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.

South Carolina's Cole Messina drove in five of his team's six runs via three hits, including a pair of two-run homers. The Gamecocks also added solid relief outings from Ty Good and Garrett Gainey in order to overcome the 2-seeded Razorbacks and advance to the winners' bracket in Hoover.

Arkansas second baseman Peyton Stovall led the Hogs with three hits, while Ben McLaughlin added a pair of knocks and two RBIs. The Razorbacks threw five different pitchers Wednesday, none of which threw more than 42 pitches. The duo of Jake Faherty and Christian Foutch combined for 3.2 innings over scoreless ball with six strikeouts.

Here's a box score, plus what Van Horn had to say about his team's loss, which set Arkansas back to a Thursday losers' bracket matchup with 3-seed Kentucky at 9:30 a.m. CT on SEC Network.

Box Score​

Opening statement​

"Just on our side, just kind of a game of maybe missed opportunities," Van Horn said. "We had a couple of chances to blow it open. Instead of a two-run inning, maybe three or four, one hit away. That was disappointing. Give them credit for pitching out of a couple of jams.

"On the other side, as far as our pitching, we hit a guy, hit a two-run homer; hit a guy, hit a two-run homer. First inning, two quick outs and two walks, base hit, he's behind in the count, throws a fastball; 2-0, base hit, they score a run. Free passes are -- at this time of year when everybody plays good, they'll come back and get you, and they got us today."

​

Who will start against Kentucky?​

Van Horn kept things short and sweet with his decision to start junior ace Hagen Smith (9-0, 1.52 ERA) on Thursday against Kentucky. The Razorbacks' skipper did not give details on the specific plan or planned pitch count for Smith, who was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year on Monday.

​

What's different about South Carolina from earlier this season?​

Arkansas won two of three games at South Carolina during April to pick up a road series win in Columbia, South Carolina. The Gamecocks evened the season record against the Hogs at 2-2 on Wednesday.

"I don't know if there's a whole lot of difference," Van Horn said. "Baseball, there's a lot of ups and downs. They didn't score a lot of runs that weekend, but we played three games in about 24 hours. It was quick, in and out. Because of the weather that was supposed to come in, we played Friday night and two games on Saturday, and we were out of there.

"I don't probably have a great answer for you. They're talented. They have a good team. The lineup is right, left, right, left. They don't really have too many holes in that lineup. We maneuvered through it pretty good except for one guy, and he killed us."

​

On South Carolina slugger Cole Messina​

A junior catcher out of Summerville, South Carolina, Messina was 3-4 at the plate with five RBIs and two homers Wednesday. He's hit three home runs in two games in Hoover so far.

"He's dangerous," Van Horn said. "When we played them over there earlier in the season, he was the guy that we would not let beat us. As a matter of fact, I know we intentionally walked him in one big situation when the game was on the line we felt like. But we also had first base open. Might have been runners at second, third, two down, and we went ahead and put him on. Yeah, you know, he made us pay when we made a mistake."

​

Kendall Diggs had his first hit in three games, thoughts?​

While Arkansas junior right fielder Kendall Diggs was just 1-5 at the plate, he did score a run and he also had a few foul balls that were near-hits. It was a positive development for Diggs, who has been struggled through injuries most of the year.

"I thought he had a good day," Van Horn said. "They had him play up the middle a couple times. He hit a couple balls there, got that big two-strike hit in the inning we almost got after it a little bit. We scored a couple, left some out there.

"Took some pitches, laid down a bunt that just barely went foul. I loved seeing that. I feel good about what I saw. Throw the batting average out is what I tell them. Just go out there and from here until the end of the season, just be a tough out."

​

Thoughts on Will Edmunson?​

Arkansas junior Will Edmunson was able get in Wednesday's game — his fifth game to appear in this month — and he made some solid contact in a pair of at bats, one of which resulted in single.

"The first one he got to a full count, and the pitcher actually was throwing a lot of changeups and curveballs, and he threw him a fastball in," Van Horn said. "Watched the replay, got his hands inside the ball, hit it to right center, obviously it dropped in, got us going that inning. His last at-bat he got behind in the count and he was just a little bit out front on a breaking ball, hit it off the end of the bat. But I felt like he was on it, so that was good to see."

While there are two weekends left in the 2024 college baseball regular season with the entire postseason to played, time is winding down on the opportunities to watch junior Hagen Smith pitch for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The native of Bullard, Texas, is a virtual lock to go in the first round of July's draft, which will be held in Smith's home state (Arlington). ESPN MLB Insider Kiley McDaniel released his latest 2024 MLB Draft prospect rankings, and he has Smith rated as the No. 4 overall prospect and top pitcher in the draft.

"Smith had Tommy John surgery in high school and pitched out of the bullpen part of last season but has taken a big step forward this year, posting otherworldly numbers due to an elite fastball/slider combo," McDaniel wrote. "He also had one of the most outrageous pitching performances in the history of the sport, striking out 15 hitters in the first five innings (finishing with 17 K's over six innings) against a top-10 team, (Travis) Bazzana's Oregon State Beavers."

Also included in McDaniel's rankings was a 13-pick mini mock draft that had the Chicago White Sox making Smith the first pitcher to come off the board at No. 5 overall. Arkansas already has a strong footprint in the White Sox organization with former players such as Andrew Benintendi, Dominic Fletcher, Michael Turner and Peyton Pallette, to name a few.

Smith is pitching at a historic level so far this year. He owns a 9-0 record with a 1.36 ERA, 125 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 66.0 innings pitched. The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder has allowed just 10 earned runs on 29 hits in 12 starts so far.

RELATED: Comparing Hagen Smith and Paul Skenes through 12 starts

Arkansas' ace currently ranks third nationally in strikeouts, first in strikeouts per nine innings (17.05), second in WHIP (0.82), first in ERA and first in hits allowed per nine innings (3.95).

As for the other Razorbacks included in McDaniel's top-154 prospects for this year's draft, junior second baseman Peyton Stovall checked in at No. 119 and junior right-handed pitcher Brady Tygart was No. 123.

Tygart owns a 3.34 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 30 walks across 56.2 innings pitched. The Hernando, Mississippi, native battled a sprained UCL injury as a sophomore in 2023, when he made 10 appearances and had a 3.20 ERA with 31 strikeouts. Tygart was a Perfect Game First Team Freshman All-American after earning eight saves as Arkansas' bullpen ace in 2022.

ALSO READ: Arkansas rotation not set in stone ahead of Mississippi State series

Stovall's season was cut short last year due to a torn labrum and he missed the first 12 games this season due to a broken foot. That hasn't stopped the Haughton, Louisiana, native from going on a tear this year, though. Stovall leads the team with a .362 batting average, 35 runs batted in, 55 hits and a .582 slugging percentage despite playing in 37 of the team's 49 games so far.

Also listed were three of the Razorbacks' high school signees. As has become a yearly tradition for head coach Dave Van Horn and his staff, the Hogs have plenty of highly-touted incoming freshmen who have a solid shot at being drafted and signing.

Shortstop prospect Tyson Lewis out of Yutan, Nebraska, was ranked 47th. Blue Valley West High School (Kansas) product Eli Lovich, younger brother of Arkansas outfielder Ross Lovich, checked in at 99th on the list. Left-handed pitcher Cole Gibler out of Blue Springs, Missouri, was ranked 105th.

No. 4 - Hagen Smith

No. 47 - SS Tyson Lewis (Millard West HS in Nebraska)

No. 99 - RF Eli Lovich (Blue Valley West HS in Kansas)

No. 105 - LHP Cole Gibler (Blue Springs HS in Missouri)

No. 119 - Peyton Stovall

No. 123 - Brady Tygart

Seven scholarship players, a nearly full staff, and plenty of expectations - drop your questions for the state of the program thus far.

Who are you going with and why?

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Updates ITT.

5.5 for the piggies. Hammer the under.
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The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (43-13, 20-10 SEC) sputtered to open postseason play in the SEC Baseball Tournament with a 6-5 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks (35-21, 19-11 SEC) on Wednesday in Hoover, Alabama.

An offense looking for a turnaround failed to do so, as the Razorbacks finished 9-for-35 at the plate (.257), 1-for-10 with two outs (.100) and 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position (.273).

Second baseman Peyton Stovall collected three hits with two doubles and an RBI while first baseman Ben McLaughlin added two hits and RBIs of his own.

Starting right-handed pitcher Ben Bybee struggled in 2.1 innings pitched. The Kansas native walked three, allowed three hits and gave up two earned runs during his outing.

Christian Foutch and Jake Faherty were excellent in 3.2 innings combined with six punchouts between them both, while freshman Gabe Gaeckle earned the loss after he was struck with the game-winning two-run homer in the top of the ninth.

Top First - South Carolina 1, Arkansas 0:

On a picture-perfect day in Hoover, Alabama, Ben Bybee started his day with two quick outs via ground out and strikeout. The next two at-bats didn't go as swimmingly, as the Kansas native walked both Gamecocks. Parker Noland singled to left center to give his team a 1-0 lead, and Bybee stranded two runners on a groundball.

Bottom First - South Carolina 1, Arkansas 0:

South Carolina right-hander Eli Jones made quick work of the Razorbacks. After getting behind 2-0 to leadoff man Kendall Diggs, Jones fought back to collect the strikeout. Peyton Stovall grounded out on the second pitch of his at-bat and Hudson White swung and missed to close the 11-pitch frame.

Top Second - South Carolina 1, Arkansas 0:

Bybee bounced back after his rollercoaster first inning, as he retired two Gamecocks on the first pitch of their respective at-bats sandwiched around a groundout.

Bottom Second - Arkansas 1, South Carolina 1:

Arkansas tied the game in the second thanks to some clutch hitting by Jared Sprague-Lott. Following a leadoff single by Ben McLaughlin and a groundout by Wehiwa Aloy that moved McLaughlin over to second base, Sprague-Lott poked a basehit down the right field line to tie the game at one. Nolan Souza struck out and Peyton Holt grounded out to end the inning.

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Top Third - South Carolina 2, Arkansas 1:

Bybee failed to escape the third after throwing a four-pitch walk to the leadoff man, a single and then a one-out RBI single to Cole Messina to hand the Gamecocks a 2-1 lead. Dave Van Horn turned to Christian Foutch out of the bullpen, who plunked the first batter with a 98 MPH fastball but escaped the bases-loaded jam with a strikeout and a groundout.

Bottom Third - South Carolina 2, Arkansas 1:

Set up for a big frame with 9-1-2 of the batting order coming to the plate, any hopes for an outburst were dashed after Ross Lovich and Diggs grounded out and flew out to start the frame. Stovall broke things up with a double to left center, but White popped up in the infield to end the threat.

Top Fourth - South Carolina 2, Arkansas 1:

Foutch was nasty in the fourth with his high-velo, devastating offspeed mix. He struck out the leadoff man in a full-count before giving up a single through the right side. That runner was stranded after a flyout to left and a swing and a miss by Ethan Petry.

Bottom Fourth - Arkansas 2, South Carolina 2:

The Razorbacks found themselves with runners on first and third with no outs after McLaughlin led things off with a single and an error allowed Aloy to reach base. After Sprague-Lott flew out to shallow left field, South Carolina brought Ty Good out of the bullpen. Ryder Helfrick came in to pinch hit for Nolan Souza, and he tied the game on a sac-fly to left.

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Top Fifth - South Carolina 4, Arkansas 2:

Left-hander Parker Coil took the mound to relieve Foutch, and he plunked South Carolina's leadoff man with his very first pitch. Coil would regret that, as Messina took the southpaw yard to center field for a 4-2 lead. Coil responded with a strikeout, a groundout, walk and flyout to end the inning.

Bottom Fifth - South Carolina 4, Arkansas 2:

With the top of the order due up again, Arkansas was primed to scratch some runs across. Instead, Diggs and Stovall each popped up before White earned a four-pitch walk. He was stranded at first base after McLaughlin popped up to third base.

Top Sixth - South Carolina 4, Arkansas 2:

Righty reliever Jake Faherty was called upon to start the sixth, and he did his job well. His first pitch was taken to center field for a fly out before he walked the next batter in a full count. Faherty bounced back with a strikeout and a fly out to end the inning.

Bottom Sixth - South Carolina 4, Arkansas 2:

Aloy began the inning with a swinging strikeout and Sprague-Lott followed suit with a popup. Helfrick worked a two-out walk but was left there after Peyton Holt struck out looking on a questionable high pitch call.

Top Seventh - South Carolina 4, Arkansas 2:

Faherty continued to work his magic and was nasty in the seventh, as he struck out two and forced a flyout to squash a baserunner that reached via error.

Bottom Seventh - Arkansas 4, South Carolina 4:

Late-game rally! Will Edmunson got the pinch hit opportunity to leadoff the frame and took advantage with a single to right center. Diggs singled in the next at-bat and the Gamecocks turned to Garrett Gainey out of the pen. Stovall smashed a double to center field to score one, White walked and McLaughlin hit a bases-loaded sac-fly to tie the game. The Hogs failed to scratch anything else across.

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Top Eighth - Arkansas 4, South Carolina 4:

Arkansas turned to freshman closer Gabe Gaeckle and he didn't disappoint. The flamethrower picked up two quick strikeouts swinging to start things off before allowing a single, but set down Petry swinging to close the inning.

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Bottom Eighth - Arkansas 4, South Carolina 4:

The offense came back down to earth for Arkansas in the eighth, as the Hogs went 1-2-3 with two strikeouts by Helfrick and Holt before Edmunson flew out to left field.

Top Ninth - South Carolina 6, Arkansas 4:

Oof. Gaeckle led things off with a hit-by-pitch to set up Messina at the plate. He delivered with his second home run of the game to hand the Gamecocks a 6-4 lead. Gaeckle worked around a walk and a single to escape the inning, but the damage was already done.

Bottom Ninth - South Carolina 6, Arkansas 5:

The final inning of the game was a wild one. After Diggs grounded out to start the frame, Stovall, White and McLaughlin singled in three straight at-bats to bring the deficit within a run. After an Aloy ground out, Sprague-Lott flew out to center field to end the game.

Up next, the Razorbacks will face Kentucky in the losers bracket of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday. First pitch is set for 9:30 a.m. CT and it will broadcast on the SEC Network.

Box Score​

From @RobCassidy_Rivals


Transfer portal season is slowly winding down, but a number of effective options still remain up for grabs.

Today, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy takes stock of what’s left, as he explores five potential difference-making players still in search of new homes.

PG VASEAN ALLETTE (Old Dominion)​

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Where he came from: Old Dominion

Overview: A highly regarded prospect in the class of 2023, Alette chose Old Dominion over heavy interest from high-major programs. He backed up his reputation in his one season at ODU, averaging a team-high 17.4 points per game in addition to 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 19 games before being dismissed from the team due to what the university called “conduct unbecoming of a Monarch.” Few additional details about Alette's dismissal have been made public at this time.

On the court, the Canadian-born Alette is an athletic, three-level scorer with a sensational freshman season in the Sun Belt.

Potential destination: There hasn't been much news surrounding possible landing spots for Alette, as things have been kept relatively quiet since he and his twin brother both entered the portal in March. Depending on what transpired during his time at ODU, Alette could be a major help to any number of programs looking for a dynamic scoring guard.

SF CEDRIC COWARD (Eastern Washington)​

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Where he came from: Eastern Washington

Overview: One of the best kept secrets in college hoops, Coward started his college career at Div. III Willamette University but became a star at Eastern Washington last season. As a junior in the Big Sky, Coward averaged 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for a team that won 21 games. Coward is a versatile wing that impacts games on the glass but, more importantly, can shoot it from all over (63 percent from the floor last season).

The 6-foot-6 wing’s skill set seems translatable to the high-major level and he is one of the top remaining prospects in the portal because of it.

Potential destination: Washington State feels like one of the leaders to secure Coward, who grew up in Northern California, but the Cougars may have to hold off heavy hitters as portal options dwindle. The sooner Wazzu can get Coward in the fold the better for the program, as additional suitors seem to be kicking the tires on the talented wing’s recruitment.

SG KEN EVANS JR. (Jackson State)​

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Where he came from: Jackson State

Overview: Evans is a well-rounded prospect that managed to shine in a handful of games against high-major competition while playing for Jackson State. Evans faced off with Northwestern, Memphis and Gonzaga last season, and averaged 22 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in those three contests. He finished the 2023-24 season averaging 18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists en route to SWAC Player of The Year honors.

Potential destination: Programs such as Maryland, West Virginia, Minnesota and Syracuse have been loosely linked to Evans, but his process remains relatively open. The Terrapins and Mountaineers feel most engaged for the time being, but there doesn't seem to be a clear-cut frontrunner.

SG CHAZ LANIER (North Florida)​

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Where he came from: North Florida

Overview: Lanier played four seasons at North Florida before hitting the portal as a grad transfer this offseason. He tested the NBA waters but will return to the college ranks for one final season, this time at the high-major level. The volume-scoring guard averaged 19.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game as a senior last season, and posted a 16-point performance against Iowa.

Lanier was plagued by turnovers at times last season but it’s impossible to doubt his scoring prowess. A 44-percent shooter from long-range last season, Lanier will be a giant help to whichever program lands his pledge.

Potential destination: Lanier’s recruitment is one of the most interesting ongoing portal stories, as it pits Kentucky’s Mark Pope, who coached at BYU last season, against the new BYU staff as well as Tennessee. Lanier is a near lock to land at one of those three programs, but it seems a bit early to venture a guess as to which one. Pope and Kentucky have made the 6-foot-4 guard a priority target, so losing him to either SEC rival Tennessee or previous coaching stop BYU would feel like a brutal blow.

SG D.J. WAGNER (Kentucky)​

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Where he came from: Kentucky

Overview: One of the most well-known names remaining in the portal, Wagner was the No. 6 prospect in the 2023 Rivals150. He shined in spurts for Kentucky a season ago, starting 28 games and averaging 9.9 points and 3.3 assists per contest as a freshman in Lexington. The hyper-touted Wagner didn’t quite live up to lofty expectations as a freshman, but the 6-foot-4 guard still has pro-level tools and is a good bet to have a massive breakout season as a sophomore.

Potential destination: Most assumed Arkansas would eventually land Wagner. The former Wildcat has strong ties to head coach John Calipari, who coached him at Kentucky last season. Calipari also coached Wagner’s father during his time at Memphis, so a foundation of trust between the parties remains in place.

Wagner has already visited Arkansas but doesn't seem to be in any rush to make a commitment. The Razorbacks still feel like the favorite to land Wagner’s pledge, but the lull in news on his recruitment is reason for a bit of pause.

The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (43-12, 20-10 SEC) have learned their first opponent of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, as the Hogs will play 10-seed South Carolina (34-21, 13-17 SEC) in their opening matchup on Wednesday.

Led by head coach Mark Kingston, South Carolina defeated Alabama 10-5 on Tuesday to advance to the second day of the SEC Tournament.

South Carolina batters Ethan Petry, Blake Jackson and Cole Messina all scorched the ball against the Crimson Tide, as each batter recorded three hits. Petry, Messina, Dalton Reeves and Gavin Casas all hit home runs and the Gamecocks only struck out six times.

On the mound, right reliever Chris Veach excelled out of the bullpen to the tune of six strikeouts and only three hits across 5.2 scoreless frames.

Arkansas last faced South Carolina in a three-game series at Columbia, South Carolina, from April 19-20. The Razorbacks won a Game 1 pitching duel before splitting a doubleheader to claim victory over the Gamecocks.

"We won a couple of games there," head coach Dave Van Horn said on Tuesday. "Some tight games. We only know what we know. I guess they’re solid you know. They’ve maybe struggled a little bit the last couple of weeks. But they’re very talented. They have some really good arms. But you know it’s hard to say who they would throw against us. At this time of year you just kind of play and go from there."

Expected to start for Arkansas against South Carolina is sophomore right-hander Ben Bybee, who pitched in the final regular game of the season on Sunday against Texas A&M. Against the Aggies, the 6-foot-6 Kansas native tossed 2.1 innings of three-run ball with three strikeouts.

HawgBeat has a recap of all the action from South Carolina's victory over Alabama in the SEC Tournament on Tuesday:

Scoring Innings:​

Bottom of the First - Alabama 1, South Carolina 0:

Facing South Carolina right-handed starting pitcher Dylan Eskew, the Crimson Tide started the frame with a full-count fly out but quickly responded thanks to a single by Ian Petrutz. He then advanced to second base due to a throwing error before moving to third after a groundout by Justin Lebron. William Hamiter drove Petrutz in with a seeing-eye single up the middle to give Alabama an early 1-0 advantage.

Bottom of the Second - Alabama 3, South Carolina 0:

Catcher Mac Guscette singled through the right side to lead things off for Alabama and he was moved to third after a double by TJ McCants. Eskew plunked the next Crimson Tide batter with the first pitch of the AB to load the bases before hitting another hitter to score a run. Gage Miller hit a sac-fly to center field for the second run of the frame and the Gamecocks turned to Matthew Becker out of the bullpen, who proceeded to strike out the final two batsmen to end the inning.

Top of the Third - South Carolina 6, Alabama 3

South Carolina infielder Gavin Casas led off the third with a solo homer against Alabama starter Greg Farone for the Gamecocks' first run of the game. Farone retired the next batter via groundout but then Ethan Petry went yard to draw the deficit within one. Following a single, Alabama turned to Aidan Moza out of the bullpen. Moza allowed a single but then forced a foul out that moved both South Carolina runners into scoring position. A walk loaded the bases, and Dalton Reeves smoked a line drive over the right field wall for a grand slam.

Bottom of the Fourth - South Carolina 6, Alabama 5

Following a leadoff strikeout, Miller and Petrutz followed up with back-to-back singles to force a mound change for South Carolina. Chris Veach took the mound and immediately allowed an RBI groundout before Hamiter smashed a double to right field to score another run.

Top of the Fifth - South Carolina 7, Alabama 5

Cole Messina led off the fifth with a solo shot to center field to extend South Carolina's lead to two, but that was all the Gamecocks could muster.

Top of the Sixth - South Carolina 9, Alabama 5

After two quick outs by Casas and Austin Brinling, South Carolina rattled off two singles before Messina doubled to right center to tack on two more runs. The inning ended on a three-pitch strikeout.

Top of the Eighth - South Carolina 10, Alabama 5

The Gamecocks got off to a roaring start in the eighth, as back-to-back hit-by-pitches and a single started the frame with the bases loaded for South Carolina. Alabama worked its magic, though, and only allowed one run on a groundout double play after picking off Messina at first base.

Box Score:​

From John Garcia

When Kamare Williams cut his list to seven programs earlier this year, it was much of a reset with his college football recruitment.

One program's effort really captured the attention of the Wellington (Fla.) Palm Beach Central star wide receiver since that point. On Tuesday evening, he reciprocated in the form of a verbal commitment.

"We're going to Arkansas," Williams told Rivals. "They've never stopped communicating with me. It was always love, really since they first offered me.

"Ronnie Fouch has been talking to me. He's a great dude and ever since he came onto the new staff he has wanted me there. I've been his dude and he always treated me like I was one of his guys already."

The trust between Williams and his future coaching staff is apparent on multiple levels. The rising-senior recruit made the pledge without having seen Fayetteville in person to date. That should change in the month of June as each side works on an official visit.

"It was the communication and the trust," he said. "They all love me and said they can't wait to see me. This was tough, but they stuck out."

Head Hog Sam Pittman received the early commitment news well, Williams says, and his big and physical style is something both parties see fitting in at the SEC level.

"The offense is just like ours, so they can move me all over the field," he said.

After an impressive 2023 season at Palm Beach Central, where Williams hauled in 49 passes for 695 yards and six touchdowns, the newest Razorback is happy to come off the board and put the bulk of the recruiting process behind him.

The focus shifts back to his prep teammates in the meantime, with the Saturday spot locked down despite more than two dozen scholarship offers to his name.

"They're gonna get a dog," Williams said."They're gonna get a good player and I'm always going to show love to the fans.

"I'm locked in on Arkansas!"

Six class of 2025 recruits are now on the UA verbal commitment list.

The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (43-12, 20-10 SEC) enter the SEC Baseball Tournament as SEC West champions thanks to one of the top pitching staffs in the country, but the Hogs may opt for a different pitching approach during their stay in Hoover, Alabama.

Head coach Dave Van Horn spoke to the media on Tuesday about his plan for the pitching staff as they prepare for the upcoming week.

"You don’t want to try and stress guys out to try to win a tournament," Van Horn said. "If it happens for you and things go your way, then try to win it but you don’t want to recycle guys, pitching two or three times on a weekend, even if they are relievers. Then they have five days to recover before you open up next weekend. It gets a little difficult."

Expected to start Game 1 for Arkansas is sophomore right-hander Ben Bybee, who pitched in the final regular game of the season on Sunday against Texas A&M. Against the Aggies, the 6-foot-6 Kansas native tossed 2.1 innings of three-run ball with three strikeouts.

For the season, Bybee has accumulated a 6.00 ERA with 31 punchouts, nine walks and 26 hits in 24.0 innings.

"Coach (Matt) Hobbs and I just decided to start him," Van Horn said. "Ben threw the other day and threw the ball over the plate, threw pretty well. He’ll be on a pitch count, or we’ll just kind of monitor how it’s going. Shorter or longer. We’re not going to leave him in because we have available arms.

"It’s not like we’re getting to the end and we’re trying to get another inning out of somebody or a few more outs. If it’s going great, we’ll leave him in until a certain count. If it’s not going great, we’ll get him out sooner than later. He’s throwing the ball well, throwing it over the plate, makes you earn it a little bit and that’s what you want."

Ace lefty Hagen Smith — who was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year on Monday — will pitch at some point during the SEC Tournament, but it may not be his normal role according to Van Horn.

"Yeah, he should pitch in this, in the next couple of days," Van Horn said. "We’re not sure yet on how we’re going to use him but he’ll get out there."

Van Horn also gave updates on right-handers Brady Tygart and Cooper Dossett, as the former took the weekend off against the Aggies and the latter suffered an injury in Game 3 of the series.

"You’ll probably see Brady this week," Van Horn said. "Hopefully we win some games and get into it a little bit and get to use them all.

"So far everything has come back where (Dossett's injury) is not — it's a non-surgical injury. But we’re going to have it re-looked at again, maybe have a dye test on everything but so far so good."

Junior left-hander Mason Molina may be on the verge of securing his starting role back if he can continue performing at a high level out of the bullpen. The former Texas Tech transfer delivered three strong innings without allowing a hit to close out a Game 2 victory against Texas A&M last weekend.

"I thought (Molina) did a great job," Van Horn said. "We probably wouldn’t have won that game without him. You know, the crazy thing is he comes in there and gives us a good inning or two, and then (Hudson) White hits a three-run homer. It was just a lot of good mojo going on in the dugout.

"Baseball, it’s a funny game. You just never know when it’s going to flip, so hopefully next time he gets on the mound he goes out and pitches really well and we can make the decision to leave him in the pen, start him, whatever we need to do coming up here in a regional or whatever."

Arkansas will play the winner of Alabama and South Carolina in the second game on Wednesday, which will start approximately 30 minutes after the first, which starts at 9:30 a.m. CT. The matchup will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

The 2024 SEC Baseball Tournament bracket is officially set, and the Arkansas Razorbacks earned the two-seed for this year's competition at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.

Arkansas (20-10 SEC) ended two games behind Tennessee (22-8 SEC) and Kentucky (22-8 SEC) in the conference standings this season, as the Volunteers earned the top seed in the tournament for winning the SEC East and Arkansas earned the 2-seed for winning the SEC West. Kentucky and Texas A&M round out the top four seeds at three and four, respectively.

Seeds 5-12 will meet in a single elimination format on the opening day of the tournament Tuesday, followed by traditional double-elimination play Wednesday-Friday. The tournament will return to single elimination play on Saturday. A total of 17 games will be played throughout the tournament.

On Wednesday, Arkansas will play the winner of Tuesday’s 7/10 seed matchup that features 7-seed Alabama and 10-seed South Carolina. If the Hogs win Wednesday, they’ll play the winner of Kentucky and Georgia/LSU at approximately 4:30 p.m. CT Thursday. If Arkansas loses its first game, it will play the loser of Kentucky and Georgia/LSU in the first game Thursday at 9:30 a.m. CT.

Here’s a full look at the bracket, plus the records for each team entering this year’s SEC Baseball Tournament. All games will be televised on SEC Network aside from Sunday’s championship matchup that will be on ESPN2.



SEC Baseball Tournament Seeding/Records

We’ve got DVH at 11:30 this morning to preview the SEC Tournament. We’ll have live updates ITT then.

Drop your predictions for tomorrow’s starting pitcher. Hogs play the winner of Alabama/South Carolina, which will be the second game played today.

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Really great stuff here from Ross:

"If they reject a proposed settlement offer, officials from the NCAA and power conferences stand to face a catastrophic $20 billion in back damages as well as risking a bankruptcy filing, according to documents obtained by Yahoo Sports."

"Industry leaders describe the next two weeks as, perhaps, the most consequential in college athletics history."

Cliffs:

~ New documents specify that total amount in back damages owed to athletes for use of NIL before NCAA lifted probibitions in 2021 is $2.776 billion, which the NCAA will be responsible paying off over 10 years
~ As a result, power leagues are expecting a $1-2 million reduction per year in distribution (could be larger with a shorter timeline if a loss in court)
~ Estimated $20 billion would likely be payable "immediately" after final judgement and not 10 years, which could result in NCAA filing bankruptcy
~ Court is expected to reaffirm the NCAA's rules around compensation. Collectives won't be eliminated, but schools will have incentive to bring them inside University
~ Settlement develops a new "enforcement infrastructure", which targest pay-for-play rules, potentially resolving the "Wild West" environment in athletics
~ As part of terms, plaintiffs will agree to cooperate with NCAA's effort "regarding antitrust exemption", NCAA and conference leaders hope that Congress will codify or at the very least grant the NCAA protection to enforce its rules and deem athletes as students and not employees
~ Settlement still leaves open the possibility of athletes being deemed employees later on
~Document reveals details around an annual revenue-sharing cap that schools are permitted to distribute to athletes (22% of average power conference school's media rights, ticket sales and sponsorships)
~ Projected revenue cap in Year 1 (2025) is $21 million
~ Document isn't perfect, doesn't protect NCAA from future lawsuits
~ Title IX "remains at the campus level to be applied"
~ As much as $300 million per school over the 10-year settlement agreement
~ As part of new model, officials plan to lift scholarship limitations and implement roster limits (schools can offer schollies to entire roster)
~ A trial that results in an NCAA loss will be catastrophic

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Zachary Taylor of Yoakum, Texas. According to his bio, he's 6'4" and runs a 4.48 forty-yard dash. Was committed to Army. Will be a scholarship addition.

Completed 90-of-160 passes for 1,376 yards and 15 TDs with 9 INTs last season. Also rushed 91 times for 342 yards and 6 TDs. Looks like he may be used as a WR.

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Arkansas is making a big push in Florida and it could come up as strong timing for SEC prospect Kamare Williams. The big wideout is coming off the board Tuesday evening and I like the Hogs position

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Arkansas' 2025 quarterback commit is changing uniforms for his senior season.

Grayson Wilson, who spent the last three seasons at Central Arkansas Christian in North Little Rock, will be transferring to Conway to play for Buck James and the Wampus Cats.

Since taking the reins for the Mustangs, Wilson flourished on the field. He threw for 3,413 yards and 41 touchdowns to just two interceptions, and added 837 yards and 15 scores on the ground.

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Wilson committed to Arkansas over a year agoand has kept his recruitment quiet. At the time, he held offers from Pittsburgh, Illinois and Central Arkansas in addition to Arkansas.

He was unrated by all of the major recruiting services, and committed on April 15 following the Razorbacks' spring contest.

Now, Wilson is a four-star passer, the No. 4 player in Arkansas for the 2025 class and No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in the country according to Rivals.

Throughout the offseason, Wilson has grown not just on the football field but on the hardwood and baseball diamond as well. After winning an Arkansas basketball 3A State Championship, he went to Dallas, Texas, where he was named MVP quarterback of the Under Armour Next All-American combine.

Most recently, Wilson helped CAC baseball to a state championship appearance, a game the Mustangs lost 6-2 to Gosnell.

With the full athletic year behind him, Wilson now heads to Conway where he'll refine his skills on the football field before arriving in Fayetteville to start his college career with the Razorbacks.

As far as Wilson's recruitment goes, he's still locked in to Arkansas and showing zero signs of wavering. He will take his official visit to Fayetteville the weekend of June 21, and plans to enroll at Arkansas early in January, so he can go through spring practice with the team.