According to a report by Matt Zenitz, Arkansas secondary coach Deron Wilson is expected to take the Georgia State defensive coordinator position. More to come as we get additional info.

Wilson's bio:

After making an impact on the Arkansas secondary in his first season, Deron Wilson returns for his second season working with the Razorbacks’ secondary.

The Hogs’ secondary was arguably the most improved unit on the team in 2023. The Razorbacks ranked fourth in the SEC in passing yards allowed per game with 202.8 yards, the program’s best effort since 2011 when they allowed 195.2 yards per game. Arkansas’ 12 interceptions ranked third in the league and the team’s four pick-sixes matched five other teams to lead all of FBS. The Hogs’ defense scored five total touchdowns on the season, including Jaylon Braxton’s fumble return for a score in the win at Florida.

Wilson’s work alongside co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson was impactful for an entire defense that allowed 357.2 yards per game, the program’s fewest yards allowed per game in a decade, but it was clear Wilson’s fingerprints were all over a secondary that led the way. Wilson helped mold Braxton into one of the best young cornerbacks in the SEC. He earned Freshman All-SEC honors after posting 20 tackles and a team-best eight pass breakups. Cornerback Dwight McGlothern and safety Alfahiym Walcott led the Hogs with three interceptions each while Jayden Johnson’s 62 tackles were third-most on the squad.

Wilson joined the Razorbacks’ staff after serving one season at Florida as a quality control analyst working with the Gators’ cornerbacks. In his lone season in The Swamp, Wilson worked alongside cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond to improve sophomores Jaydon Hill and Jalen Kimber. Hill led the Gators with two interceptions, including a pick-six against Missouri.

Prior to joining the staff at Florida, Wilson spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator at McNeese (2020-21). He was named the Cowboys’ interim defensive coordinator a week prior to the spring season opener against Tarleton State. The Pokes played seven games in the spring of 2021 following the canceled 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wilson’s secondary improved during the spring season, allowing 35 fewer yards passing compared to 2019. The defense improved even more during the Cowboys’ fall 2021 season, giving up fewer points per game, rushing yards per game, passing yards per game and points per game. Defensive lineman Isaiah Chambers was named the Southland Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and joined defensive lineman Mason Kinsey, linebacker Kordell Williams and defensive back Andre Sam as the Cowboys placed four defenders on the All-Southland Conference first team.

Wilson coached at UTSA for four seasons, spending the final two as the Roadrunners’ cornerbacks coach after starting as a graduate assistant. In Wilson’s first season leading the unit, the Roadrunners’ cornerbacks added to the team’s
19 turnovers with seven of the team’s nine interceptions. Cassius Grady matched the UTSA single-season record with four interceptions and finished with 45 tackles. Clayton Johnson picked off a pair of passes despite missing the final five games while Teddrick McGhee added one interception despite playing in just six games.

UTSA boasted one of the nation’s top defenses in 2017, as the Roadrunners led Conference USA in seven different statistical categories and ranked in the Top 10 among all Football Bowl Subdivision teams in five. UTSA held eight of its 11 opponents to under 300 yards of total offense, including a school-record 149 yards in a 51-17 win over Southern, and five teams to less than 100 yards rushing, highlighted by a program-record 37 yards at Texas State in a 44-14 win.

During his time as a graduate assistant, Wilson helped tutor a secondary that saw three players — Michael Egwuagu, Nate Gaines and Jordan Moore — earn All-Conference USA honors as the Roadrunners earned bowl eligibility in back-to-back seasons.

Wilson was a standout cornerback at Southern Miss from 2010-12 and a Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List honoree before an ankle injury sidelined him for his senior season in 2013. He helped lead the Golden Eagles to consecutive bowl games while starting 39 straight games. He finished his career with 171 tackles and eight interceptions, including four returned for touchdowns.

He was a Phil Steele Freshman All-American and earned C-USA All-Freshman Team and second-team all-conference accolades in 2010 after registering 35 tackles, three interceptions, 12 pass breakups, one blocked punt and a pair of defensive scores. As a sophomore, he helped the Golden Eagles to a C-USA title making 75 tackles with four interceptions and a team-best 17 passes defended to earn second-team all-league honors from Phil Steele.

Wilson earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies from Southern Miss in May 2013.

The New Orleans, La. native starred at O. Perry Walker HS earning all-district honors three times and all-area twice while being ranked as the No. 44 player in the state as a senior in 2008.

He is engaged to Paige Alexander and has twin children – a son, Deron Kadeem Wilson II, and a daughter, Dakota Marie Wilson.

The Wilson File
Birthdate: July 31, 1990
College: Southern Miss, 2013 B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies
Family: Fiancée – Paige Alexander; Children – twins Deron Kadeem Wilson II (son), Dakota Marie Wilson (daughter)

Coaching Experience
2016-17 UTSA (Graduate Assistant/Defense)
2018-19 UTSA (Cornerbacks)
2020-21 McNeese (Defensive Coordinator)
2022 Florida (Quality Control/CBs)

Playing Experience
2010-12 Southern Miss

What other schools are similar to us in these ways:

Mediocre or bad at just about every meaningful sport
History of success in all of those sports
Fans have high expectations based on that history of success

First one that comes to mind for me is Wisconsin

What are y’all’s thoughts? As expected, Notre Dame is a media favorite and betting lines are almost dead even

It’s so hard being a Razorback fan. I hope I’m wrong but our team seems to lack fire and a competitive spirit. They have their hand down most the time in’s defense, jack up stupid shots and have no energy.

Love boogie but 5-20 is horrible and our offense seems to just stand around. Free throws are at best 50/50

This lady's Razorback team is the worst D-I team I've ever seen. They need to shut the program down. A change is needed!

Is what we are missing.

Everytime our basketball program has been worth a damn, our roster had one.

Until, we realize that college basketball isn't filled with 7 footers the better we will be. These bean-pole players we have don't like contact and continue to get pushed around.

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As the final seconds ticked away on Wednesday night at Bud Walton Arena, the Razorbacks (12-7, 1-5 SEC) and fans alike were loud and excited to see a 5-game losing streak snapped with a 68-65 win over the Georgia Bulldogs (14-5, 2-4 SEC).

It wasn't easy, and it didn't always look pretty. Arkansas shot a dismal 31% from the field and 13% from deep. Georgia held a 15-point advantage in the second half and it appeared the Hogs were headed for their 6th-straight loss, but that didn't happen.

VIDEO: Calipari, players postgame - Arkansas 68, Georgia 65

The Razorbacks used an exceptional level of effort and hustle, especially in the second half, to claw back and leave the stadium as victors.

"Told them at halftime, ‘Guys, you missed every three, and we're still in the game," Arkansas head coach John Calipari said postgame. "We're down five baskets. Don't go nuts. We're fine. We'll make shots.’ Our 7-foot-2 guy (Zvonimir Ivisic) is the only guy to make a three, and it was right at the buzzer at the end of the half. Come on. We're fine."

The effort and hustle displayed by the Hogs was prevalent in both the rebounding and free throw categories, two areas they have struggled in since SEC play started.

For the first time since league play started, Arkansas out-rebounded its opponent and finished +10 over the Bulldogs. The 18 offensive rebounds they hauled in were a season-high, and they capitalized on them with 33 second-chance points.

Forward Adou Thiero finished the game with a team-high five offensive boards (11 total), with the last being most critical. With 1.4 seconds left and the game tied at 65, he went to the line to shoot two free throws.

RELATED: Thiero's double-double effort leads Arkansas past Georgia

Thiero made the first, but the second hit the front of the rim and he instantly went into attack mode, grabbed the rebound and put the ball in the hoop to put the Razorbacks up three at the buzzer.

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From an analytical perspective, it's possible intentionally missing the second free throw was the better option, because Georgia was out of timeouts and there would have only been a chance at a Hail Mary full-court shot, but Thiero said that wasn't the case.

"It just came off short," Thiero said of the final free throw of the game. "I knew it was short, but my mindset was just finish this game. Get us one (win) under our belt, and I was able to do that."

BOX SCORE: Arkansas 68, Georgia 65

The whole band of Razorbacks made rebounding the basketball an emphasis, and Thiero said it was an issue of pride that gave them that energy.

"Word around the SEC, you know, we’re soft," Thiero said. "They’re going to try to come here and punk us. Nah. We had to fix that and show we have fight in us. You’re not going to come in here and punk us around, no matter what."

Arkansas was a frequent visitor of the free throw line in Wednesday's game, as it attempted 34 shots from the charity stripe in what some might call a "ref show" that featured a total of 49 foul calls between both teams.

RELATED: Social media reacts to Arkansas' 68-65 win over Georgia

But the Hogs, who were a 70.8% free throw shooting team heading into the game, made the most of those opportunities and went 29-of-34 (85.3%). Georgia finished 20-of-29.

"We started driving the ball, being aggressive, attacking the glass," Arkansas forward Karter Knox said. "We were too strong, so they can’t handle us. We just went in, fought for the ball, drove, got fouled and capitalized on the free throws."

Speaking of Knox, he played a strong game that featured 13 points, 11 of which came from the free throw line. He finished with six rebounds, and even though it doesn't necessarily show in the box score, his effort and tenacity were on full display to those who were watching.

"Coaches told me at halftime to drive the ball and stop settling," Knox said. "I adapted to it really well, started driving it, got fouled. Started going for rebounds, got fouled. I’m too strong, they couldn’t hold me down there. Just going in, being aggressive."

ALSO READ: Takeaways from Arkansas' 68-65 win over Georgia

There's still a lot of work to do if Arkansas wants to get back in the NCAA Tournament picture, but every marathon starts with the first step, and that's what the Hogs did on Wednesday.

"It feels good to finally get a win in SEC play," Thiero said. "We struggled the first couple weeks on the court and off the court. We’d get on the court and then we’d start feeling the pressure. Guys had to feel pressure off the court, too."

Arkansas' next game will come at home, where the Razorbacks will host the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and the game will air on ESPN2.

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COLUMBIA — The Arkansas Razorbacks (11-7, 0-5 SEC) saw their losing streak extend to five games after an 83-65 loss to the Missouri Tigers (15-3, 4-1 SEC) on Saturday in at Mizzou Arena.

The Razorbacks actually scored the first bucket of the game off a slam dunk from center Jonas Aidoo, but surrendered 18 straight points to the Tigers, who cruised to an easy win at home.

Arkansas big man Zvonimir Ivisic finished the game as the team's leading scorer with 14 points and he also brought in 10 rebounds to log a double-double.

Speaking of rebounds, the Hogs also lost the battle on the boards for the fifth-straight game, as Missouri out-rebounded Arkansas, 39-38, with 11 offensive boards. The Tigers scored 13 points off those rebounds.

Here are some of HawgBeat's takeaways from Saturday's loss...

Where has the three-point defense gone?​

Arkansas got off to a rough start because of an 18-0 run the Tigers went on that effectively ended any chance the Razorbacks had at a win, but they were especially hot behind the three-point line.

Missouri connected 11 times from deep in the game, and the duo of Caleb Grill and Tamar Bates were responsible for six of those.

Arkansas associate head coach Kenny Payne even said Friday that defending the perimeter was a focal point for the team, but that didn't appear to be the case Saturday.

Nine of the Tigers' threes came in the first 20 minutes of the game, and while Missouri cooled off in the second half, the damage had already been done.

The Hogs have been near the bottom of the league in three-point defense, and it was their undoing Saturday night.

Who steps up in possible Fland absence?​

Arkansas head coach John Calipari revealed after the game that freshman point guard Boogie Fland hurt his hand during against Florida on Jan. 11. Calipari didn't disclose specifics or how much time Fland might miss, but it sounds as though the Hogs will be without their point guard for at least one game.

"Billy jumped on him, so his hand is pretty bad," Calipari said. "Don’t know what we’ll do going forward, but we’ve got to make sure that we get that thing right."

That being said, who steps up in Fland's absence?

The most practical and likely answer is guard Johnell Davis, who has been relegated to the bench in the last few games. He's had an up-and-down season, but his history suggests he can score at a high clip if he's in rhythm and comfortable.

Where the Hogs will miss Fland the most is in the assist department. No one comes close to the New York native's assist numbers — 5.7 per game. The only one that does is guard D.J. Wagner with 2.8 per game, and even he had four turnovers against Missouri.

Big Z logs big minutes despite loss​

There weren't many positives to glean from Saturday's game, but Ivisic deserves some flowers for his performance. The Croatian native finished the game with a 14-point, 10-rebound double double, and he added two blocks and a steal to his stat line as well.

"He’s blocking shots, he got 10 rebounds," Calipari said. "I want him to be that and then make a couple of threes. You don’t have to make five, but when my team can’t make shots, then we’ll go to him."

Ivisic's offense was a welcome sight after he had been quiet since SEC play started. When the season started, he seemingly couldn't miss from deep. He was shooting nearly 60% from beyond the arc and had multiple makes from distance in five games this season. But in the last five games before Saturday, he had one make in six attempts.

Against Missouri, Ivisic came in and hit two threes out of the five he attempted. It's possible that his lack of perimeter shooting was because Calipari wanted him as an inside presence more often, but Ivisic worked a lot more pick-and-pop plays against the Tigers.

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Absent from the College World Series since 2022, Arkansas will attempt to prove itself worthy of the "OmaHawgs" moniker once again during the 2025 season.

To do that, the Razorbacks — full of returners, transfer portal additions and freshmen — must come together with one common goal.

"You see all that’s going on all over the country, you have teams that are super talented in other sports, it’s semi-professional now, call it what it is," coach Dave Van Horn said Wednesday. "So, I feel like our job as coaches is to find a way to develop these guys physically, but mentally we’ve got to find a way to get them to bond and care about each other and care about the University of Arkansas and the fans, and not just in and out of here. I don’t feel that way with this team. I feel this team is, they’re on a mission."

Arkansas has fallen in the Fayetteville Regional in each of the last two seasons, eliminated by TCU (2023) and Southeast Missouri State (2024), respectively. Those have been especially gut-wrenching, as the Hogs were top-8 national seeds on both occasions.

"There’s been some things go down the last couple of years at the end of the season that have been hard to swallow," Van Horn said. "Honestly, behind closed doors, the coaches, we knew we weren’t maybe quite as good as we were ranked or whatever, but we were just finding ways to win. Credit to the players for that. This team wants to make sure we get to the end."

How Arkansas' newcomer-laden roster comes together will shape the success of the season, but the early signs point to a team personality focused on confidence, according to Van Horn.

"A lot different personality than last year’s team," Van Horn said. "This year’s team just seems really confident and a little more verbal, vocal. So far, so good. Feel like they get along really well.

"That’s the feedback I’ve gotten from returners, and then the new guys just seem to really like it here. Like what’s going on. I think they’re excited about the schedule we’ve lined up, which is ridiculously tough, but it’ll be a lot of fun."

The Razorbacks will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

In front of a loud crowd at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri, the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-7, 0-5 SEC) were defeated, 83-65, by the Missouri Tigers (15-3, 4-1 SEC) on Saturday evening.

Arkansas' SEC shooting woes continued in the first half against the Tigers, as the Hogs went 16-of-38 from the field and 3-of-14 from three. The Razorbacks failed to attempt a free throw in the first 20 minutes, as well.

To close the game, the Hogs shot 28-of-63 from the field with 13 turnovers. The Hogs were also outrebounded, 39-38.

Below are highlights from the game and reactions from fans and media throughout the Hoop Hogs' conference loss:

CLICK HERE FOR HIGHLIGHTS AND REACTIONS

Chaffey College sophomore tight end Jeremiah Beck has committed to Arkansas, he announced Monday.

A 6-foot-4, 240-pound native of California, Beck caught 37 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns during the 2024 season at the junior college level. He made 40 grabs for 485 yards and three scores in his debut year (2023).

Beck, a two-time First-Team All-Conference performer, originally signed with Nevada but received a release in January. He has also earned offers from New Mexico, Massachusetts, Toledo, Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky and others.

Following Beck's commitment, Arkansas now has six projected players at the tight end position for the 2025 roster. Be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on the Razorbacks' offseason recruiting action.

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