Head coach John Calipari and the Arkansas basketball team have landed their fifth transfer portal splash, as Kentucky guard DJ Wagner has committed to the Razorbacks according to a report from Richard Davenport on Sunday.

A 6-foot-4, 192-pound soon-to-be sophomore, Wagner was one of the highest ranked recruits in the class of 2023 according to Rivals at No. 6 in the nation. He averaged 9.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 40.5% from the field, 29.2% from beyond the arch and 76.6% from the charity stripe.

Wagner scored a season-high 28 points against Marshall and added five assists against the Thundering Herd. He had 13 games with double-digit points and crossed the 20-point threshold on two separate occasions. In a matchup against Arkansas on March 2, Wagner dropped 19 points on efficient shooting (6-of-7 from the field).

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Originally from Camden, New Jersey, Wagner first chose the Wildcats over offers from programs like Louisville, Memphis, Syracuse, Villanova, Penn State and others.

According to KenPom, Wagner finished his 2023-24 season with a 104.0 offensive rating, a 46.0 effective field goal percentage, a 49.6 true shooting percentage and a 19.8 assist rate.

Following Wagner’s addition, Arkansas now sits with eight scholarship players on its roster. Be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on all the offseason action.

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Playing UCA in LR on Dec. 14

Nm

Kickoff times for the first three weeks are supposed to be released today. We already know UAPB will be 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29. Now we've got Oklahoma State at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 7. Next is UAB on Sept. 14.

We will run a full story when the UAB kickoff time is released.

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Now Joey Chestnut is banned from the Hot Dog competition?

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Not sure if he'll commit before taking his trips to Texas Tech and Mississippi State, but I like the Hogs here. Checking with a few other sources but I may end up making a FutureCast for him to Arkansas today.

The disappointing conclusion of the 2024 Arkansas baseball campaign is still on the edge of everyone's mind, but head coach Dave Van Horn must turn his focus to the offseason following the opening of the transfer portal on Monday.

Who will stay and who will go from the current Razorback roster is a question looming around the program, and the answer will play a large part in what positions the coaching staff prioritizes over the coming months.

As of now, shortstop Wehiwa Aloy is the only everyday starter in the lineup that Arkansas should feel really good about returning. Soon-to-be sophomores Nolan Souza and Ryder Helfrick will have good chances of locking down positions in the infield and at catcher, respectively, but that still leaves plenty of spots open for replacements.

"We’ve lost our complete outfield again," Van Horn said on Sunday. "They’ll all be gone. Going to lose your second baseman. I don’t think the first baseman will be back. Starting catcher’s gone. Starting third baseman graduates.

To add insult to injury, all three starting pitchers have a chance of being selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. Ace lefty Hagen Smith is all but a lock, and juniors Brady Tygart and Mason Molina will likely entertain organizations that are interested in their arm talent.

"Your whole rotation will probably go if they get an opportunity," Van Horn said. "I could go on and on. I think about it every day. It’s just the way it is. It’s the way it is these days."

With that being said, here are early names to watch for the Razorbacks in the transfer portal. These are subject to change, so be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for updates on all the offseason action:

Logan Maxwell - Outfielder, TCU​

2024 Stats: 170 AB, .335/.482/.447, 30 R, 57 H, 12 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 30 BB, 23 K, 10 SB
64analytics Transfer Portal Ranking: 13th

Arkansas will need some outfielders after Ty Wilmsmeyer and Peyton Holt graduate and Kendall Diggs potentially gets drafted, so getting some experience from a power conference will be vital.
TCU's Logan Maxwell fits the bill perfectly, as he finished with the Horned Frogs' second-best batting average and played elite defense in left field. Throughout 110 games across three seasons, the Ohio native has only made one error.

What he lacks in sheer power he more than makes up for with his vision at the plate, as he had an outstanding 10.8 K% this season according to D1Baseball. Maxwell also hit for a .300 batting average in 2023.

HawgBeat can confirm that the Arkansas coaching staff has been in contact with Maxwell, so be on the lookout for potential movement in the future with the top portal prospect.

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Kuhio Aloy - Designated Hitter, BYU​

2024 Stats: 197 AB, .269/.329/.447, 27 R, 53 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 20 BB, 62 K, 0 SB
64analytics Transfer Portal Ranking: 572nd

Name sound familiar? It should, because he's the brother of Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy. A freshman designated hitter for BYU, Aloy was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team after leading the Cougars in RBI.

The offensive numbers don't jump off the page immediately and the lack of defensive experience is a concern, but what's to say that Wehiwa wouldn't have put up similar numbers in the Big 12 as a freshman last season? He ended up being pretty good for the Razorbacks this year, as he led Arkansas in home runs (14) and RBI (56).

Kuhio led the Big 12 in sacrifice flies, was second on BYU in hits and was third in doubles and multiple-RBI games (9). He was also only one of two Cougars to play in all 52 games.

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Deven Sheerin - Right-Handed Pitcher, Mount St. Mary's​

2024 Stats: 4.76 ERA, 6-5 W/L, 18 APP, 2 GS, 1 SV, 70.0 IP, 49 H, 39 R, 37 ER, 32 BB, 109 K, .197 BAA
64analytics Transfer Portal Ranking: 17th

If you want to talk about an electric arm, then let me introduce you to Mount St Mary's right-hander Deven Sheerin. This freshman flamethrower tops out in the high 90s but has a devastating slider to boot.

Primarily a bullpen piece last season, Sheerin's biggest outlier games in terms of runs allowed came against Mississippi State in only his third college appearance (four earned runs), Maryland (three earned runs), Portland (five earned runs), Niagara (seven earned runs) and Rider (four earned runs).

In his other 13 appearances on the mound, Sheerin never allowed more than two runs. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound Pennsylvania native had two double-digit strikeout games against Norfolk State (11) and Marist (12).

HawgBeat can confirm that the Arkansas coaching staff has been in contact with Sheerin, and expect him to be a hot commodity in the transfer portal market.

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Jackson Strong - Outfielder, Canisius​

2024 Stats: 177 AB, .350/.621/.482, 55 R, 62 H, 9 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 34 RBI, 41 BB, 38 K, 42 SB
64analytics Transfer Portal Ranking: 98th

After Arkansas' season-ending loss to SEMO in the NCAA Tournament, Van Horn took the time to talk about what he was looking for offensively this offseason. One of the things he mentioned was getting better athletes, players that helped win games when the conditions for home runs and high-octane offense weren't favorable.

Well, Strong is exactly that. Yes, he has a high average and a beautiful swing, but the New York native boasted a whopping 42 stolen bases this season. That ranks third in the country and is 36 more than the highest of any Arkansas player (Will Edmunson, Holt).

In his previous two seasons at Canisius, Strong has hit 123-for-348 (.353) with a combined 24 home runs, 20 doubles and 83 RBI. He's also only made four errors in that same span, good for a .978 fielding percentage.

Strong has picked up multiple follows on social media from members of the Arkansas coaching staff, which usually means the player is a priority for the Diamond Hogs.

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Other names to monitor:​

~ Charles Davalan - 2B, Florida Gulf Coast
~ Bobby Boser - 2B, South Florida
~ Tommy LaPour - RHP, Wichita State
~ Noah Sullivan - Two-way, Upstate
~ Nathan Knowles - RHP, William & Mary
~ Harrison Bodendorf - LHP, Hawaii
~ Myles Patton - LHP, Long Beach State

I know y’all made it already lol I just can’t find it , will someone please post it? Thanks

From @DanielFair


The Arkansas Razorbacks deepened their 2025 class on Wednesday as three-star defensive lineman Caleb Bell committed to the Hogs.

Bell, a native of Alpharetta, Georgia, made his commitment public on X (formerly Twitter) through a post by Leyton Roberts, following an official visit to Fayetteville this past weekend.

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Bell took several visits to Fayetteville this year, arriving first in March, when he received the offer. He took another unofficial visit in April and capped it off with his official visit the weekend of June 14.

The son of former NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Kendrell Bell, Caleb chose the Razorbacks over offers from NC State, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Louisville and others.

As a junior, Bell racked up 75 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He also intercepted one pass that was returned for a touchdown.

The 6-foot-3, 275-pound defensive end is the third defensive lineman to commit to Arkansas in the 2025 class, joining fellow Alpharetta native JQ Madison, who committed to the Razorbacks on Sunday.

Arkansas now has 13 commitments total in the class of 2025.

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The Arkansas Razorbacks have flipped the commitment of 2025 three-star offensive lineman Kash Courtney from Baylor.

Courtney had been committed to Baylor since Oct. 29, 2023, but took an official visit to Arkansas the weekend of May 31, and it was enough to convince him to join the Razorbacks.

The Carthage, Texas, native made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter).

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In addition to Baylor and Arkansas, Courtney holds offers from Texas Tech, SMU, Duke, West Virginia and others.

Arkansas offensive line coach Eric Mateos was key in Courtney’s recruitment, as he was the one to win his first commitment to Baylor and then once more now that he is at Arkansas.

Courtney is the second offensive lineman to commit to Arkansas in the 2025 class.

Well at least we are at the top of the list at something that pertains to football.
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The Southeastern Conference released the remaining kickoff time windows for Arkansas football's 2024 schedule Tuesday, and the Hogs have just one Night window conference game on the slate.

Arkansas already had game times and TV network designations set for games against UAPB (Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU), at Oklahoma State (Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. on ABC) and UAB (Sept. 14 at 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network)

The Razorbacks do have a fourth set game time, as the contest against rival Texas in Fayetteville on Nov. 16 will kick off at 11 a.m. on either ABC or ESPN.

As part of the SEC's new TV rights deal with ESPN, the league has established kickoff time windows to allow teams and fans to know approximate start times for the entire season, per a press release. Games will kick off within one of four windows known as Early, Afternoon, Night or Flex.

Kickoff Windows

Game time windows will be converted to kickoff times six days prior to the game. Flex games will encompass the Afternoon and Night windows before being assigned a window 12 days prior to the game, according to the SEC.

Arkansas has two Flex games in 2024 — vs. Auburn on Sept. 21 (2:30-7 p.m.) and against Tennessee on Oct. 5 (2:30-7 p.m.).

The Southwest Classic matchup with Texas A&M on Sept. 28 is set for an Afternoon window (2:30-3:30 p.m.) kick inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Arkansas' only Night window (5-7 p.m.) game will be a home game against LSU on Oct. 19. The Hogs will have back-to-back Early window (11 a.m.-Noon) games at Mississippi State on Oct. 26 and vs. Ole Miss on Nov. 2.

The Razorbacks' final home game of the season vs. Louisiana Tech will stream on SECN+ and ESPN+ with a kickoff time yet to be released. The Battle Line Rivalry game against Missouri will kick off in the Afternoon window (2:30-3:30 p.m.) on Nov. 30 to end the regular season.

2024 Arkansas Football Schedule

Date – Opponent – Time (CT) – Network

Aug. 29 – UAPB at War Memorial Stadium – 6:30 p.m. – ESPNU

Sept. 7 – at Oklahoma State – 11 a.m. – ABC

Sept. 14 – UAB – 3:15 p.m. – SECN

Sept. 21 – at Auburn – FLEX (2:30-7 p.m.) – TBA

Sept. 28 – vs. Texas A&M – AFTERNOON (2:30-3:30 p.m.) – TBA

Oct. 5 – Tennessee – FLEX (2:30-7 p.m.) – TBA

Oct. 19 – LSU – NIGHT (5-7 p.m.) – TBA

Oct. 26 – at Mississippi State – EARLY (11 a.m.-Noon) – TBA

Nov. 2 – Ole Miss – EARLY (11 a.m.-Noon) – TBA

Nov. 16 – Texas – 11 a.m. – ABC/ESPN

Nov. 23 – Louisiana Tech – TBA – SECN+/ESPN+

Nov. 30 – at Missouri – AFTERNOON (2:30-3:30 p.m.) – TBA

I’d take a team full of Peyton Holts. He was my favorite player and one of my favorite Razorbacks in any sport.

Just wanted to make a post congratulating him. I always felt like we had a chance when he was at the plate.

At one point, Arkansas was one of just eight Division I baseball programs to not have a player enter the transfer portal this offseason. While the Razorbacks have had two players hit the portal since then, that's all it's been, and head coach Dave Van Horn said it's because players want to be in Fayetteville.

"I don’t feel like guys want to leave here, honestly," Van Horn said Wednesday. "We’ve got a lot going around here that helps kids get better. We treat them right. You know when you probably need to go. But I feel real good about the guys that are coming back and the guys leaving were kind of expected. So you know things can change here and there.

"We have a few players who would obviously be big-time portal guys if they got in. But I think they like what’s going on here and they like their development and you know when you really think about it, it’s about getting better every day and making your money in the draft."

The first Diamond Hog to hit the portal was outfielder Hunter Grimes, who did not see the field during the 2024 season. Grimes will likely have to get a waiver from the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility or go down to a lower level of college baseball, such as Division II, III or junior college ball.

Arkansas' second player intending to transfer — and as of now the only other portal entry — was sophomore slugger Jayson Jones, who hit for a .194 average with four home runs and 17 runs batted in across 72 at bats in 23 total games with 19 starts during the 2024 season.

Jones and Grimes have yet to publicly announce a new destination, and no other Arkansas player has publicly announced intentions to enter the transfer portal.

With an incoming freshman class of 17 signees — some of which will be drafted and sign with a Major League Baseball squad — and a quality transfer class that currently features eight commitments, roster management is definitely something Van Horn and his staff are constantly working on.

"Teams have been able to go through a little free agency in the summer and fill in some spots," Van Horn said. "Obviously once the season starts or school starts that is what it is. You can’t dip into the minor leagues. But you have this window right now where you can fill in. It’s not apples to apples because there are some teams that have a lot more NIL money to dish out than other teams. Frankly, those teams that have it, they’re doing very well. We have to deal with that.

"But we want to bring in the player that it’s not all about the money. Yeah it would be nice to pluck one here or there. But we’ve got to get the right ones and frankly you have a budget. It is what it is. I think we’ve done a good job navigating and getting better and figuring out how to handle it. You know, you have to almost over-recruit some of these older guys that are in the portal if you’re getting some guys that are draft eligible because basically they might say one thing but realistically if somebody offers them they’re probably going to sign."

With the college baseball season finally ending Monday night with Tennessee hoisting the national championship trophy following a College World Series final win over Texas A&M, the transfer portal is only really about to heat up.

"Well, we’re still pretty active (in the portal), honestly, but I can’t put a number on it because there’s getting ready to be a lot more movement," Van Horn said. "You’re going to see some movement from a couple teams in Texas, and some of them might jump from one team to the other. Or, maybe this is their time to get out and do something else.

"There will be some big names, but you’re talking a lot of money for some of these kids that are going to be out, and I mean a lot (of money). I don’t think people realize what’s going on in the NIL scene in college baseball when you’re talking two, three, $450,000 to get a player. Again, there’s some that can do it a lot, some that can do it a little. It’s never over because of that draft that should have been last week, or the week before, which would have been nice. Because it affects everybody. It trickles down all the way to the incoming high school senior that’s coming to school."

The Texas teams Van Horn referred to are Texas A&M and Texas, which are caught in a bit of a controversy following Jim Schlossnagle's exit from the Aggies to take the head coach job with the Longhorns. Wednesday featured a mass-exodus of Texas A&M stars to the transfer portal, including slugger Jace LaViolette and SEC Freshman of the Year Gavin Grahovac.

ALSO READ: Dave Van Horn reacts to Texas hiring Jim Schlossnagle

While there is time to still grab some big-time names out of the portal, it's really difficult to truly have a clear picture for the roster until the MLB Draft (July 14-16) is over. The inconvenient timing of the draft makes it much more difficult for college coaches.

"Just excited for the draft to get here, and then we can finish our roster, because right now it’s all about roster and numbers," Van Horn said. "Being fair to everybody. Being fair to the new guys coming in, and returners and even the guys that are transferring in. Bringing in guys, and some of our guys don’t sign, it becomes a problem. I like where we’re at right now. If they show up, we’ve got more than a few really great players that are going to elevate us."

As is the case in the current landscape of college athletics, NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) money is playing a huge factor in getting baseball players to make it to campus.

"It has kept some kids from signing pro contracts," Van Horn said. "It has helped kids make that decision, 'Well I know that I can make more money signing pro, but I am going to sign pro anyway, I know I am going to, but I want to go to college first,’ two or three years depending on if they are draft eligible after there sophomore year.

"So it is worth it to them to come develop here instead of sitting in (Class) A ball, rookie ball, hanging out and not being super happy when they could be here and probably get a lot more attention, strength and conditioning, individual coaching by their positions in a real structured atmosphere. I think a lot of parents like that as well."

Van Horn and his staff will continue to build up the 2025 roster, and HawgBeat provides unmatched coverage of all the movement, so stay tuned to The Trough premium message board.

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Head coach Dave Van Horn and the Arkansas Razorbacks added a third Hawaii native to the roster Friday, as BYU transfer Kuhio Aloy announced his commitment to the Diamond Hogs. Aloy is the first transfer commitment of the offseason for Arkansas.

The brother of current Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, Kuhio slashed .269/.329/.447, with 53 hits, eight home runs and 39 runs batted in as a freshman this spring. Aloy was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team for his efforts.

Aloy started a majority of his games as the Cougars' designated hitter, but he also played some first base this year. He led the Big 12 in sacrifice flies, was second on BYU in hits and was third in doubles and multiple-RBI games (9). He was also only one of two Cougars to play in all 52 games.

ALSO READ: Early transfer portal names to watch for Arkansas baseball

Back on May 6, Aloy was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week after he had 10 hits, two homers, two RBIs, four runs scored and he hit .588 over four games against Abilene Christian and Miami.

During the MLB Desert Invitational in February, Aloy began his career with a home run in each of his first two games against USC and Ohio State.

Aloy played at H.P. Baldwin High School in Wailuku, Hawaii, which is also where his brother, Wehiwa, attended. The Aloy brothers and Nolan Souza make up three Hawaiin-born Razorbacks on the roster.