HawgBeat - Top five transfers of Sam Pittman era at Arkansas
HawgBeat ranks the top five transfers that Sam Pittman has brought in during his time at Arkansas.
arkansas.rivals.com
Arkansas football head coach Sam Pittman might be one of the more underrated names when it comes to being able to work the transfer portal with plenty of success.
After taking over the program on Dec. 8, 2019, Pittman brought in 24 transfers across his first three seasons as head coach. That number doesn't include the 18 scholarship players that transferred in following the 2022 season that resulted in a 7-6 record and a Liberty Bowl win over Kansas.
Not all of those 24 players made an impact, though, and some never saw the field during their time in Fayetteville. On the other hand, some were stars that turned their opportunity with the Hogs into a chance at the NFL.
The first two names are pretty simple choices, but arguments could be made to shuffle around the names after that. With that said, here are HawgBeat's top five transfers of the Pittman era at Arkansas so far...
1. Drew Sanders - LB, Alabama
Sanders is the easy No. 1 choice for the best transfer Pittman has brought in during his tenure. The transfer from Alabama was named a first team All-American by the Associated Press and a second team All-American by four other outlets, as well as being named first team All-SEC by the AP, Coaches, Pro Football Focus and USA Today.
There is no denying the impact Sanders had on paper, but there were so many plays he impacted that won't go down on the stat sheets. He also played a role in developing young linebackers such as Chris Paul Jr. and Jordan Crook, who are both primed to take the next step this fall.
A former four-star linebacker out of Denton, Texas, Sanders finished second in the SEC and 14th in the nation with 9.5 sacks and he added 13.5 tackles for loss and 103 total tackles on the year. All of that production came during his first season at the Mike linebacker position.
He was selected 67th overall by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the NFL Draft, though he was mocked as a first round pick for a portion of the 2022 season.
Sanders became just the second Arkansas player recruited Pittman to be drafted during his tenure.
2. Feleipe Franks - QB, Florida
Franks joined the Razorbacks for Pittman's first season at the helm in 2020. The year prior, Arkansas started five different quarterbacks across the final five games of a 2-10 campaign under head coach Chad Morris.
After three season with the Florida Gators, two of which he was the primary starting quarterback, Franks chose to hit the portal and he landed in Fayetteville for his redshirt senior season.
The 6-foot-6, 234-pound native of Crawfordville, Florida, broke the single season school record with a completion percentage of 68.5% in 2020. He threw for 2,017 yards and 17 touchdowns and he added 105 rushing yards and one score on the ground.
Franks was the first Arkansas quarterback since at least 2000 to throw for more than 200 yards in each of the first eight games of a season. He led the Razorbacks to victory in three of those games against Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
From the outside looking in, Franks leading the Razorbacks to a 3-7 record in the pandemic-shortened season doesn't look great. Put it in perspective, though, and you see that the team had won just four games combined the two years prior.
Franks not only helped the Razorbacks win three games in Pittman's first season, but he helped them win three SEC games to clinch a Texas Bowl berth against TCU, though the game was cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreak within the Horned Frogs' program. Franks also helped mentor current Razorback starter KJ Jefferson, who is a dark horse Heisman candidate entering his third year as the starting quarterback for Arkansas.
After going undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, Franks signed with the Atlanta Falcons, who he is currently a tight end for.
3. Dwight McGlothern - CB, LSU
This choice might have a little bit of hope for the future, but there's no denying the fact that McGlothern was Arkansas' best defensive back in 2022. Sure, the Razorbacks pass defense was statistically the worst of any FBS team, but McGlothern put together a solid showing during his first season in Fayetteville.
A transfer from LSU, McGlothern was a Second-Team All-SEC selection by the league's coaches after he set career-highs with 52 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 10 pass deflections. The native of Houston started all 13 games and his four interceptions ranked second in the SEC.
Right from the start, McGlothern's impact was felt as he recorded an interception on Cincinnati's first drive of the season opener. His pick turned into Arkansas' first touchdown of the season in a game that the Hogs won by seven points.
His third interception of the season came against No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and former Alabama quarterback, Bryce Young. The fourth came in the Liberty Bowl win over Kansas, a game in which McGlothern also set a season-high with 10 tackles.
Arkansas made it a priority to add plenty of defensive back talent to the roster this offseason under new defensive coordinator Travis Williams and co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson. Despite that, McGlothern is basically a lock to start at cornerback in a secondary that can only improve...literally.
4. John Ridgeway - DT, Illinois State
It was previously mentioned that Sanders was the second player recruited by Sam Pittman to Arkansas selected in the NFL Draft. Before Sanders was Ridgeway, who became a fan favorite during his one season in Fayetteville.
A transfer from Illinois State, Ridgeway started 11 of 12 games for the Hogs as he missed the season opener due to an appendectomy during game week. That didn't slow him down much, as he recorded six tackles and his first sack as a Hog the next week in a win over Texas.
Ridgeway totaled 39 tackles, two sacks and four tackles for loss in the 2021 season, which resulted in a 9-4 record and an Outback Bowl win over Penn State for the Razorbacks.
Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 320 pounds, Ridgeway was more than just a football player for the Razorbacks.
“You’ve got to love Ridge,” Pittman said following Arkansas’ win over Texas. “He’s hilarious, such a great person and a team player.”
While it's safe to assume Ridgeway loves football, he also enjoyed a tasty burger from McDonald's during his time with Arkansas. He even ordered from the fast food chain while he was recovering from his appendectomy.
“I made a couple mobile orders while I was on bedrest, I got me a couple double cheeseburgers plain,” Ridgeway told the Arkansas Traveler. “I didn’t know they had a triple (cheeseburger), so I had to try that.”
Ridgeway was selected 178th overall in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. After being waived by the Cowboys on Sept. 17, 2022, Ridgeway was claimed by the Washington Commanders two days later. He appeared in 15 games and started four for the Commanders last year.
5. Matt Landers - WR, Toledo
This pick could've gone a few different ways, but it was narrowed down to Landers or Georgia Tech transfer defensive end Jordan Domineck. The nod was given to the player that finished his career as a Razorback.
After starting his career at Georgia and spending one year at Toledo, Landers elected to spend his final year of eligibility with Arkansas. He was a late addition to the Razorbacks on May 15, 2022.
The 6-foot-5, 197-pound pass catcher quickly caught then attention of Arkansas coaches and players in fall camp with his blazing speed. He took advantage of his lone season in Fayetteville by producing career-highs in years (901), touchdowns (eight) and receptions (47). Landers also led the team in all three of those categories.
Landers' 901 receiving yards puts him eighth all-time in a single season at Arkansas and his eight receiving scores is the sixth-most ever by a Razorback in a single year.
His first breakout came when he caught seven passes for 123 yards — his third 100-yard game of his career — in a Week 3 win over Missouri State. Landers' next big game was at BYU, when he hauled in eight passes for 99 yards and a career-best three touchdowns on Oct. 15, 2022.
Over the final six games of the season, Landers eclipsed 100 receiving yards three times and he totaled 541 receiving yards in that span. He added five more touchdowns, one of which came in the Liberty Bowl win over Kansas — a game he chose to play in, rather than skip and prepare for the NFL Draft.
After running a 4.37-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, Landers earned an undrafted free agent deal from the Seattle Seahawks following the 2023 NFL Draft.
