#18 Arkansas Razorbacks

This year’s version of the 2009 Ole Miss Rebels happens to be their SEC West counterparts, the Arkansas Razorbacks. If that comparison is foreign to you, just go back and take a look at all of the Pre-Season Hype that the Rebels garnered last year, without having really done anything overly impressive. The Rebels chocked away their opportunity.

Now, that’s no knock to the 2010 Razorback squad, but the fact is this team is getting a lot of Pre-Season hype, coming off of an 8-5 season… including a dismal 3-5 record in the SEC. Do they deserve the hype? Maybe… maybe not.

The Razorbacks had a good season by their standards in 2009 (Coach Bobby Petrinos 2nd Year). Although they only had 3 SEC wins, 2 of their losses were to SEC Powers Florida and LSU, by a combined 6 points (with the LSU game going into overtime). First year Starter and former Michigan Wolverine, Ryan Mallet, led the SEC in Passing as a Redshirt Sophomore and many experts had him as one of the Top NFL QB prospects had he left early. After a quick deliberation, he decided to return for his Redshirt Junior season… and quite honestly, he is poised to have a Heisman caliber season.

The 6’6”, rocket-armed QB will have a plethora of weapons to play with. His WR corps, which many believe might be the best in the nation, is led by Juniors Greg Childs and Jarius White, who combined for 89 receptions, 1,578 yards and 12 TDs. Also returning is former USC recruit Joe Adams who has developed into arguably the best Slot WR in the SEC. Even with all the talent coming back at WR, Mallet’s best option in the passing game may very well be his Pre-Season All-American TE D.J. Williams. Williams’ 32 receptions for 411 yards and 3 TDs is 2nd best among returning SEC TEs.

Much like last year, the RB position will be handled by “committee”. Leading returning rusher Broderick Greene has the inside track to be the designated starter… but expect players like Ronnie Wingo, Knile Davis, and Dennis Johnson to get some carries as well. The problem wont be successfully running the ball, instead it will be keeping so many talented players happy with the limited amount of playing time each will be receiving.

Defensively, the Hogs return 8 of 11 starters to a defense that showed flashes of greatness in 2009. LBs Jerry Franklin and Freddy Burton will anchor the 2nd level, while the secondary will be led by Thorpe Award candidate S Elton Ford. While no player has had a standout performance or garnered All-conference honors, the collective group has the talent to be stout this year. With the Razorback offense expected to put up big numbers, this unit should be fine as long as they take a “bend but don’t break” mentality.

Interestingly enough, Arkansas most important player (behind Mallet, of course) might turn out to be place-kicker Alex Tejada. A 4th year starting Senior, Tejada was 58/59 on Extra Points last year and 16/22 on FGs (only missed 2 under 40 yards). If he can be even more consistent as a Senior, then that could be a valuable weapon in a conference that is sure to have a few games that go down to the wire.

The schedule is tough (as are all SEC schedules). The first half of the season is stacked. After 2 warm-up games to start out, they will enter a 4-game stretch that will make or break their season… playing Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, and Auburn in consecutive games. If they come through that portion of the year sitting at 4-2 or better, then reaching 9 wins is the least they should get, with 10 being a distinct possibility.

Bobby Petrino’s strong recruiting prowess has yielded a group of athletes poised to make a run at the SEC West. If Mallet stays healthy, this team has as good a chance as any SEC squad to be representing the conference in a BCS Bowl game.

Key Returning Players:
QB Ryan Mallet
WR Greg Childs
TE DJ Williams
K Alex Tejada
RB Broderick Greene
LB Jerry Franklin
LB Freddy Burton
S Elton Ford

Key Games:
Sept 18 - @ Georgia
Sept 25 - Alabama
Oct 9 - Texas A&M
Oct 16 - Auburn
Nov 11 - @ South Carolina
Nov 27 - LSU