It is unclear if Sam Pittman is either an avid reader or a fan of Charles Dickens (or both), but his four-season tenure with the Razorbacks can easily be described with a famous Dickens quote: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”
After it appeared the Hogs had something good brewing with a 9-4 campaign in 2021, the team got a little muddy in 2022 and completely fumbled in 2023. After bringing in 22 transfers and Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator, who are the top 10 returning players on head coach Pittman’s Arkansas Razorbacks team?
Arkansas Razorbacks Top 10 Returners in 2024
10) Brad Spence, LB
Brad Spence will be a starter this season after he was able to learn from upperclassmen who were ahead of him on the depth chart during his freshman season. His impact was immediate after returning an interception 85 yards for a touchdown against Western Carolina in the 2023 season opener. He finished the campaign with 16 total tackles, including 1.5 for loss.
9) Addison Nichols, C
A transfer from Tennessee, where he appeared in every regular-season game for the Volunteers last season, Addison Nichols will be the starting center on an offensive line that will have four new starters across the board. The former four-star prospect out of Atlanta will be a key to improving upon a rushing attack that averaged 3.5 yards per carry in 2023, the third-worst in the SEC.
8) Luke Hasz, TE
Luke Hasz appeared to be having a breakout freshman campaign when a broken collarbone halted his season after only five games. He improved his number of catches in every game from the opener to his final full contest when he produced six receptions for 116 yards and two touchdowns against LSU to earn John Mackey Tight End of the Week honors.
7) Anton Juncaj, DL
Arkansas won the recruiting battle for Anton Juncaj, a former FCS standout at Albany who was a first-team All-American last season after leading the nation with 15 sacks and adding 21.5 TFL. He has already turned heads in spring practice when he registered a pair of sacks in Arkansas’ first major scrimmage.
6) Andrew Armstrong, WR
Andrew Armstrong led the Razorbacks in receiving last season with 764 yards on 56 receptions, including five touchdowns. Instead of declaring for the NFL draft, the Dallas native decided to return to Fayetteville, where he is expected to be a top option on the outside within Bobby Petrino’s offensive scheme.
5) Xavien Sorey Jr., LB
Listed at 6’3″ and 224 pounds, Xavien Sorey has the look and presence of an SEC linebacker. In fact, he was one at Georgia last season but saw a bigger opportunity for himself with the Razorbacks.
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He registered 10 tackles in their first major scrimmage of the spring and will likely be asked to lead a young Razorbacks linebacker corps.
4) Landon Jackson, DE
Another player who had an NFL decision to make, Landon Jackson chose to return to school and finish his college career strong. “Four wins was not acceptable. At all,” Jackson said before announcing his intention to return to Fayetteville.
Jackson was one of two Razorbacks to be an All-SEC selection last season after he produced career-highs in sacks (6.5), TFL (13.5), and total tackles (44).
3) Fernando Carmona, OT
While the San Jose State transfer provides versatility to a re-imagined offensive line at Arkansas, Fernando Carmona will likely start at left tackle when the 2024 season begins. At 6’5″ and 322 pounds, he started 12 games for the Spartans last season while allowing just two sacks in 424 pass-blocking snaps.
2) Ja’Quinden Jackson, RB
Ja’Quinden Jackson started 11 games last season for Utah while leading the Utes in carries (161), rushing yards (797), rushing touchdowns (4) and 100-yard games (3).
Jackson is best between the tackles, where he can use his 235-pound frame to bulldoze over the competition, something that was evident in the Red-White Game, where he gained 68 yards on nine rushes while adding a pair of scores on the ground and another through the air.
1) Taylen Green, QB
After learning Taylen Green was a handpicked choice of Petrino’s at SEC Media Days, the hype for his ascension into a star will only grow. Green was at Boise State for the past three seasons where he played in all 13 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, completing 57% of his passes for 1,752 yards and 11 touchdowns with nine interceptions.
What sets him apart from other quarterbacks is his legs, where he has scored 19 touchdowns over the last two seasons. The only FBS quarterbacks with that many rushing touchdowns in that span: Caleb Williams (21), Jayden Daniels (21) and Bo Nix (20) — each of whom were selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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