Youth Movement
The Arkansas Razorbacks could be one of the youngest football teams in the nation this season based on the depth chart released Monday night.
No less than 18 true and redshirt freshmen appear on the Hogs’ two-deep chart with four in starting roles. The number jumps to 19 if you count Tyler Wilson, who is listed as either/or with Nathan Dick as Arkansas’ No. 2 quarterback.
The breakdown is nine freshmen on defense with middle linebacker Jerry Franklin, weak-side linebacker Jelani Smith and free safety Elton Ford listed as freshmen starters.
On offense, 10 shoats appear on the two-deep chart, but only wide receiver Jarius Wright and fullback Mitchell Bailey are listed as starters. Arkansas listed 12 positions on offense. Bobby Petrino’s offense often replaces the fullback with an extra wide receiver or tight end.
[...] Arkansas: The Arkansas Razorbacks could be one of the youngest football teams in the nation this season based …. No less than 18 true and redshirt freshmen appear on the Hogs’ two-deep chart with four in starting roles. The number jumps to 19 if you count Tyler Wilson, who is listed as either/or with Nathan Dick as Arkansas’ No. 2 quarterback. (Link also includes roster). [...]
I love the talent and incredible recruiting job these coaches did with a late start. I’m excited about the future of the hogs. But, realistically, with this much youth and a very, very difficult schedule, do you think this year will be much to cheer about? Is the talent base that much higher? Are the coaches that good?
I believe this team will surprise many people. A large part of the problem for the previous two years was not so much the offense as it was the defense. I believe this coordinator understands blitzing and knows it will not work every play. The offense will be better in that it will be more balanced than ever before. This first game will be a measuring stick for how well the team has picked up the new offense and defense. The Texas game will be the real answer whether this team will have a winning season or losing season. We won games last year with only a running game. Now we will have a passing game and still have an adequate running game to make the team better overall.