Updated Look at Arkansas’ Depth Chart – Fall Camp 2022

Ty’Kieast Crawford, Arkansas football
photo credit: Arkansas Athletics

Fall camp is well underway for Arkansas football, with the 2022 season now just a little more than two weeks away.

Below is an unofficial depth chart based on what we’ve seen through more than 10 practices. It will likely keep evolving before the Sept. 3 opener against Cincinnati, as Arkansas goes through more practices and holds scrimmages.

Arkansas Football Depth Chart — Offense

Razorback Quarterbacks

  1. KJ Jefferson
  2. Malik Hornsby
  3. Cade Fortin

The biggest debate surrounding KJ Jefferson is not where he stacks up on his own team, but rather in the SEC as a whole. He is the first returning primary starting quarterback for Arkansas football since Austin Allen in 2017. Unless he gets hurt, Jefferson will be QB1 all year.

There really isn’t a lot of controversy surrounding the backup, as Malik Hornsby has taken all of the second-team quarterback snaps in fall camp so far while also working some at wide receiver with the first team. The Razorbacks are comfortable doing that because they like what they’ve seen from Cade Fortin, the walk-on transfer who used to be on scholarship at North Carolina and South Florida.

A name not listed above but worth keeping an eye on is Kade Renfro, another walk-on transfer who used to be on scholarship at the Power Five level (Ole Miss). He looked like he might challenge Hornsby for the backup job, but tore his ACL in December and isn’t expected to return to action until a game or two into the season.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: It sounds like the gap between Hornsby and Fortin for the backup job may be shrinking. Pittman said Fortin got some work with the second-team offense during Saturday’s scrimmage, allowing Hornsby to work some at wide receiver with the first unit.

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Arkansas Running Backs

  1. Rocket Sanders
  2. AJ Green
  3. Rashod Dubinion

Arguably the deepest position on the team, Pittman has said he feels like Arkansas has four SEC-caliber running backs at his disposal when Dominique Johnson is healthy. However, he is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and will likely miss the first game, which is why we don’t have him slotted in on this depth chart.

The coaching staff hasn’t been shy about saying Rocket Sanders is the first-team running back at the moment. Where there may be some questions remaining is at the backup spot. We have Rashod Dubinion ahead of AJ Green because that is how they went through the brief team periods seen by the media over the weekend, but that is just five minutes in a two-hour practice.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: We may have jumped the gun on putting Dubinion second behind Sanders. While we still see him emerging as the second-team running back, it doesn’t seems as though that has happened just yet. Green has been getting a lot of reps with the 2s lately and Dubinion has struggled some in pass protection, which could limit his playing time early on until he figures out that aspect of the position — which isn’t uncommon for true freshmen.

(READ NEXT: Ranking the Running Backs – Freshman Rises High in Pecking Order)

Arkansas Tight Ends

  1. Trey Knox
  2. Nathan Bax
  3. Tyrus Washington

A name noticeably missing from this depth chart is Hudson Henry. He went with the third-team offense during Friday’s brief team period, but apparently couldn’t finish practice because of asthma issues. He has been able to complete practices since then, but Tyrus Washington was the third-team tight end on Saturday and Sunday.

The other two players listed above seem to have separated themselves. Trey Knox is in his first full season at the position and certainly looks the part of an SEC tight end now. Nathan Bax is a former walk-on who seems to be on a path similar to former starter Blake Kern and will contribute this season.

(READ NEXT: Ranking the Tight Ends — Clear No. 1, but What About Depth?)

(READ NEXT: Arkansas’ Tight End Resurgence Softens Blow of Medical Retirement)

Arkansas Wide Receivers

  1. Warren Thompson, Matt Landers, Jadon Haselwood
  2. Jaedon Wilson, Ketron Jackson Jr., Isaiah Sategna
  3. Quincey McAdoo, Sam Mbake, Bryce Stephens

Of all the positions on this depth chart, wide receiver was maybe the toughest to fill out because the Razorbacks have rotated guys quite a bit and wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton said he won’t even have an idea of the depth chart until after the first fall scrimmage, which is scheduled for Saturday.

Warren Thompson and Ketron Jackson Jr. are entering their second seasons in the program, while Jadon Haselwood and Matt Landers are transfers. Even though he’s listed with the second group, Landers has also gotten quite a bit of work with the first unit. The same can be said for Bryce Stephens, who actually played a little bit as a true freshman last year.

The key for Jaedon Wilson appears to be consistency, as the redshirt freshman has made some nice catches, but also had some drops. Based on limited team period action, Jaquayln Crawford seems to be ahead of true freshman Isaiah Sategna in the slot, but that could be a seniority thing at this point. In fact, the only freshman listed above is Quincey McAdoo and he went through spring ball. Sategna and Sam Mbake could make their way up the depth chart, but will have to do so while starting from near the bottom.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: This is still a really tough position to fill out on a depth chart, as Pittman himself said the battle for the starting three spots is one of the top ongoing position battles in camp. In this update, Landers replaces Jackson with the first unit, but those two — along with Thompson and Haselwood — form what is becoming a pretty clear top four.

The fifth spot is where things get interesting. Sategna, the true freshman, seems to be making a move and has gotten reps with the second-team offense during media viewing periods this week. Even though he’s listed with the second unit, it’s not clear whether or not Wilson is ahead of Stephens in the pecking order, but Stephens is a slot receiver, so he moves down to the third unit. Mbake — another freshman — also replaced former walk-on Harper Cole on the third unit.

Left Tackle

  1. Luke Jones
  2. Devon Manuel
  3. Andrew Chamblee

As much uncertainty as there was surrounding this position at the end of spring ball, it’s been surprisingly steady so far early in fall camp. The Razorbacks appear to want to give Luke Jones every opportunity to win the job and, to his credit, he hasn’t done anything yet to force their hand.

Pittman has spoken highly of Devon Manuel and probably wants him to evolve into the left tackle of the future, as he’s just a redshirt freshman and Jones is a fifth-year senior (who could technically return next season), but he’s still young and raw at this point. The same could be said about Andrew Chamblee, who is a true freshman.

Another name that was thrown around as a possibility at left tackle was Ty’Kieast Crawford, but it now sounds like Pittman wants him to focus on right tackle because of Dalton Wagner’s injury history.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: We’re not changing anything at left tackle, but it’s worth noting that Chamblee has been getting second-team work the last few practices because Manuel is out with an undisclosed injury. Whether or not that sticks when he returns remains to be seen. That has allowed Terry Wells to get snaps with the third-team offense.

Left Guard

  1. Brady Latham
  2. Jalen St. John
  3. Brooks Edmonson

It’s also worth noting that Brady Latham got some left tackle work during the spring and could always slide over to that spot from left guard. However, he’s started all 23 games and played nearly 1,500 snaps at left guard the last two years, earning preseason third-team All-SEC honors.

If that happens, Jalen St. John is the logical replacement at left guard because he’s a former four-star recruit that Pittman has been high on since he arrived in Fayetteville. He actually moved to guard during last season in order to push Latham and Beaux Limmer.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: This is just a minor tweak, but with Wells playing left tackle the last few days, Edmonson has moved over from center and is now working at guard. The true freshman walk-on out of Bryant has worked at both guard spots this week during media viewing periods.

Center

  1. Ricky Stromberg
  2. Josh Street
  3. Eli Henderson

Ricky Stromberg was a preseason first-team All-SEC selection by the media and could push for All-America accolades with a solid senior season, so he’s an obvious starter at center.

His backup would likely be Marcus Henderson, but he’s dealing with a pectoral injury that has caused him to wear a green non-contact jersey in fall camp. In his place, a pair of walk-ons — Josh Street and Brooks Edmonson — have gotten work with the second and third units, respectively.

It should be noted, though, that if something happened to Stromberg and Henderson wasn’t available for some reason, the Razorbacks could shift someone else over. Luke Jones, Brady Latham and Beaux Limmer have each snapped the ball in practice at various points of their careers.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: With Edmonson shifting over the guard, freshman Eli Henderson has moved into the third center spot. It’s also worth noting that expected backup center Marcus Henderson is still in a green non-contact jersey, so that’s why he’s yet to make an appearance on the depth chart.

Right Guard

  1. Beaux Limmer
  2. E’Marion Harris
  3. Patrick Kutas

One of the strongest players on the team, Beaux Limmer has quietly been steady at right guard, where he’s started 16 games and played more than 1,100 snaps over the last two seasons. He actually graded out higher than Stromberg (76.8 vs. 76.3) last year, according to Pro Football Focus.

Behind him are a couple of true freshmen. E’Marion Harris went through spring ball and got work at both tackle and guard, while Patrick Kutas was a summer arrival. Despite not being on campus as long, Kutas has been spotted getting work at both guard spots, so the staff must feel confident about his ability to learn quickly.

Right Tackle

  1. Dalton Wagner
  2. Ty’Kieast Crawford
  3. Cole Carson

Lingering back issues kept Dalton Wagner out of most of spring ball, but the super senior hasn’t been limited in viewing periods this fall, taking all of the first-team reps at right tackle. The coaching staff likes him, and he was playing at a high level before getting hurt last year, but Pittman even said they aren’t counting on him playing every snap of every game.

That means Ty’Kieast Crawford could get a healthy dose of action at right tackle this season. That is likely why he hasn’t done much at left tackle yet. The third-team left tackle is Cole Carson, a redshirt freshman who has also gotten snaps at left guard this fall.

Arkansas Football Depth Chart — Defense

Arkansas Defensive Ends

  1. Zach Williams, Jashaud Stewart
  2. Landon Jackson, Jordan Domineck
  3. Dorian Gerald, Eric Thomas Jr.

Developing more of a pass rush is one of Arkansas’ top goals this season and it brought in a pair of transfers to help with that. However, early on in camp, it’s a pair of in-state veterans — Zach Williams and Jashaud Stewart — running with the first group.

LSU transfer Landon Jackson is with the second team and Georgia Tech transfer Jordan Domineck is with the third team. That isn’t particularly surprising, though, because Jackson missed most of the spring as he recovered from a torn ACL and Domineck didn’t get here until the summer. That was the case with last year’s transfers and they eventually worked their way into starting roles.

Eric Thomas Jr. made a lot of progress during the spring, helping him land on the second unit at the moment, while Dorian Gerald flirted with the portal before returning to Arkansas as a seventh-year senior. He has starting experience, but has been plagued by injuries.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: No changes have been made with the first unit yet, but Domineck — the Georgia Tech transfer — has come on strong the last few practices and is now working with the second-team defense ahead of Thomas.

Arkansas Defensive Tackles

  1. Isaiah Nichols, Eric Gregory
  2. Terry Hampton, Cameron Ball
  3. Nico Davillier, Taylor Lewis

The Razorbacks run a lot of three-man fronts, but have exclusively worked on four-man fronts so far in fall camp, which means they have a couple of defensive tackles on the field. Taurean Carter would almost certainly be a first-teamer if he didn’t suffer a knee injury at the end of spring.

His timeline for return is unclear, so instead, Eric Gregory — a defensive end in three-man fronts — has been playing alongside Isaiah Nichols with the first group. However, Terry Hampton from Arkansas State is another transfer looking to make a move similar to last year’s transfer defensive linemen. Right now, he’s with the second group alongside Cameron Ball, a redshirt freshman who has drawn consistent praise from the coaching staff.

Arkansas also brought in Taylor Lewis from the JUCO ranks, but he’s been relegated to the third-team defense so far, playing alongside Marcus Miller.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: This is a fluid position based on whether the Razorbacks are in a 4- or 3-man front. In 3-man fronts, Gregory shifts out to defensive end and Hampton elevates into the second spot, but it sounds like he’s even challenging Nichols for the starting spot.

It’s also worth noting that Davillier, another guy capable of playing both end and tackle, has been working inside and split the second-team reps with Ball during Tuesday’s viewing period. He is another player to watch when it comes to climbing the depth chart.

Since the initial release of this depth chart, Marcus Miller went down with a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery. He’s expected to return when school starts, but his absence has meant walk-on Kyle Thompson has gotten some third-team reps.

Arkansas Linebackers

  1. Bumper Pool, Drew Sanders
  2. Jackson Woodard, Chris Paul Jr.
  3. Jordan Crook, Mani Powell

This might draw the most criticism in our depth chart at the moment because it is noticeably missing Alabama transfer Drew Sanders and redshirt freshman Chris Paul Jr. — both of whom are likely in the top three at the position. The reason for their exclusion is that neither of them participated in the brief team periods Saturday or Sunday. Sanders was probably held out for precautionary reasons and Paul appeared to have been banged up, standing on the sideline Saturday.

With that in mind, tiers appear to be developing at linebacker. Right now, Bumper Pool, Sanders and Paul seem to be in the first tier. Jackson Woodard and Jordan Crook are in the second tier, followed by the rest. It is interesting that Mani Powell, despite missing the spring as he recovered from an ACL injury, is ahead of Kaden Henley, a true freshman who was a full participant in spring ball.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: There were quite a few changes at linebacker because the first edition of this depth chart didn’t include Sanders or Paul, as they hadn’t participated in the team periods with media present, but that has since changed.

We have yet to see Pool and Sanders together with the first team, but they are clearly the top two linebackers at the moment. Interestingly, whether its Pool or Sanders on the field, they’ve been joined by Woodard. However, Paul and Crook have also received first-team snaps, according to linebackers coach Michael Scherer.

It remains to be seen how the rotation will look this year, but those five guys are the most likely to get the majority of the snaps, with Powell being the sixth guy behind that group and Kaden Henley behind him.

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Nickel

  1. Myles Slusher
  2. Trent Gordon
  3. Jaylen Lewis

Although most of his playing time over the last two years came at safety, Myles Slusher is a versatile defensive back capable of playing multiple positions in the secondary. Right now, that is at nickel.

Trent Gordon has battled injuries since transferring in from Penn State, but the former four-star recruit is healthy now and pushing for playing time as the backup nickel. Behind him is Jaylen Lewis, a true freshman.

Another name to watch at nickel is Jacorrei Turner, who spent a good chunk of the spring as the backup nickel, but has been in a green non-contact jersey so far in fall camp because of a shoulder injury.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: In the first edition of this depth chart, Jacorrei Turner was mentioned as a player to watch when he shed the green non-contact jersey because he got a lot of work at nickel during the spring, but he is working with the safeties instead. The fourth nickel appears to be true freshman walk-on Ethan Joseph, who’s listed as a linebacker on the roster, but played safety in high school.

Cornerback

  1. Hudson Clark, LaDarrius Bishop
  2. Malik Chavis, Khari Johnson
  3. Dwight McGlothern, Keuan Parker

According to defensive backs coach Dominique Bowman, the top four players listed above have separated themselves and are still vying for starting jobs. Through the first few practices of fall camp, though, Hudson Clark and Malik Chavis have handled the first-team reps.

That said, LSU transfer Dwight McGlothern worked his way into the first unit back during the spring and LaDarrius Bishop has quite a bit of playing experience, including starts at cornerback in 10 of the Razorbacks’ last 14 games.

On the third unit, Khari Johnson actually started a game as a true freshman back in 2020, while Keuan Parker is a redshirt freshman who has yet to appear in a game.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: Pittman identified cornerback as the biggest position battle remaining on the team following Saturday’s practice. The lone consistent piece has been Clark running with the first team. For most of the spring, he’s been joined by Chavis, but Bishop worked with the first unit during Tuesday’s media viewing period.

Perhaps the most notable aspect of this update is McGlothern getting bumped down to the third-team defense. The LSU transfer had previously been identified by defensive backs coach Dominique Bowman as one of the top four, but he was behind Johnson on Monday and Tuesday.

Safety

  1. Jalen Catalon, Simeon Blair
  2. Latavious Brini, Jayden Johnson
  3. Anthony Brown, Zach Zimos

A preseason All-American by some outlets, Jalen Catalon is back in the fold after missing half of last season with an injury. He is an unquestioned starter, but Simeon Blair is someone Best of Arkansas Sports identified as a player who should watch his back in fall camp.

So far, Blair has held on to his starting job, but the two guys currently behind him could still make a move. Latavious Brini started quite a bit at nickel for Georgia last year, while Jayden Johnson got a lot of playing time as the backup nickel during his true freshman season at Arkansas.

With the third unit, Zach Zimos is a converted linebacker entering his fourth season in the program and coming off an ACL injury, while Anthony Brown is a true freshman who has drawn praise from the coaching staff.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: We didn’t make any changes above, but it’s worth noting that Brini was the third safety on the field when Arkansas’ first-team defense went with its dime package during the media viewing period on August 16.

Arkansas Football Depth Chart — Special Teams

  • PK: Cam Little / Jacob Bates
  • KO: Cam Little -OR- Jacob Bates
  • P: Reid Bauer / Max Fletcher
  • LS: Eli Stein
  • KOR: Matt Landers -OR- Myles Slusher -OR- AJ Green -OR- LaDarrius Bishop
  • PR: Bryce Stephens -OR- Isaiah Sategna / Jadon Haselwood -OR- Harper Cole

Best of Arkansas Sports hasn’t seen much of the specialists so far in camp, so this section is based entirely off of what Pittman told reporters last week. Cam Little is the unquestioned starting placekicker, but it remains to be seen if he will also add the kickoff duties this year. He and walk-on transfer Jacob Bates were pretty even entering camp.

There’s also a good battle going on at punter. Reid Bauer would have been the starter had the Razorbacks played this weekend, but Max Fletcher — the freshman from Australia — is right behind him.

Arkansas used one of its scholarships in this past cycle on a long snapper and Eli Stein hasn’t disappointed. He’s the starter right now. Either redshirt junior John Oehrlein or redshirt freshman Francisco Castro will be the backup.

It is unclear who will emerge as the return men, but Bryce Stephens, Jadon Haselwood and Myles Slusher have been discussed as punt returners and LaDarrius Bishop, Slusher and AJ Green have been mentioned as candidates for kickoff return. Another name to watch for both is Isaiah Sategna, the electrifying freshman speedster.

UPDATE [Aug. 17]: The media still hasn’t seen much special teams in fall camp, but Pittman did provide an update of sorts on the battle for kickoff and punt return duties. He made it sound as if Stephens and Sategna are the top two candidates at punt return, while not providing much insight on the pecking order of numerous options at kickoff return. That said, he added Landers to the mix and seemed to indicate he might be leading that race.

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