The usual cliche when two people break up is “it’s not you, it’s me.” But in the case of former Arkansas linebacker Andrew Parker Jr., it appears to be the reverse – “it’s not me, it’s you.”
Parker spent three seasons at Arkansas from 2019-21, totaling 24 tackles in 29 appearances – but he was rarely a part of the starting group. The New Orleans native transferred to Appalachian State in search of more playing time after the Hogs’ 9-4 campaign in 2021. In the time since then, Parker has at times appeared seemed like he’s on a bridge-burning campaign with his former teams’ fanbases.
Parker took to Twitter on Saturday night to give his take on the Hogs’ massive losses to the transfer portal, criticizing the job Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman has done.
“Not surprised with them transfers out of Fayetteville,” he wrote. “Dude can’t properly utilize talent to save his life.”
The Razorbacks currently lead the Power Four in outgoing transfers, with many key contributors upgrading to more successful programs within the SEC such as Texas and Ole Miss. The latest Razorback to leave the door hinges creakin’ is Braylen Russell, who has over the course of the last 26 months de-committed to Arkansas, recommitted to Arkansas, entered the transfer portal, withdrawn from the transfer portal and is now re-entering.
If this guy can’t get an NIL deal with Waffle House at this point, nobody can:
It’s almost assured Russell will end up at another Power 4 school. Parker, on the other hand, was someone who transferred “down” to Appalachian State – but it worked out well for him nonetheless. With the Mountaineers, he posted a whopping 182 tackles across two years and earned All-Sun Belt honors in 2023.
Arkansas fans were quick to jump on Parker, which began a sparring match in the replies.
Parker’s Twitter Fingers vs Razorback Nation
“All you guys talking about ‘you went to App State,’” Parker said. “We would’ve destroyed y’all in 2023. Y’all won 4 games.”
In response to an Arkansas football fan that said his opinion didn’t matter since his name isn’t on Senior Walk, Parker clapped back: “Actually, it is. I got my degree in physics, goofy,” he said. “More Arkansas than you ever will be.”
Well. You’ve just gotta tip your cap on that one.
Anthony Parker Jr. went undrafted after he finished college, but landed on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad. Parker only spent a few months there before being released, but he resurfaced on the New England Patriots’ practice squad after being signed on December 2.
Many Razorback fans were quick to point out Appalachian State’s softer strength of schedule, to which the linebacker had a simple retort: “Well, I’m in the NFL. Guess the film was good enough.”
It turns out that Parker’s Twitter fingers have enough smoke for everyone. It’s not just Arkansas – Parker has in the previous months gone after both of his former teams’ followers – including the fans of the program where he saw the most success.
A Strange Connection to Eli Drinkwitz
Both of Parker’s former college programs have been embroiled in hot seat rumors, coaching changes and mass exodus via the transfer portal. Appalachian State made the move to fire embattled head coach Shawn Clark after a disappointing 5-6 season. In Parker’s two seasons with the Mountaineers under Clark’s leadership, the team went 6-6 and 9-5, respectively.
Parker had some choice words for Appalachian State fans critical of the program. The Mountaineers had a rough start to the 2024 season, getting bludgeoned by Clemson and then losing three straight games to start 2-4.
“Some of you so-called App State fans are always trying to criticize players and coaches, but you have no idea what it is like to be in the heat of battle,” he wrote a series of now-deleted tweets shown below after the Clemson blowout. “It’s sad to see how much of a loser’s mentality some of you guys have.”
Appalachian State has built a reputation as one the best Group of Five programs in the country and, despite being a Sun Belt job, is quite the pressure cooker for head coaches. The Mountaineers have had five 10-win seasons in the last decade, and their last two coaches have gone on to land Power Four jobs. Scott Satterfield went to Louisville from 2019-22 and is now at Cincinnati.
His successor, Eli Drinkwitz, landed at Missouri in 2020 and built the Tigers back into a winning program and a perennial terrorizer of Arkansas.
Last week, the program decided to hire South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains – an Arkansas alum and former tight ends coach for the Hogs – to bring the Mountaineers back up to snuff. Loggains will also bring Ryan Yurachek, the son of Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek, along with him.
Loggains is actually following a remarkably similar career path to Drinkwitz. Both are former tight end coaches who become offensive coordinators for a school in the Carolinas (NC State for Drinkwitz) before taking the head coaching job at Appalachian State. Perhaps a future as an SEC head coach awaits Loggains, too?
Only time will tell depending on how his tenure in the mountains goes.
What Parker’s Choice Words Mean for Arkansas
Parker’s scathing criticism and online back-and-forths add to a growing number of Razorback alums who have spoken out against the program during the Pittman era. De’Jon “Scoota” Harris, who played linebacker for the Hogs during the Bret Bielema and Chad Morris era before spending a few years in the NFL, has been particularly active on social media recently.
“Ole Piss Razorbacks might put 100 on Sam,” he tweeted after tight end Luke Hasz committed to the Rebels, becoming the third Arkansas transfer this offseason to make that move.
He also spoke out in defense of Parker on Saturday, validating his arguments and telling Arkansas fans to chill out with the backlash.
“Y’all on my dawg ass but everybody don’t be salty,” he said. “Bro just want to see the program succeed!”
Former Arkansas linebacker and Fayetteville native Brooks Ellis has also taken his opinions on the program to social media, posting an 11-minute rant a few weeks ago about how the program continually comes up short because of a lack of player development and ignoring in-state talents who want to play for the Hogs.
That makes a trio of former Razorback linebackers all speaking out against the program, which is a troubling trend for obvious reasons. Alumni are often some of the most effective recruiters and ambassadors for a program, helping to draw in future talent by repping their former school and speaking on their experiences.
On the contrary, a negative experience with the program or a critical viewpoint of the program’s current state could have the opposite effect. Having former Razorbacks – be it local stars or transfer portal defectors – criticize the program so vocally is a double-edged sword that hurts recruiting and stains the program’s public perception. It’s one thing for a guy who transferred out to criticize Arkansas, but it’s another for players like Harris and Ellis who starred for the program and stuck around through hard times.
It didn’t work out for Parker at Arkansas, and that’s okay. But he’s still allowed to give his take on a program and a head coach with whom he has firsthand experience – especially since the “greener pastures” for which left led to all-conference honors and an NFL roster spot.
***
These folks don’t quite share the same perspective:
Razorback alum DJ Williams gives his take on the Hogs’ transfer portal turmoil:
***
More coverage of Arkansas football and the transfer portal from BoAS:
