It appears Black Friday came one week late for Arkansas this season.
Prior to the regular season finale against Missouri, Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman expressed confidence about the chances the Hogs had to retain their key players for next year.
“We do have a good core group of players that we need to return, and so we’ve got to do that first,” he said. “There’s six in there that I want to sit down and talk to…try to figure out how we can get them to come back.”
“I don’t think the portal will be quite as big of a deal for us because we have money.”
The Head Hog was referring to the implementation of revenue sharing to college athletics that should help level the financial playing field. But less than a week into the offseason, the Razorbacks are already beginning to bleed talent after a raft of key returners have entered the transfer portal.
The good news came first, with defensive standouts Cam Ball and Xavian Sorey Jr. announcing their returns. Then the bad news came pouring in – wide receiver Isaiah Sategna, tight end Luke Hasz, offensive linemen Patrick Kutas and Joshua Braun and defensive lineman Nico Davillier all hitting the transfer portal.
And to top it all off, cornerback Jaylon Braxton dropped an end of the week surprise (well, to some anyway) by announcing his intent to transfer on Friday night.
Former Razorback tight end DJ Williams said that the schools where these players end up transferring will make the pain even worse for Arkansas fans.
“There’s a couple other big names that you’re just going to be like, ‘What?’” he said on The Zone on 103.7 The Buzz FM on Friday. “Especially the schools that they go to. You’re just going to be in shock. But the thing is, the schools they’re going to, I hate to say it, they’re going to be teams that win.”
Ouch.
More Arkansas Transfer Portal Entries?
Williams could have been alluding to heavy-hitters like Braun and Hasz there, as he said that before either of them made their announcements. As far as any remaining portal entries, Arkansas football reporter said on the “Drivetime Sports” Friday night episode on the Buzz 103.7 FM that likely all the offensive Razorbacks have already announced, according to his sources. He added that there are some blind spots here, mentioning “I have not been told what Braylen Russell’s going to do.”
Randy Rainwater, “Drivetime” co-host, added: “On the defensive side, I’ve heard question marks about Brad Spence. I’ve heard question marks about TJ Metcalf… there may be a couple of freshmen as you mentioned, that may opt to move on.”
Black Friday had Trey Biddy opining on the pluses and minuses of such another tumultuous transfer portal season: “Now it just feels like everybody’s a hired mercenary and at the same time. It’s a good thing for Arkansas if it’s handled properly because the alternative is to have a football program where you don’t have access to elite talent, which is what Arkansas has been for my life.”
The frustrating part here is that this year’s team had plenty of talent, but repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot (eg leading the nation in fumbles) severely hampered their ability to capitalize on that. Arkansas essentially shouldn’t be surprised if these recent transfers are leaving based on the team’s poor performance in the last few years, DJ Williams added on Friday afternoon.
“When you’re attached to a program that consistently is inconsistent, especially up front with the offensive line, it’s not a good look,” he said. “You just want to be with a system and a program that is a little more buttoned up and tightened up to get to the next level.”
That’s certainly a change from previous years, when the majority of Arkansas’ transfers have been pretty lateral moves. Take Rocket Sanders to South Carolina or KJ Jefferson to UCF as examples. But this year is different, with the potential for many Razorback standouts to “level up.”
That’s a testament to the amount of capable and talented players on the roster, and makes the Hogs’ 6-6 finish all the more disappointing. It also presents a disturbing future where former Hogs more frequently dot their SEC opponents’ rosters, which means the Hogs could fall victim to a further widening of the talent gap between themselves and the SEC’s heavyweights – the complete opposite of what Pittman thought would happen.
With that in mind, let’s go full on “Black Mirror: College Football Edition” here. Below are some of those potential “winning teams” that Arkansas’ latest round of defectors could choose that would really twist the knife in fans’ hearts.
Jaylon Braxton to “DBU” Could Reopen Golden Boot Pipeline
Braxton’s departure is a tremendous blow for an Arkansas secondary that struggled mightily in the games he missed due to injury this season – the 63-point barrage the Rebels put on Arkansas being the most prominent example. The junior is an all-SEC caliber talent who will have his pick of the litter when choosing his next destination.
What better (or worse) place to go than down to LSU, the school widely known as “DBU” for their development of NFL-caliber defensive backs. It wouldn’t be the first time, as two Razorback DBs made a similar move a few years ago in Greg Brooks Jr. and Joe Foucha. Of course, those were homecoming maneuvers for two Louisiana natives, and the Hogs got Dwight McGlothern and Landon Jackson back in that “trade.”
But losing Braxton to the Bayou Bengals this time around would hurt a lot more with no in-state connection to speak of and no Tigers in return as of yet.
LSU is losing multiple starters in the secondary from a team that finished just 46th in passing defense this year. If the Tigers want to chase the College Football Playoff next year, pieces like Braxton would go a long way on the defensive side of the ball.
Kutas’ Judas Maneuver Could Take Him to the ‘Sip
Kutas caught a lot of flak for going back on his “deal” that he made with Pittman in October, hitting the exit gates after the Head Hog set him up with a redshirt for an extra year of eligibility.
As if this situation couldn’t get any worse, Williams apparently also had some intel on where Kutas will wind up.
“I knew Kutas was going to hop in last week, and I did hear things he may end up being an Ole Miss Rebel.”
When it rains, it pours. Last offseason Lane Kiffin and the Rebels swooped in for standout linebacker Chris “Pooh” Paul, and double-dipping for Kutas this time around would add insult to injury – especially after Ole Miss flipped offensive tackle Connor Howes away from Arkansas on Signing Day.
Given Kutas’ publicly-expressed hatred of the Rebels, transferring there would represent another 180 for the junior.
“I don’t like Ole Miss,” Kutas said on the BossHog Podcast back in the spring on the now defunct Natty State Sports network, which has since rebranded as Inside Arkansas. “You know how you’re raised to like a school? Well, I was raised to not like Ole Miss.”
What Could Hasz Been
Perhaps the most painful portal entry for Razorback fans to stomach was Hasz, who shined as a freshman before breaking his clavicle. He seemed primed for a breakout sophomore campaign, but had an inexplicable lack of targets this year, only averaging about two receptions per game.
Thus, he enters the transfer portal in search of greener pastures – and the allure of home just a couple hours away could be hard to pass up.
Hasz is unlikely to give Oklahoma State a look given his past comments, but the Sooner State’s flagship university could be one to watch for the Bixby, Okla., product. He was once committed to Oklahoma before flipping to Arkansas after Lincoln Riley left for USC. It wouldn’t be a surprise for him to give the Sooners another chance.
With defensive backs Omarion Robinson and Marcus Wimberly, OU took two of Arkansas’ top three in-state prospects in the Class of 2025. Going back to the well and poaching the Hogs’ most promising returning pass-catcher would certainly make Hasz’s departure hurt even more.
But tight end Bauer Sharp was the Sooners’ leading receiver this season, and he’s only a junior – which complicates that move. So what if Hasz went the complete opposite direction and decided to don some burnt orange.
After all, Texas tight end Gunnar Helm leads the team in receiving yards and is graduating this year – which leaves a Hasz-sized hole in that position room. In 2025, the Longhorns will no doubt again be one of the top favorites to win the national trophy, just as they are this year according to sportsbooks on Mr Bet. The opportunity to catch passes from Arch Manning next year would also be very appealing for Hasz after the Hogs’ offensive scheme failed to get the ball in his hands enough.
Seeing Hasz in burnt orange when the Hogs take on Texas in Austin next season would be a painful sight for both Arkansas and OU fans.
Fayetteville Native Isaiah Sategna Swapping Sides on the Battle Line
Sategna, a local product primed to be the Hogs’ top returning wideout next season, opens up a big hole with his departure. His potential transfer destinations present a haunting possibility for Arkansas.
Sategna’s recruitment was a lengthy saga, as he was committed to both Texas A&M and Oregon at one point before eventually choosing Arkansas a month before Signing Day. Now the head coach of the Aggies, Mike Elko was on staff as defensive coordinator when Sategna first committed – so the connection’s there. His father, Mario, is also a track and field coach there.
Seeing Sategna in Aggie maroon would certainly hurt – especially after A&M already poached two receivers away from the Hogs in the last two recruiting classes, flipping four-star prospects Micah Tease and Ashton Bethel-Roman. But Hog fans would at least understand the move given the family ties.
But there’s a much darker possibility for Sategna within the SEC – look no further than the Missouri Tigers. Luther Burden is off to be a first round pick in the NFL Draft, and fellow starting wideout Theo Wease is out of eligibility. That leaves wide receiver as a clear need for the Tigers this offseason.
Arkansas fans would have to watch in horror during rivalry week as despised head coach Eli Drinkwitz dialed up a touchdown pass for Sategna – or Pine Bluff native Courtney Crutchfield, whom he poached from the Razorbacks last year. It’s almost too perfect…
Nico Davillier Could Level Up to a CFP-Caliber SEC Foe
Davillier surprised many by entering the transfer portal on Friday afternoon, as the junior was a regular starter along the defensive line. LSU will certainly be a school to watch, as he’s a New Orleans native. The Tigers didn’t offer him out of high school, but his stock has certainly risen since then.
Another “winning team” in the SEC that could present an opportunity for the Maumelle product is Tennessee, who is headed to the College Football Playoff but is set to lose almost all of its starters on the defensive line. That opens up a clear pathway to playing time for Davillier, and presents the opportunity of the Hogs having to deal with him when they visit Knoxville next season.
Judging from Sategna’s social media activity, it seems like him and Davillier might be coming as some sort of a package deal in the portal – which opens all sorts of cruel possibilities in purple and gold, black and yellow or gaudy orange.
Where Will Josh Braun Go After Portal Pump Fake?
The most head-scratching saga of a busy Friday afternoon came with Braun’s portal entry – or maybe not – or maybe so? 247 Sports reported around 2 p.m. that he was transferring before following up by saying he was withdrawing his name from the portal just before 4 p.m. But HawgBeat’s Mason Choate set the record straight around 15 minutes later by confirming that he was in fact leaving the team, as per his father.
Hope you had your seat belt on for that one.
Braun’s recruitment will be more of a mystery, as his multi-year status as a Razorback makes it harder to imagine him returning to Florida again. A native of the Sunshine State, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him end up at a school like Florida State, Miami or UCF. Of course, neither FSU or UCF really qualify as “winning teams” after the train wreck seasons they just endured.
He was once committed to Georgia, which makes the Bulldogs an option if the redshirt senior is up to their snuff.
Either way, the loss of Brown and Kutas puts a gaping hole in Arkansas’ interior offensive line that will need to be filled in the portal. Pittman and Co. will just have to hope that they can plug the leak on the Razorbacks’ ship and keep everyone else on board.
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See more discussion of transfers from Justin Acri and DJ Williams at 47:00:
Arkansas Transfer Portal Targets
The Razorbacks are set to lose 91.2% of their receptions and receiving yards by wide receivers (not including tight ends or running backs). Consider that a big chunk of that returning production, too, was compiled in the opener against UAPB.
Before Friday, it would have been reasonable to expect tight end Luke Hasz to lessen the load on the new wideouts by picking up more targets in 2025 – but no more.
So let’s look at a few potential transfer portal targets:
- Nic Anderson (from Oklahoma)
- Barion Brown (from Kentucky)
- Kobe Prentice (from Alabama)
And there’s even a guy who played in the state of Arkansas who could be in the mix, too.
More here:
More on Jaylen Braxton’s transfer portal exit:
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More coverage of Arkansas football and the transfer portal from Best of Arkansas Sports:
