Arkansas football finally got a piece of good news on Thursday when Oregon transfer Jac’Qawn McRoy committed to the Hogs, giving head coach Sam Pittman his first incoming transfer of the offseason.
The gut punch of Patrick Kutas’ defection to rival Ole Miss on Friday was certainly softened by the addition of McRoy the previous day.
McRoy is a massive offensive tackle, standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing 365 pounds. A former four-star prospect, he was rated as the No. 55 prospect in the nation by ESPN and No. 95 by 247Sports in the Class of 2024. The Pinson, Ala., native was recruited heavily by Arkansas out of high school, but eventually chose the Ducks over Colorado and many others in emphatic fashion on Signing Day.
McRoy did not see the field for top-ranked Oregon this season, and jumped in the portal in search of more playing time. He found it pretty quickly in Arkansas, committing to the Hogs without visiting any other programs. It took an extra year, but Pittman finally got his guy – and McRoy will still have four years of eligibility remaining.
With Arkansas leading the Power Four with the most outgoing transfers, McRoy is a welcome addition – especially with the current state of the Hogs’ offensive line.
What Arkansas Has on the O-Line Heading into 2025
The Hogs’ offensive line appeared to be in a decent spot given the fact nearly everyone in that position room had eligibility left – then the transfer portal opened. Patrick Kutas went back on his promise to Pittman, and experienced transfers Joshua Braun and Addison Nichols both decided to re-enter the portal and head elsewhere. Center Amaury Wiggins and tackle Ty’Kieast Crawford also decided to transfer after failing to see much of the field this season.
The sudden loss of the Hogs’ top three interior linemen opened up an urgent need for others to step up. Let’s first look at what Hogs o-line coach Eric Mateos is working with.
The left tackle spot is sorted out, as the steady Fernando Carmona Jr. returns for a second season after transferring in from San Jose State. McRoy will certainly be in the conversation for the starting right tackle spot, but he’ll have to contend with returners Keyshawn Blackstock and E’Marion Harris, who have both played significant snaps at that position.
Blackstock started on the right side for Arkansas this season, but had frequent struggles with penalties. Eventually, he was moved inside to left guard when Kutas was sitting out to preserve his eligibility (for Lane Kiffin). Thus, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see McRoy or Harris take that starting job from him. Harris has split time between tackle and guard, and could also make the shift back inside next season to compete for playing time. At 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds, he’s a force in the run game.
That leaves all three interior spots up for grabs, with a number of returning options vying for them. Luke Brown, a rising redshirt sophomore, has yet to earn much playing time in his two seasons in Fayetteville while battling numerous injuries. But as a former four-star prospect out of high school, he’s certainly got the talent to step up and claim one of the guard spots. After redshirting this season, Fort Smith native Kobe Branham is another prime candidate for the inside of the line – just ask Pittman.
“We’re really high on Kobe Branham,” the Head Hog said Thursday. “He’ll be fighting for one of those starting spots.”
Zuri Madison is a fellow Class of 2024 product that will provide depth on the interior, as could Josh Street if he decides to return. Street would be a fifth year senior, but he went through Senior Day festivities. A wildcard option comes in Bubba Craig, the top-rated JUCO interior lineman who stands at a whopping 6-foot-8, 320 pounds – though it would be a surprise to see him earn a starting spot in his first season.
The same goes for true freshmen Lionel Prudhomme, Kash Courtney and Blake Cherry, all of whom are three-star prospects. Four-star tackle Connor Howes flipped to Ole Miss on Signing Day.
While there are plenty of returning options that could step up, the Hogs could still use an influx of talent and experience to a unit that often struggled this season. Pittman assured fans this week the staff has “a huge pool of money to go in the portal,” so here are some potential options for Arkansas to bring in.
Hogs Already Hosting a Number of Offensive Linemen
Pittman and Mateos are already hard at work to fill up the tight end room with some more Hog-mollies, with a number of incoming visitors in the next seven days.
Georgia Tech tackle Corey Robinson II will be in town on Sunday after an excellent season with the Yellow Jackets. Starting at left tackle, Robinson didn’t allow a single sack this year and finished with a 91.2 pass-block grade from PFF – the highest in the Power Four. The rising senior would provide a more experienced option to compete with McRoy for a tackle spot. The last Yellow Jacket to play for the Hogs, defensive lineman Jordan Domineck, helped the team out a lot in the trenches despite only staying for a year.
Arkansas is also set to host Ole Miss transfer Kavion Broussard, a freshman tackle who redshirted this season but was a four-star prospect out of high school. With a number of outgoing Razorbacks locking in visits with Ole Miss plus Kutas and Howes flipping to the Rebels, poaching Broussard would supply some sweet payback for Pittman and the Hogs.
After the surprise departure of Nichols, Arkansas is certainly in need of a bonafide center. UCF’s Caden Kitler provides that with experience at the Power Four level. As a redshirt sophomore in 2024, he posted a 67.8 PFF grade starting for Gus Malzahn and the Golden Knights. He’s set to visit Arkansas on Sunday.
Baylor’s Alvin Ebosele is also coming to Fayetteville after starting 14 games during his time with the Bears. He began the season as Baylor’s starting left tackle, but lost the job later in the year and entered the portal. The rising redshirt junior ended the season at the guard spot, which suggests that’s where he’d be getting a look with Arkansas.
Arkansas Offers to Keep an Eye On
While no official visits have been confirmed for the following players, Pittman and Mateos have sprayed out offers to a number of promising transfers.
The most recent of those came with Bowling Green tackle Alex Wollschlaeger, whose name alone brings a lot of intrigue. The grad transfer has earned All-MAC honors in back-to-back seasons, and posted a 76.6 PFF grade this year. At 6-foot-7, 305 pounds, he’s certainly got SEC size.
If Arkansas is looking for Power Four-caliber pedigree, Wake Forest’s Nick Sharpe presents an ideal option. With two years of eligibility left, the 6-foot-2, 330 pound guard recorded a 72.6 PFF grade in 2024 starting for the Demon Deacons. If he can put up that type of protection in the ACC, then he’s certainly a solid option for the Hogs.
UAB guard Delano Townsend presents a promising combination of youth and production, as he posted a 71.7 PFF grade starting for the Blazers as a redshirt freshman this season. One of those starts came against Arkansas in week three, when UAB gave the Hogs quite a bit of trouble. The staff clearly liked what they saw, and were quick to offer Townsend when he entered the portal.
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Kutas has joined KJ Hill and Malik Monk on a certain short list of notoriety. More here:
DJ Williams and Co. on Patrick Kutas’ defection and the state of the Hogs:
The Inside Arkansas crew gives their take on Arkansas landing JacQawn McRoy:
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More coverage of Arkansas football and the transfer portal from BoAS:
