Hogs May Look to Pull More from LSU Than The Former No. 1 Player in Arkansas

The Hogs have a definite need at tackle with Fernando Carmona Jr. and Corey Robinson II exhausting their eligibility. Redshirt freshmen tackles Shaq McRoy and Kavion Broussard could return, as could redshirt junior guard E’Marion Harris, who also has experience at tackle.

On the other hand, both of LSU’s regular starting tackles, Weston Davis and Tyree Adams, both have multiple years of eligibility left. That’s before Kiffin brings in the big-time portal linemen he will likely covet.

Arkansas’ chances at retaining those pieces would presumably have increased if offensive line coach Eric Mateos was retained, but it was revealed this weekend that he’ll be moving on. Instead, Silverfield is reportedly bringing his offensive line coach from Memphis, Jeff Myers, as well as plucking assistant offensive line coach Marcus Johnson from Ohio State.

Now the Razorbacks must worry about something else: Given Mateos’ success in Fayetteville, which included delivering the second highest-graded line in the country this season, he won’t stay unemployed very long. There’s always the risk of him bringing those youngsters, McRoy and Broussard, with him to his next stop.

Regardless, the Hogs could use a plug-and-play tackle with SEC experience. The fact he’s from Arkansas is icing on the cake. If Marion’s finest does decide to come home, he wouldn’t be the only new Razorback with strong ties to the state of Louisiana.

Ron Roberts’ Bayou Connections

Reported new Arkansas defensive coordinator Ron Roberts brings some much-needed SEC experience to the new Razorback staff. The 58-year-old has quietly been one of the most influential defensive minds in the sport. Former Florida head coach Billy Napier referred to him as “the OG” because so much of the Gators’ defensive structure came from him even before his arrival in Gainesville.

Over a career that spans more than three decades, Roberts started out coordinating high school defenses before moving into the small-college ranks and eventually building powerhouses at Delta State and Southeastern Louisiana.

At Delta State, he turned the program into a machine. In five seasons, the Statesmen went 47-16 and won four Gulf South Conference titles, even reaching the 2010 D-II national championship game. He followed that with a successful stint at SELA, posting two conference championships and transforming the Lions into one of the most physical defenses in FCS football.

Roberts made the jump to the FBS ranks by becoming the defensive coordinator at Louisiana in 2018. After two years there, he got his first Power Four gig at Baylor and has since called plays at Auburn and Florida – a trajectory that shows how widely respected his defensive mind has become.Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding played for Roberts at Delta State and later coordinated his defenses both there and at Southeastern Louisiana. Roberts’ coaching tree also includes Dave Aranda, Patrick Toney and Austin Armstrong — not just branches, but some of the sharpest defensive minds in the sport. All of them credit major parts of their defensive philosophy to Roberts’ influence.

Roberts is a disciple of legendary defensive line guru Pete Jenkins, who worked three separate stints as an LSU assistant under seven different head coaches, all the way from Jerry Stovall and Nick Saban to Les Miles and Brian Kelly. The 84-year-old spent more than half a century coaching and still owns a home in Baton Rouge. He played a key role in turning LSU into an NFL factory for elite defensive linemen – a reputation it still holds today. The Tigers have produced 55 draft picks along the d-line in the Super Bowl era.

Arkansas has been in dire need of stronger connections to Louisiana, a key neighboring state where the Hogs’ recruiting efforts have been lacking in recent years. Outside of Baton Rouge native Brad Davis, who was Arkansas’ offensive line coach in Sam Pittman’s first season, former wide receiver coach Michael Smith was the last Razorback assistant with strong Louisiana ties – and that was during the Bret Bielema era (2013-17).

Potential New Running Backs Coach for Arkansas

More help may be on the way in the form of David Johnson, Arkansas’ reported new running backs coach. He’s been at Florida State since 2020 and Tennessee before that, but he also boasts extensive ties to the Bayou State. Johnson coached at three different Louisiana high schools, including serving as Leonard Fournette’s head coach, and was also an assistant at Tulane from 2012-15 before joining Silverfield’s staff at Memphis.

Just like Texas, Louisiana is one of the nation’s premier hotbeds for football talent. With the right recruiting staff and connections in place, the Hogs should be able to consistently pull blue-chips away from their neighboring rivals.

Taking advantage of LSU’s precarious situation to nab Curne would be the first big piece to reopening that pipeline.

Kiffin will undoubtedly be big-game hunting in the transfer portal in January with his newly-bolstered NIL warchest. Perhaps he’ll want someone more reliable than a sophomore to protect his quarterback’s blind side.

Overlooking the 320-pounder could ultimately deliver some much-needed holiday tinsel to Silverfield and the Hogs.

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