The 2024 Arkansas football season hasn’t quite reached its halfway point, but it has quietly eclipsed one milestone already.
With five games down, the 3-2 Razorbacks have already seen 17 players burn their redshirt by appearing in more than four regular-season games.
It is still a relatively new rule, first implemented in 2018, so it’s understandable that many Arkansas football fans probably didn’t recognize the significance of last week’s 21-17 loss to Texas A&M as the season’s fifth game.
There really was no reason for that to register, as Arkansas hasn’t had a Matthew Sluka situation that shined a light on the rule.
However, there are still several Razorbacks — both first-year and veterans — who haven’t yet appeared in five games. They are worth monitoring the rest of the season in case they eclipse that threshold and burn one of their four years of eligibility.
Here’s a breakdown of all 47 redshirt-eligible players (those who haven’t previously redshirted) on the Arkansas football roster…
Redshirt-Eligible Non-Freshmen
Burned Redshirt
- DL Nico Davillier — junior
- DB Dylan Hasz — sophomore
- TE Luke Hasz — sophomore
- DE Landon Jackson — senior
- DB Jayden Johnson — senior
- DE Anton Juncaj — super senior
- DB TJ Metcalf — sophomore
- LB Alex Sanford — sophomore
- DB Doneiko Slaughter — super senior
- LB Brad Spence — sophomore
- WR Isaac TeSlaa — super senior
- LB/DB Larry Worth III — junior
None of these 10 players are particularly surprising, as most of them are either full-time starters or key backups who get a lot of reps each week.
The two who don’t necessarily fit that description are defensive back Dylan Hasz and linebacker Alex Sanford. According to Pro Football Focus, they’ve each played only one defensive snap this year — Hasz against UAPB and Sanford against Auburn (on the failed fake punt, which PFF classifies as a defensive snap). Both are significant contributors on special teams.
Played 4 or Fewer Games
**4 games**
DE Quincy Rhodes Jr. — sophomore
Snaps: 50 on D / 15 on ST
Despite playing sparingly, Quincy Rhodes Jr. has been pretty productive for the Razorbacks. In just 50 defensive snaps, he has four tackles, including a sack against Texas A&M, and three quarterback hurries. That has resulted in an impressive 78.9 season grade from Pro Football Focus. He’s also contributed as a member of the kickoff coverage and punt return units.
The only game Rhodes has missed was Week 2 at Oklahoma State, when Sam Pittman admittedly didn’t use enough of his depth and the team wore down. Coupled with his solid play of late, it’s more likely that his playing time increases than he redshirts by not playing another snap.
DB Marquise Robinson — senior
Snaps: 210 on D / 23 on ST
Had he not suffered a stinger in pregame warmups at Oklahoma State, Marquise Robinson would have already burned his redshirt. The senior has started the other four games and will likely continue to do so with Jaylon Braxton out again this week.
In addition to seven tackles, Robinson has a team-high four pass breakups. Pro Football Focus gives the South Alabama transfer a solid 69.3 grade, making him the second-highest graded defensive back on the team with at least 25 snaps, trailing only TJ Metcalf (73.7).
**3 games**
TE Andreas Paaske — senior
Snaps: 47 on O / 34 on ST
While not a threat in the passing game, Andreas Paaske entered the season with an important role on the offense as a blocking tight end. The Eastern Michigan transfer performed well in that role, posting a 79.0 run-blocking grade on PFF, but a concussion has kept him off the field the last two games. Heading into Arkansas vs Tennessee, Paaske is listed as “doubtful,” so he could miss a third straight game.
The brain is not something to mess around with and everyone recovers from concussions differently, so it might be worth monitoring moving forward. Luckily for him, he does have a redshirt year available.
DT Danny Saili — junior
Snaps: 16 on D / 5 on ST
During fall camp, Sam Pittman indicated that Danny Saili — who spent the spring at BYU, where he signed out of JUCO — wasn’t quite ready for SEC play. That was evidenced by him playing only three defensive snaps (all against UAPB) over the first four weeks of the season.
In a peculiar personnel move by the Razorbacks, though, he got 13 snaps against Texas A&M — seven of which were on the Aggies’ go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. He had a chance to tackle running back Le’Veon Moss at or behind the line of scrimmage on a critical third-and-4, but missed it and the play resulted in a 23-yard run.
Saili’s other appearance was against Oklahoma State, when he played five snaps as a member of the kickoff return unit.
**2 games**
DB Jaylon Braxton — sophomore
Snaps: 77 on D / 3 on ST
This is where things get interesting. Jaylon Braxton entered the season as Arkansas’ clear top cornerback and started the first two games of the year, but was visibly hampered by an injury against Oklahoma State and hasn’t played since.
The following Monday, Sam Pittman said he was dealing with tendinitis and, a couple days later, mentioned he had a bone bruise. Whatever the injury is, the Razorbacks sounded optimistic that he’d be able to return for the Auburn game, but that never materialized.
Braxton has already been declared “out” for this week’s Arkansas vs Tennessee game, his fourth straight absence. Pittman hasn’t revealed many details other than “I don’t feel great about (him).”
RB Tyrell Reed Jr. — sophomore
Snaps: 11 on O
Entering the season fifth on the running back depth chart, Tyrell Reed Jr. was always going to need injuries to happen ahead of him to get significant playing time this year. He played 10 snaps in the opener against UAPB, rushing for 28 yards and a touchdown on five carries, but has played only one snap since.
That snap actually came last week against Texas A&M and was likely made possibly by Ja’Quinden Jackson being in and out, Rashod Dubinion being suspended and Rodney Hill apparently getting hurt, as he played just 2 snaps and is already listed as “out” for the Arkansas vs Tennessee game.
However, Reed probably won’t be in line for any more action against the Vols because Dubinion is back from suspension and would presumably be the third option, if needed, behind Jackson and Braylen Russell.
**1 game**
OL Ty’Kieast Crawford — super senior
Snaps: 10 on O
It feels like Ty’Kieast Crawford has been at Arkansas forever, which is unusual for a player who began his collegiate career elsewhere. That’s because he actually committed to the Razorbacks under Chad Morris before ending up at Charlotte. After his freshman year, Crawford transferred to Arkansas and was immediately discussed as a potential starter.
That’s been the conversation for four years now without it ever actually coming to fruition, as Crawford’s only starts have been the result of injuries to other players. It was a bit of a surprise that he chose to return as a super senior. Unfortunately for him, he’s not really been in the mix to push for a starting job, even with the offensive line’s recent struggles.
RB Rashod Dubinion — junior
Snaps: 12 on O
This might be the biggest surprise on the entire list, as Rashod Dubinion seemed to be “1b” to Ja’Quinden Jackson’s “1a” at running back throughout fall camp. He did battle some injuries, which Pittman said was why he opened the season so low on the depth chart, but he was healthy enough to get 3 carries for 15 yards against UAPB — a game in which he was the fourth running back in the game.
Dubinion hasn’t played since then, falling behind not only Jackson, but also Rodney Hill and Braylen Russell in the running back pecking order. He was also suspended for the Texas A&M game for a violation of team rules.
In today’s era of college football, all signs were pointing to an early exit for the transfer portal, but to Dubinion’s credit, he’s stuck it out. He tweeted encouragement for his teammates before they played the Aggies and apparently met all the requirements to end his indefinite suspension after only one game. He could be rewarded in the Arkansas vs Tennessee game with Hill sidelined, but the Georgia native is still probably behind Jackson and Russell.
**0 games**
- OL Patrick Kutas — junior
- DB Miguel Mitchell — junior
- K Matthew Shipley — super senior
All three of these players figured to be key contributors in 2024, but have yet to play in a single game for various reasons.
Patrick Kutas was the projected starting left guard before he was sidelined with a back injury just two practices into fall camp. Pittman’s initial optimism about his return has waned in recent weeks and it might be fair to start wondering if he’ll play at all this year.
Miguel Mitchell was a solid transfer portal pickup with SEC experience at Florida, but he opened fall camp as a third-team safety behind true freshman Ahkhari Johnson and then didn’t travel to the opener against UAPB. Asked about him the following week, Pittman said he’s “out for now.” No other update has been provided, but Mitchell has been listed as “out” on each SEC availability report this year.
Matthew Shipley was penciled in as the starting kicker when he committed as a transfer from Hawaii, but he struggled in the spring and, despite apparently being much improved in fall camp, didn’t win the job. Even with Kyle Ramsey’s struggles, Shipley has yet to get a chance in a game.
The idea of Shipley redshirting at this point is intriguing. He’s a super senior, but never redshirted at Hawaii. The Razorbacks do have a heralded high school kicker committed for next season who did this:
But for every Cam Little, there’s a Cole Hedlund, so it might not be a bad idea if he’s willing to stick around and doesn’t replace Ramsey at any point this season.
Arkansas Football True Freshmen
Burned Redshirt
- DB Selman Bridges
- WR CJ Brown
- DE Charlie Collins
- DB Tevis Metcalf
- LB Bradley Shaw
None of these five freshmen have particularly big roles on offense or defense, but between their usual positions and special teams, each of them have appeared in all five games this season. In fact, Bradley Shaw and Tevis Metcalf rank second and third, respectively, on the team in terms of total special teams snaps.
Shaw has also played a handful of snaps at linebacker, but is mostly buried behind the likes of Xavian Sorey, Stephen Dix Jr., Brad Spence and Anthony Switzer. While Metcalf’s only true defensive action came against UAPB, he’s listed as the backup nickel behind Doneiko Slaughter, but he’ll probably actually be more like third upon the return of Hudson Clark.
It seems like Charlie Collins might have the clearest path to a more defined role moving forward, as he was used as a pass rusher in some third-down situations against Texas A&M. For a while, CJ Brown appeared to be that guy, but a dropped pass against UAB might have knocked him down the pecking order a bit.
During fall camp, Selman Bridges showed some promising signs at cornerback, but even with Jaylon Braxton dealing with an injury, he seems to be behind the trio of Marquise Robinson, Jaheim Singletary and Kee’yon Stewart.
Played 4 or Fewer Games
**4 games**
*WR Monte Harrison
Snaps: 28 on O / 14 on ST
The only true freshman walk-on to appear in a game so far this season, Monte Harrison is not exactly your average walk-on. Now 29 years old, he played professional baseball for a decade before deciding to go to school and play football, with the Milwaukee Brewers — who took him in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft — footing the bill.
Despite being out of the game for so long, Harrison turned some heads during fall camp and has actually played some snaps on offense in addition to contributing on special teams. He caught a couple of passes for 29 yards against UAPB, but his biggest play so far this season was fielding and returning a UAB on-side kick attempt 20 yards.
Harrison likely would have already burned his redshirt had he not missed the Texas A&M game for unspecified reasons. Luckily, he’s listed as “probable” in the SEC’s official availability report this week.
DB Ahkhari Johnson
Snaps: 10 on D / 25 on ST
Even with Hudson Clark out with an injury the last few weeks, which would make him a backup safety according to the UA depth chart, Ahkhari Johnson hasn’t seen the field on defense since the opener against UAPB. Instead, the Razorbacks have only rotated Larry Worth III in for starters TJ Metcalf and Jayden Johnson. However, he has seemingly carved out a role on special teams, playing on the kickoff return and kickoff coverage units in each of Arkansas’ first two SEC games.
RB Braylen Russell
Snaps: 49 snaps on O
It is a virtual lock that Braylen Russell will officially burn his redshirt Saturday against Tennessee, especially with the news that backup running back Rodney Hill will miss the game. The only reason he hasn’t already is because he didn’t play in the Oklahoma State game, which Pittman admitted afterward was a mistake.
In his limited action, Russell has 62 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, plus 7 yards on his lone reception. The Razorbacks like the 253-pounder in short-yardage situations, but he could see his role increase even more against the Volunteers.
**2 games**
WR Krosse Johnson
Snaps: 10 on O / 7 on ST
While he did catch a couple of passes for 25 yards on the final drive of Arkansas’ 70-0 win over UAPB, most people will remember Krosse Johnson for his special teams blunders the following week at Oklahoma State. The second time he crashed into Isaiah Sategna, the result was a muffed punt that the Cowboys recovered en route to rallying for the win. However, as Best of Arkansas Sports covered at the time, he shouldn’t necessarily be blamed for the mistake.
**1 game**
DE Kavion Henderson
Snaps: 7 on D / 1 on ST
Considering how highly regarded he was coming out of high school, it might be a surprise that Kavion Henderson’s only playing time was in the opener against UAPB. However, the Razorbacks had a pretty set group of four defensive ends in Landon Jackson, Nico Davillier, Anton Juncaj and Quincy Rhodes Jr. He didn’t really have a clear path to playing time and now it seems as though he’s behind fellow freshman Charlie Collins, who got some defensive snaps against Texas A&M while Henderson was left off the travel roster.
QB KJ Jackson
Snaps: 10 on O
The clear third-string quarterback behind Taylen Green and Malachi Singleton, KJ Jackson’s only action this season came late in the season-opening blowout of UAPB. He led the Razorbacks on a 10-play, 90-yard touchdown drive during which he went 4 of 4 passing for 59 yards and added 3 yards on the ground.
LB Wyatt Simmons
Snaps: 3 on D
All three of Wyatt Simmons’ snaps this season came in the opener against UAPB. With all the depth the Razorbacks have at linebacker, and considering he wasn’t on the travel roster for the Texas A&M game, it seems like he’s destined to redshirt this year.
**0 games**
- OL Kobe Branham
- RB JuJu Pope
- WR Zach Taylor
At this point, it would be a surprise if any of these players see the field at all, much less enough to burn their redshirt.
Kobe Branham was perhaps the closest to cracking the depth chart leading up to the season, spending some time with the second-team offense, but he didn’t get any reps in the opener against UAPB.
JuJu Pope battled an injury this offseason and was originally expected to play linebacker or nickel, but has since converted to running back, as observed during pregame warmups prior to the UAB game.
Zach Taylor is not only behind all of the older receivers on the depth chart, but also seems to be behind fellow freshman Krosse Johnson in the pecking order based on Johnson appearing in a couple of games.
Definitely Redshirting for Arkansas Football
- DB Jaden Allen
- LB Justin Logan
- OL Zuri Madison
Sam Pittman announced before the start of fall camp that this trio of freshmen would miss the season.
Allen had “cartilage repair” done on his knee over the summer, Logan battled a shoulder injury during spring ball and Madison tore his ACL in a scooter accident before the spring.
Here’s a rundown of the other true freshman walk-ons listed on the Arkansas football roster, none of whom have appeared in a game:
- *LB Preston Davis
- *P Sam Dubwig
- *OL Alex Johnson
- *OL Jonas Nantze
- *K Charlie Von Der Meden
- *LB Joseph Whitt
***
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