It’s a new year, and everyone is out there hustling to fulfill their resolutions and improve. The same is true for Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman, who continues to work toward retooling the Razorbacks’ roster for the 2025 season.
The Hogs have already added 19 transfers into the mix to help replace their 31 portal departures – but more help is still needed to fill out the depth chart. Pittman discussed the position groups Arkansas is still looking at addressing in his Dec. 23 press conference in the lead-up to the Liberty Bowl.
“Probably need to get another safety and possibly another corner out of the portal,” he said. “We’re still probably somewhere between four and six additions out of the portal…and we’ll take our time there.”
Since that quote, Arkansas has added three more transfers in wide receiver Courtney Crutchfield (Dec. 25), offensive tackle Marcus Dumervil (Jan. 5), wide receiver Ismael Cisse (Jan. 6) and safety Caleb Wooden (Jan. 7).
As far as timing goes, this week is an open period for coaches to contact transfers and host them for visits. The window has closed on new transfer entries for most teams, though every program gets a five-day period after their season ends where players can enter the portal. That umbrella includes the eight teams that made the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, as well as programs like Ole Miss and Duke that played their bowl games after the New Year.
Arkansas is set to host some visitors this week as Pittman looks to put the finishing touches on his portal class, though he clarified that he will likely leave one or two scholarship spots open for late additions in the April window after spring practices.
He said in addition to the secondary, Arkansas also might need another tight end. But scanning through Arkansas’ provisional roster for the 2025 season, there are a couple other position groups that probably need to be addressed. Here’s a look at those needs, and some potential names that could fill those vacancies.
Arkansas’ Secondary Still Needs Help – and a Position Coach
The Hogs’ defensive backfield was the first position room that Pittman mentioned as still being a priority – and for good reason. Arkansas finished dead last in the SEC in passing defense last year, and is also dealing with a whopping 10 departures – five in the portal and five running out of eligibility.
Pittman and defensive coordinator Travis Williams have already landed three transfers in the secondary – safety Quentavius Scandrett (Eastern Michigan) and cornerbacks Jordan Young (Cincinnati) and Kani Walker (Oklahoma).
That trio provides quality depth, and could be a decent upgrade for the Hogs. Scandrett and Young have PFF grades of 72.9 and 72.2, respectively, which is higher than multiple Razorback starters last season such as Doneiko Slaughter and Hudson Clark. Walker, however, lost his starting job over the course of the 2024 season.
But it’s safe to say more help is needed.
Arkansas received a visit last week from Auburn safety Caleb Wooden, who comes off a season in which he started six games and finished with 17 tackles and an interception. His PFF grade was a 67.6. Landing Wooden is even more important for Arkansas now that previous top safety target Adrian Maddox (UAB) committed to Florida.
(UPDATE: Wooden committed to Arkansas mere hours after this story published. His addition gives the Razorbacks four defensive backs out of the transfer portal and brings the class as a whole up to No. 14 nationally, according to 247Sports.)
In addition to players, Arkansas also needs to land a coach for the secondary after Deron Wilson’s departure. Here’s a list of candidates for that open post.
Travis Williams’ Front Seven Could Use Some Big Bodies
Arkansas got some welcome news when both Xavian Sorey Jr. and Stephen Dix Jr. announced their returns for their final seasons of eligibility. That’s two out of the Hogs’ top three tacklers coming back – producing a combined 169 wrap-ups last season.
Behind that duo, Arkansas will have promising sophomore Bradley Shaw and redshirt freshmen Wyatt Simmons and Justin Logan. Blue-chip true freshman Tavion Wallace could also make an immediate impact. But the Razorbacks are still pretty thin in this department, and could certainly use more bodies.
Virginia Tech’s Sam Brumfield III is a beneficiary of the NCAA’s new ruling on JUCO eligibility, which gives the senior another year. Arkansas pursued him last offseason when he was transferring from Middle Tennessee, but he landed with the Hokies. He’s got some Arkansas-affiliated social media follows, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Hogs go back after him. Brumfield posted 60 total tackles and a fumble recovery in 2024.
Eastern Michigan’s James Djonkam is another transfer with follows from Arkansas staffers. The 6-foot-3 junior who was teammates with Scandrett totaled 98 tackles and three sacks last season in the Mid-American Conference.
On the defensive line, Arkansas has brought in a pair of edge rushers already in Florida’s Justus Boone and Michigan State’s Ken Talley to replace the departing starting duo of Anton Juncaj and Landon Jackson. Blue-chip prospects Charlie Collins and Kavion Henderson could also assume larger roles in 2025.
Arkansas has added a transfer from the Georgia defense in each of the last three offseasons — Latavious Brini, Jaheim Singletary and Sorey. A late addition to the transfer portal provides an opportunity to continue that pipeline. Bulldog edge rusher Damon Wilson, a former five-star prospect in the Class of 2023, announced he was entering the portal on Monday night. He posted 22 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 2024. Of course, multiple reports list Ohio State as a main contender for Wilson — so he likely has bigger fish to fry than Arkansas.
On the interior, Cam Ball returns alongside Danny Saili and the big-bodied Ian Geffrard. Arkansas landed Abilene Christian transfer David Oke at defensive tackle, but another depth piece in that room could be needed.
Texas State’s Tavian Coleman and Charlotte’s Dre Butler are two more players who have received follows from Arkansas staffers on social media. Coleman totaled 26 tackles and two sacks as a senior. Butler, also a senior and a teammate of Blake’s, had 30 total tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in 2024.
Taylen Green’s Receiving Entourage Still Needs Bolstering
Wide receiver is a position group that Arkansas has hit hardest this offseason, alongside the offensive line. Pittman and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino have already landed five transfers – Crutchfield from Missouri, Cisse from Stanford, Charlotte’s O’Mega Blake, UAB’s Kam Shanks and Fresno State’s Raylen Sharpe.
Still, with Arkansas losing its top four wideouts from last season, another addition might be needed. Crutchfield and Blake look like potential starters, but Shanks, Sharpe and returning speedster Jordan Anthony are all more of the “gadget player” variety – short, speedy wideouts that lack the prototypical size you want from an SEC starter. They all stand at 5-foot-10 or less. Cisse had a decent year for the Cardinal in 2024, recording 26 catches for 241 yards and two touchdowns in 2024. But expecting the 6-foot rising sophomore to jump in as an SEC starter might be a stretch.
With Crutchfield, Arkansas went back to the well for a blue-chip prospect the staff whiffed on when he was coming out of high school before remedying that by landing him in the portal. Pittman has a chance to recreate that with two other former Razorback commits in Ole Miss’ Noreel White and Georgia’s Anthony Evans.
White saw playing time in only two games this season, so he’ll have four years of eligibility left. Arkansas is already listed as the top landing spot for the 6-foot-1 former four-star prospect. Evans served as the Bulldogs’ return man, totaling 17 punt returns for 129 yards and seven kick returns for 124 yards. On offense, however, the 5-foot-11 sophomore caught just nine passes for 88 yards. A former four-star prospect in the 2023 class, he’ll have two years of eligibility remaining. Of course, adding him into the fold makes less sense given he falls into a similar category to the other speedy wideouts already on the roster.
If Arkansas could reel in either of these former commits from SEC foes, it would be a big win in the transfer portal to polish off the wide receiver room.
Pittman also mentioned tight end as another area Arkansas could add to. The Hogs already landed Texas A&M’s Jaden Platt, who is considered a top-five transfer tight end. Former four-star prospect Shamar Easter might be moving to wide receiver, which increases the need for another tight end. Pittman said the rising redshirt sophomore practiced well out at the new position for the Liberty Bowl, and that the move might be permanent.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, any potential additions in that room are likely to be more in the realm of a blocker to provide depth. The pickings are very slim right now, as all but one of 247 Sports’ top 25 portal tight ends have already chosen their destinations.
Florida’s Arlis Boardingham and Tennessee’s Holden Staes are two SEC transfers that don’t have visits on the books yet, but have picked up social media follows from Arkansas staffers. Boardingham, a sophomore, caught 18 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns in 2024. Staes, a junior, posted 15 receptions for 131 yards and a score.
This is likely one of those potential April additions that Pittman was mentioning, where the Hogs could be opportunistic if a great tight end hops in the portal later in the offseason. As of now though, it’s mostly quiet on this front.
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Check out how the 2025 Arkansas football roster is shaping up so far:
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