FAYETTEVILLE – With the new year fast approaching, it’s time to touch the crystal ball and reveal some preseason predictions for Arkansas football.
Next week, the Southwest Times Record will reveal the series’ content, previewing the upcoming season. There will be game-specific predictions, a projected depth chart and the five most important players on the roster. Plus, we look at the best and worst case scenarios for the Razorbacks in 2024.
More:Where should Arkansas football be most concerned after two weeks of practice
More:Bobby Petrino’s thoughts on the Arkansas football offense midway through fall camp
To kick things off, here are three bold predictions for the Hogs this fall.
Luke Hasz leads all tight ends in receiving yards
Hasz might have topped that stat category last year had he not suffered a broken collarbone in a loss to Texas A&M.
Through the first four games of his career, Hasz had 239 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 15 catches. His 59.8 yards per game over the entire 12-game season is 717 receiving yards, which would have been second best in the nation last year.
Bobby Petrino is famous for maximizing talent at the tight end position, and couldn’t help but rave about Hasz in his only fall camp press conference. Expectations are high for Oklahoma’s sophomore tight end.
If he can stay healthy, Hasz will give Arkansas one of the top offensive weapons in the SEC. He’s the rare tight end who provides a big-play threat while serving as a safety valve for the quarterback.
Hasz could be the focal point of the offensive attack in 2024 and will only benefit from the better play of wide receivers like Tyrone Broden and Isaiah Sategna.
Landon Jackson will be a first round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft
Jackson is solidifying himself as one of the best defensive players in the country, pushing his weekly performance closer to his ceiling and entering next year’s draft.
He could have left Arkansas after the 2023 season, but Jackson decided to return with the goal of raising his draft stock and getting the Hogs’ program back on track.
The area most in need of improvement is consistency, as Jackson failed to record a sack in all but one SEC game last year. That one game was a terrible performance on the road against Alabama, where Jackson recorded 3.5 sacks and 11 tackles.
Jackson was a dominant force in the most recent scrimmage and has given Arkansas’ offensive line fits throughout camp. He will be a nightmare for SEC offensive lines and one of the first 32 players selected in mid-April.
Sam Pittman is doing enough to keep his job in 2025
This is not a popular prediction among many fans.
Only Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek knows what the minimum requirements are for Pittman, but it’s hard to imagine the Hogs being worse in 2024 after last year’s disappointment. Injuries, close losses and a terrible matchup between offensive coordinator and quarterback led to a 4-8 campaign that still wasn’t enough to end Pittman’s tenure as head coach.
A tough schedule awaits the Hogs this season, but Arkansas has enough talent to add two wins to its record and show enough signs of improvement to keep Pittman around.
Ultimately, Pittman’s position as head coach falls uniquely on his own shoulders. No position is more important to the Hogs’ success in 2024 — and Pittman’s future — than the offensive line. Pittman has taken on a bigger role coaching the position this offseason, and if this unit goes from one of the worst in the nation to average, there will be significant improvements both offensively and in the win column.
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