Fayetteville, Arkansas:

Yessirrrrr, we’re talking about Arkansas Razorback football. Rightfully so after an impressive first season under Head Coach Sam Pittman. Some have called the 3-7 2020 season a failure for the Razorbacks, but quite frankly, those folks are wrong, and there’s reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season for the Arkansas faithful.

For starters, for the first time in several seasons, Arkansas Razorback football was exciting to watch. In five of their losses last season, the Razorbacks lost by single digits, which is a vast improvement from years past. On top of that, Arkansas returns seventeen starters from last season, eight on the offensive side of things, and nine on defense.

On the offensive side of the ball, Arkansas lost two crucial starters from last season in Feleipe Franks and Rakeem Boyd. However, Arkansas will return Treylon Burks at Wide Receiver and the entire hog pen on the offensive line. Last season, Arkansas had one of the best offensive line units in the entire country, large in part due to experience from Head Coach Sam Pittman, who understands the importance of having strong offensive line units. Behind every great football team is an offensive line that protects their team at all costs.

Defensively, Arkansas returns nine guys including, a standout safety Jalen Catalon. Last season, Catalon was an absolute terror for opposing offensive units. He made a name for himself by being a ridiculous ballhawk who had the knack for breaking up routes and making it difficult to throw over the top of the Arkansas defense. Other than Jalen Catalon, Arkansas has guys like Grant Morgan, Bumper Pool, and Montaric Brown, all three seniors who are eager to leave a lasting impression on this Arkansas football program.

On the outside looking in, Arkansas is a program that has the potential to be a sleeping giant in the SEC and has a history of being so. Back in the 50s, 60s, and even 70s, Arkansas was a National Championship contender, it will be hard, but Coach Pittman just might be the guy to take the Razorbacks to their previous glory.

Overall, 2021 has the potential to be an interesting year for the Razorbacks. Arkansas has one of the hardest schedules in the Southeastern Conference. They start the season with Rice before turning up the action against Texas in week two, Texas A&M in week four, Georgia in week five, and Ole Miss in week six, not to mention the last three weeks of the season they’ll face road games at LSU, Alabama, and back home against Missouri. In all honesty, a seven-win season for the Razorbacks is likely to be the most successful scenario, with six wins being the most likely. Which either way, Arkansas could find themselves playing in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis or the Birmingham Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama.