Tulsa coach Frank Haith talked about his team’s problems as Arkansas races away in a 98-79 win behind Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe on Saturday afternoon.
Starkel becomes fifth starting QB past two seasons to leave Hogs
The good news for everybody in the SEC West may be that if Chad Morris continues on his current pace of quarterbacks leaving, Bo Nix at Auburn will be in the transfer portal by Halloween next year.
On Friday, junior graduate transfer quarterback Nick Starkel announced he was leaving the program to either try his hand in the NFL or at a lower classification.
Thank you to everyone who has believed in me this far! The fight isn’t over yet! pic.twitter.com/MSD1FvUvD3
— Nicholas Starkel (@NickStarkel) December 13, 2019
As a result, since Morris’ first season in 2018, the Razorbacks have now seen five starting quarterbacks leave out of eight different quarterbacks that started games. Morris was announced this week as the new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Gus Malzahn with the Tigers.
After the 2018 season, Cole Kelley and Ty Storey transferred while Connor Noland chose to focus exclusively on baseball. This year Ben Hicks ran out of eligibility and now Starkel has left.
The starting quarterbacks left on the roster for newly-hired Sam Pittman are freshman K.J. Jefferson, redshirt freshman John Stephen Jones and redshirt junior Jack Lindsey.
Pittman announces Odom as new defensive coordinator on television
Sam Pittman was on The Paul Finebaum Show on the SEC Network that he’s hired former Missouri coach Barry Odom as the new defensive coordinator at Arkansas.
“I felt like I needed a guy on my staff that had been a head coach,” Pittman said on the show. “One that I can lean on and talk to.”
Odom was one of the candidates for defensive coordinator that fans and media had discussed when Pittman took over last weekend.
“I’m ecstatic that he is in his car headed down to Fayetteville as we speak,” Pittman said.
He does bring SEC experience to the staff, although his record with the Tigers of 25-25 may not excite a lot of folks, his defenses were pretty good, especially when he ran the defense for former coach Gary Pinkel.
But this past season that finished with a disappointing 6-6 record had defensive numbers the Razorbacks at times were giving up in the first half.
Missouri’s defense allowed 19.4 points a game (sixth in the SEC overall) and just 179.3 yards a game through the air, the second-least in the league.
Odom will be the third hire for Pittman’s new staff, joining wide receivers coach Justin Stepp and offensive line coach Brad Davis, who was also at Missouri last year.
???? Halftime Pod presented by Jeff’s Clubhouse — Aaron Torres on what he’s heard about Sam Pittman
Phil & Tye on Barry Odom as the next DC, Aaron Torres on Sam Pittman, plus Tulsa coming to Bud Walton!
Keeping Stepp as Hogs’ wide receivers coach continues strong relationship
Multiple media outlets have been reporting late Thursday that wide receivers coach Justin Stepp will remain in that capacity under new coach Sam Pittman and that is a big-time positive move.
Stepp joins new offensive line coach Brad Davis are the only two assistants officially on the new staff, but defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell and safeties coach Ron Cooper have been on recruiting visits this week.
With the news coming on the same day Treylon Burks was named to the freshman All-SEC team, it will be welcomed with the Warren native, who has a strong relationship with Stepp.
That is apparently the case with a strong group of freshmen receivers, including the ones Stepp recruited, including Trey Knox, T.Q. Jackson and Shamar Nash.
And he apparently can coach pretty well, too. Burks and Knox have received post-season honors, something not a lot of other positions sawafter the Hogs completed their second straight 2-10 season.
Curl giving up final year with Razorbacks to enter NFL Draft in April
Arkansas safety Kamren Curl won’t be back for his final year of eligibilty, announcing he’s going to put his name in for the NFL Draft in April.
Thank you #RazorbackNation???? pic.twitter.com/VMZi18AQrf
— Kam Curl (@KCurl_2) December 12, 2019
Curl had 76 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries. He returned a fumble 69 yards for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of the Razorbacks’ loss to Ole Miss in September.
He also had two sacks and an interception during the season-opening win against Portland State. He also had an interception in Arkansas’ loss to San Jose State.
Musselman on too many days between games after loss to Western Kentucky
Razorbacks coach Eric Mussleman talked after practice Thursday about not liking the number of days between the loss to the Hilltoppers and Saturday’s game with Tulsa.
Whitt on Saturday’s matchup with Tulsa, knowing some of players from AAU
Arkansas Jimmy Whitt, Jr., talked with the media after Thursday’s practice about Saturday’s game with Tulsa and how he is familiar with them from playing at SMU and AAU with some players.
???? Halftime Pod presented by Jeff’s Clubhouse — Jeff Dantzler on what Pittman brings
Phil & Tye on Pittman storming the recruiting trail, Kiffin on Ole Miss, plus Jeff Dantzler of UGA radio!
Burks named as wide receiver on 2019 All-SEC team for third honor
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ Treylon Burks has been named to the 2019 Freshman All-SEC Team at wide receiver, two days after getting recognized as a second team All-SEC honoree as a return specialist.
It is the third postseason honor for Burks, as he also garnered All-Freshman accolades from Pro Football Focus on Dec. 6.
He is the fourth Razorback to land on the conference freshman squad since 2016, sharing the field in 2019 with former honorees in McTelvin Agim (2016), De’Jon Harris (2016) and De’Vion Warren (2017).
Burks, from Warren, was an immediate impact player on offense for the Razorbacks in his first year on campus.
He led Arkansas in receiving yards with 475 on 29 receptions for a team-best 16.4 yards per catch. He also paced all SEC freshmen during the regular season in yards per game (43.2) and receptions per game (2.6).
Burks’ 475 receiving yards made him one of five true freshman Razorbacks to eclipse 400+ receiving yards in a season, joining the likes of Anthony Lucas (869), Marcus Monk (569), Bobbie Williams (431) and Hunter Henry (409).
He also saw action on both kickoff and punt returns this season, totaling 22 between the two. He returned 10 kickoffs for 226 yards, averaging 22.6 per play, while returning 12 punts for 130 yards for a clip of 10.8 per return.
He ranked sixth in the conference this season in kickoff return yards per game at 20.5 and eighth in punt return yards per game at 11.8.
His top return game came against Mississippi State on Nov. 2, totaling 134 kick return yards, which were the most by a Razorback since 2017.
For more information on Arkansas Football, follow @RazorbackFB on Twitter.
2019 postseason honors
Treylon Burks – Pro Football Focus All-Freshman Team (Honorable Mention)
Treylon Burks – Coaches All-SEC Return Specialist (Second Team)
Treylon Burks – Coaches All-SEC Freshman Team
De’Jon Harris – Associated Press All-SEC (Second Team)
Trey Knox – Pro Football Focus All-Freshman Team (Honorable Mention)
Ricky Stromberg – Pro Football Focus All-Freshman Team (Third Team)
