Arkansas Loses Special Teams Starter Ahead of Season Opener

Long snapper no longer with Razorbacks after starting for two seasons

Arkansas Razorbacks long-snapper Ashton Ngo during a practice in fall camp on the outdoor field in Fayetteville, Ark. / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Just one day before Arkansas was set to kick off its 2024 season, its special teams unit is going through some last-minute changes. Presumptive starting long snapper Eli Stein is no longer with the team, coach Sam Pittman confirmed on the weekly SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday.

"He's [Stein] no longer on the team," Pittman said. "You're correct about that, and I'll go into that a little bit more detail next week."

Stein had started 23 of the 25 games over the past 2 years at long snapper since arriving at Arkansas. He had also been named to the Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List for the second year in a row, an annual award given to the top long snapper in the country.

Arkansas had listed Stein OR redshirt junior Ashton Ngo as the first-team long snapper on the depth chart.

"Ngo was our starter at punt snapping anyway," Pittman said. "It was a very close battle with the short snapping, so he was gonna be that regardless of what happened and certainly will take over the short snapping as well."

Ngo redshirted his first year at Arkansas after transferring in after Hutchinson Community College. He appeared in 16 games across two seasons at Hutchinson.

Arkansas takes on UAPB 6:30 p.m. Thursday from War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

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