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Hogs' Losing Biggest Stars Not Just Lightly Used Benchwarmers

Losing starters, key players to transfer portal hurts Razorbacks' 6-6 team more than most will want to admit

Jacob Davis

Arkansas Razorbacks tight end Luke Hasz turns upfield after making a catch against the Tennessee Volunteers at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks tight end Luke Hasz turns upfield after making a catch against the Tennessee Volunteers at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Ted McClenning-Hogs on SI Images
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Say what you will about the state of Arkansas' flurry of departures but losing starters to conference rivals is not a good look even if the team's final record is 6-6.

In the olden days of college football, which wasn't that long ago, there were players at different schools fans wished they could poach. Group of Five and Power conference programs alike had high level players that many wish they could pay for play in the current landscape.

Toledo in 2015, ULM in 2012, Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech, Randy Moss at Marshall, those Boise State and TCU teams in the 2000's and 2010's, Tulane, UTSA, Appalachian State and many other small schools were and are full of guys ready to contribute for teams in the Big Ten and SEC. Lowly SEC schools like Mississippi State, Arkansas, Auburn, Oklahoma and even Vanderbilt have guys that can be difference makers for teams with playoff aspirations.

That's certainly the case with Luke Hasz, Patrick Kutas, Jaylon Braxton and Brad Spence who have made decisions to transfer to Ole Miss and Texas, respectively. These aren't guys who sat on the bench for a 6-6 team but significant starters and solid contributors for a team which made a bowl game.

The transfer portal is littered with starters who mostly have their minds made up on where they will go before entering. Defensive end Nico Davillier, wide receiver Isaiah Sategna and TJ and Tevis Metcalf haven't committed yet but have been pursued by programs around the conference.

Sam Pittman has been tasked with weathering this storm with his staff in hope that they will be able to land transfers who aren't just depth pieces but capable starters. He says Arkansas has plenty of cash to spend this offseason.

“I do want to be very specific here: we have money. Our donors have been very good financially to us," Pittman said during Thursday's press conference. "Revenue sharing coming up here in July, we have money. And so we’re not losing these kids because we don’t have money. We’re losing them because what our value is compared to what maybe they can get elsewhere has been, at times, substantially different."

"We were a 6-6 football team and we’ve got money, and so we need to use it wisely. There are, we have 29 visits already set up coming out of the portal. What’s hard, I think probably on the fan base is that we know more about who’s in the portal than probably anybody does, the availability of us getting them. And so, basically is comes down to those two things: if we weren’t able to match what the number was out there nationally for somebody, then we were saying ‘hey, we believe that we can go get somebody as good or somebody, two somebody’s for that amount of money.’”

Everyone will soon find out if Pittman is going to write checks with his mouth that his transfer portal haul can cash. Arkansas' current signing class between current transfers and high schoolers ranks No. 29 nationally which is just one spot ahead of where it finished last season.

HOGS FEED:

• Brazile's role with Calipari, Razorbacks coming into focus

• Curtis' report card: Hogs pass eye test, again, in rout of UCA

• Arkansas starts well, handles UCA in North Little Rock

• Hogs earn commitment of No. 2 JUCO prospect in country

• Razorbacks have advantage at key position in bowl against Texas Tech

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Jacob Davis
JACOB DAVIS

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