All Hogs

Schools Like Arkansas Need New Approach to Recruiting

Hogs need to think outside box to find success

Kent Smith

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman on the sidelines against the Ole Miss Rebels at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman on the sidelines against the Ole Miss Rebels at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Gone are the days where Houston Nutt would put a fence around Arkansas and load up on as much elite in-state talent as he could and complement it with guys from Texas and Louisiana.

In the world of NIL, the Razorbacks simply can't afford a fence, so guys like Darren McFadden, Peyton Hillis and Shawn Andrews rarely make it to Fayetteville anymore. Not that many of the players who leave the state turn out to be much these days without the magic of being a Hog and not wanting to let down the home state, but that doesn't keep the locals from fondly looking back on the old days and not understanding why it still isn't that way.

The fact of the matter is a conscious decision was made to go all in on basketball where it's easier to win with a smaller, finite amount of resources, so there's just not much left over to allow the football team to be competitive in a conference with several wealthy fan bases. However, that doesn't mean Arkansas can't be reasonably competitive with an adjustment in thought process.

The problem is it's not one traditionalists and most Razorbacks fans will be able to wrap their heads around. It's just too far away from how it's been burned into their heads people should think when assembling a team.

See, it starts with all but abandoning recruiting freshmen. They tend to cost more than they're worth, especially in the long run. Hogs basketball coach John Calipari had the right idea when he said he didn't want to waste his time investing in a player just to get him ready to go play for someone else.

There's simply no point to bringing in a Chris Paul, Jr. just to have Ole Miss flash a little cash his way after Arkansas put coaching time and valuable money into his least productive years only to miss out on the true fruits of their labor.

At most, a freshman class should have three recruits. It's worth spending money on an elite quarterback, and in a few cases, possibly worth it on a Top 5 defensive or offensive lineman. That's it.

It's a waste of valuable resources to invest money into any other freshmen. There's not a back or wide receiver in high school right now who is worth the same money or more than a transfer who has grown, matured and put out tape that shows what he can do against quality teams.

It's definitely not worth putting years of coaching and money into defensive ends, linebackers or players who aren't generational talents in the line or secondary. Sitting around waiting for them to grow into an SEC body or throwing them in unprepared only to lose confidence isn't worth it.

If they turn out to be any good heading into their third year, they just bolt anyway or get beat out by a graduate senior transfer. It's simply better to shift that money over in an effort to find the 26 best transfers this team can afford.

Sure, Arkansas won't have much depth, but it hasn't had a lot of depth in the NIL era anyway. All the Hogs have had are unprepared freshmen who get smoked when they have to go up against actual men of SEC caliber when their numbers get called.

At least with 26 players of high quality on average across the board in the starting line-up, the occasional season where Arkansas doesn't get hit with the injury bug can turn into a borderline playoff season. It should also mean good enough starts to the year before key injuries pile up where a winning record and bowl game shouldn't be abnormal.

The Razorbacks won't be able to field teams with the overall talent of Texas or Texas A&M, but they can pull out wins here or there if they catch either early in the season in a night game in Fayetteville. They could also close the gap significantly with Ole Miss and Missouri.

Razorbacks defensive lineman Landon Jackson gets to Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Arkansas Razorbacks defensive lineman Landon Jackson gets to Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart as he releases the ball in a 63-31 loss on Nov. 2, 2024, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Walt Beazley-Arkansas Communications

It also automatically makes the entire coaching staff better at their jobs because there aren't obvious holes in the starting line-up where other teams can take advantage. However, it won't be an easy decision to make.

It's hard to undo years of programming both in coaches and among the fans tasked with supporting such an unorthodox move. However, teams that couldn't land elite offensive linemen and NFL caliber running backs once had to adapt and go against conventional wisdom in the early days of the spread.

Winning at a place like Arkansas takes a much different approach. It's there for the taking.

The question is simply whether current coach Sam Pittman has the courage or if it will be the next guy who is brave and innovative enough to thumb his nose at 100+ years of doing things pretty much the same way.

HOGS FEED:

• Razorback listed as first-round pick in latest ESPN mock draft

• Three programs emerge as leaders for top-10 prospect

• Razorback kicking safety blanket evaporates, flips to SEC rival

• Razorbacks’ nightmare: Hogs’ secondary taking on Texas offense 

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Kent Smith
KENT SMITH

Kent Smith has been in the world of media and film for nearly 30 years. From Nolan Richardson's final seasons, former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner trying to throw to anyone and anything in the blazing heat of Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls, the first high school and college games after 9/11, to Troy Aikman's retirement and Alex Rodriguez's signing of his quarter billion dollar contract, Smith has been there to report on some of the region's biggest moments. 

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