Which Arkansas Football Records Are Most Unbreakable by Current Razorbacks?

Record rated the safest held by a name almost no one knows

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Barring injury, it looks like Arkansas linebacker Bumper Pool is going to run down Tony Bua's career record of 408 tackles reasonably early in the season. 

With that record on the verge of falling, it begs the question as to which questions are most likely out of reach for this current crop of Razorbacks. Here's a breakdown of the Razorback drecords least likely to be broken.

Arkansas Communications

To put this one in perspective, KJ Jefferson could put up his entire career's worth of touchdowns both passing and rushing this coming season and he would still be nine touchdowns short of tying Matt Jones.

Jones was a prolific runner for a quarterback, averaging over 600 yards per season. He also threw for around 2,000 yards each year, which may not seem like much now, but was a solid number back when offenses weren't generating nearly as many plays per game.

His touchdowns went up each season until his final year. Jones accounted for nine touchdowns his freshman year in limited action, 21 his sophomore season, 26 his junior season, and 21 his senior season.

Jefferson has 34 total touchdowns after three years as a Razorback. However, last season, he topped Jones's best performance after accumulating 27 TDs. 

Unfortunately, it's just too little, too late for Jefferson. It would take one of the most epic seasons of all time to catch the elusive Matt Jones.

Beth Hall – USA TODAY Sports

At first this looks like a record Jefferson might be able to overtake. It would take a shootout that goes overtime most likely for it to happen.

Unfortunately for Jefferson, we have already seen a similar scenario play out and he didn't sniff toppingthe record despite playing a great game.

While it didn't go into overtime, last season's 52-51 loss to Ole Miss was named the game of the year in college football while Jefferson put up a strong offer for performance of the year. When all was said and done, he had three touchdowns on the ground and three through the air, placing him two touchdowns short of breaking the record.

Perhaps if Arkansas had opted for overtime instead of going for the two-point conversion in the final seconds Jefferson might have etched his name in the history books, but that's not Pittman's mode of operation. He wants to go for the kill, which is why this particular stat makes the list.

Randy Piland – USA TODAY Sports

KJ Jefferson put up 3,340 total yards last year and has 3,957 for his career after three years. He would have to account for 4, 435 in his final season, 478 yards more than he's post in his entire time at Arkansas.

Technically, it is possible. There are few quarterbacks who can put up that kind of numbers, but if the receiving corps can come together to load the field with threats, Jefferson could possibly do it.

Then again, nothing has changed about the schedule hanging on the wall. It's more difficult that last season's. 

If Jefferson somehow runs down Matt Jones, something almost no one could when he played, there will need to be more room in the trophy photos because the Heisman will make its way to Fayetteville.

Jeff Blake / USA TODAY Sports

This one is definitely not happening.

Brandon Allen topped 400 yards three times, including two that pushed the mark at 445 and 438 respectively. Ryan Mallett topped 400 three times also in a pass heavy offense loaded with NFL receivers.

KJ Jefferson is neither in a pass heavy offense, nor is he surrounded by talent at the wide receiver mark that has threatened to convince anyone they are big time NFL talent up to this point.

Sam Pittman likes to run the ball too much, as does Jefferson for this record to fall. Plus, if this level of yards are being thrown this year it's in a blow-out and Jefferson is too valuable to risk simply chasing a record. 

Records are chased in shootouts or when solid back-ups are available. The Razorbacks' two big shootouts last season were against Ole Miss and Alabama. 

Jefferson threw for 326 in both and had four games that couldn't have been combined to surpass Wilson. 

Perhaps the most unbreakable and perplexing passing game record is held by Cobi Hamilton for the most receptions in a single season.

Arkansas fans will need to sit back and "smile" as we return to the second darkest time in Razorback football, the John L. Smith year of 2012. The former Michigan State coach took one of the most prolific offenses in college football, helmed by a potential first overall NFL draft pick in Tyler Wilson, and ground both so low that Wilson has since said he wanted to quit football all together. 

Strangely, the one anomaly was Hamilton. His season was so prolific that Warren products turned NFL wide receivers Jarius Wright and Treylon Burks trail him by 24 receptions each with 66 catches. 

In a surprising loss to Rutgers that season, Hamilton had 10 receptions for 303 of the team's 419 passing yards to set the tone for the rest of the year.

His breakout performance vaulted Hamilton's status as a receiver prospect which led to his selection by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 197 pick.

Arkansas will be a receiver by committee team this year. That means no one is going to come close to 90 receptions.

This record is taking your best friend to prom level safe.

Arkansas Communications

When you catch 90 balls in a single season, there's not much to be done in the remaining three to claim a career record. 

Hamilton's breakout senior season was not only enough to emphatically take the single season record from Jarius Wright, who headed to the NFL the pervious season, but it was also enough to edge Wright out for the career mark by seven catches.

Considering almost no one who doesn't hunt wild hogs with a knife caught a pass last year, it will take an incoming freshman who really shines to break this mark. Most of the names Hog fans currently know aren't close to being in contention.

Arkansas Communications

If anyone under 45 knows Steve Atwater, it's because of his highlights as one of the most brutal hitters to ever play the game. That's why it might surprise some that he holds the Arkansas record for interceptions.

Offenses throw the ball so much more than before, but rules changes along with more experienced passing quarterbacks mean only one Razorback from this century, Tramain Thomas, makes the list of the Top 10 in career interceptions. 

If Jalen Catalon were to equal Montaric Brown's team-leading five interceptions from last year, he would sneak into the bottom of the list.

The idea of Catalon coming down with 10 interceptions, twice his career total, to break this record would require a schedule similar to the Virginia Cavaliers, which is quite the opposite of what Arkansas faces.

This isn't happening.

Arkansas Communications

It took a strange time in history to create a situation in which a member of the Razorback defense could record 29 tackles in a single game. 

There once was a time, back when the photos were the only place black and white met on the field when Texas and Arkansas were involved, when schools lined up behind miniscule offensive linemen and ran straight at linebackers. 

The closest anyone has come to the record set by Ronnie Caveness in the modern era are Quinton Caver and Ken Hamlin at the turn of the century, just before spread offenses became the norm in college football. 

There are a lot of things Bumper Pool and Drew Sanders can  and will do this year, but breaking this record isn't one of them.

Arkansas Communications

This particular record may be the most difficult to beat. It has stood for nearly 100 years. 

Remember how shocking it was when Hudson Clark burst onto the scene with thee interceptions against Ole Miss back in 2020. He would have had to have come up with twice that many interceptions to break this record.

Perhaps the most shocking thing about Wear Schoonover's stat is not that the Arkansas sports information department had a photo of him, but that Texas threw the ball five times way back in 1929. 

There is a reason this record is by far the oldest in the Arkansas record books. It's not going to be broken this year, nor in 2129 if football is still a thing. 

No record will ever reach this level of safety again.

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ALL-AMERICAN SAFETY JALEN CATALON ON INJURY LAST YEAR, LOOKING AHEAD TO SEASON

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