A True Test: Previewing No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 16 Arkansas

Texas A&M opens up conference play against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Arlington

Matt Galatzan | Sep 20, 2021

In their first conference game of the season, the Texas A&M Aggies will travel to Arlington to face the formidable Arkansas Razorbacks at AT&T Stadium.

The Razorbacks, led by second-year head coach Sam Pittman, struggled in 2020, but have made major strides through the first three weeks of the 2021 season.

One key distinction between 2020 and 2021 has been quarterback KJ Jefferson, who has added a different dimension to the Arkansas offense with his ability to use both his arm and his legs in the offense.

The Razorbacks also field a much-improved defense, led by dynamic safety Jalen Catalon, and one of the best linebacker groups in the country.

Make sure to stick with AllAggies.com as we preview each of the Aggies games throughout the season.

Arkansas

2021 Record: 3-0

Head coach: Sam Pittman (second year at Arkansas)

Offensive set: Multiple

Defensive set: 4-3

Returning starters on offense: 9

After Arkansas lost Feleipe Franks in the draft, the quarterback position remained in question. KJ Jefferson, who started one game and scored three touchdowns last season, has continued that hot streak so far this season and is now firmly entrenched as the starter.

Projected starters on Offense:

QB: KJ Jefferson

RB: Trelon Smith *

WR1: Treylon Burks *

WR2: Jaquayln Crawford*

WR3: Ketron Jackson*

LT: Myron Cunningham *

LG: Brady Latham *

C: Ricky Stromberg *

RG: Ty Clary *

RT: Dalton Wagner *

TE: Hudson Henry *

* Denotes returning starters

Returning starters on Defense: 10

Like its offense, Arkansas’s defense returned a wealth of experience and will have 10 of 11 starters off of last season's stingy defense. Despite the loss of defensive tackle Jonathan Marshall, the Razorbacks have remained stout in the middle.

Projected starters on Defense:

JACK: Zach Williams *

DE: Eric Gregory *

DT: Taurean Carter

DT: Isaiah Nichols *

MIKE: Grant Morgan *

WILL: Bumper Pool *

CB: Hudson Clark *

SS: Jalen Catalon *

BS: Joe Foucha *

CB: Montaric Brown *

NICKEL: Greg Brooks Jr. *

Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the All Aggies message board community today!

Follow AllAggies.com on Facebook and Twitter!

Want More Aggies News? Check Out The Latest In Texas A&M News Here

Published Sep 20, 2021

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI and a long-time member of the Football Writer’s Association of America. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry in 2014 covering the Dallas Mavericks and SMU Mustangs with 247Sports. He then moved to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of the Longhorns and Aggies sites a year later. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan.