Expect the Arkansas Razorbacks to improve upon their 7-6 record this coming season under Sam Pittman, who is entering his fourth season as the team’s head coach.
In Pittman’s first season in 2020, the Hogs went 3-7 followed by a 9-4 campaign in 2021.
2021 also saw a fully healthy starting quarterback in KJ Jefferson who threw for 2,676 yards and twenty-one touchdowns for the Hogs. Jefferson threw for 2,636 yards and twenty four touchdowns in 2022 while only appearing in eleven games being plagued by injuries. So if Jefferson can stay healthy, that points to great things for the Hogs.
Jefferson will also benefit from junior running back Raheim Sanders who enters his second season as the premier back for the Hogs. Sanders ran for 1,443 yards while rushing for ten touchdowns in 2022. He also caught twenty-eight passes for two more touchdowns. Do not be surprised if this one-two combination turns a lot of heads this year for the Hogs.
Additionally, Jefferson has some new weapons at the tight end position. Redshirt sophomore tight end Var’keyes Gumms is slotted as the teams number one tight end right now after coming over from North Texas where he caught thirty four passes and five touchdowns. Gumms has looked the part in spring and fall camp and looks to be an asset that Jefferson will look to as more than a safety valve or checkdown option.
Joining Gumms is a second tight end that’s turned heads as a true freshman in camp, Luke Hasz. Hasz has also been there for spring practice and now fall camp like Gumms and has been impressive. Hasz was rated as the number three tight end in the 2023 class.
Dan Enos will take the reigns as the offensive coordinator again in Fayetteville after spending 2015-2017 as the teams offensive coordinator under former Arkansas head coach, Bret Bielema. Enos put up record offensive numbers in his first stint with the Hogs and looks to replicate the same.
One the defensive side of the ball, redshirt sophomore linebacker, Chris “Pooh” Paul Jr. looks to build on his 2022 campaign where he totaled sixty-two tackles and four sacks for the Hogs. Paul was fifth on the team in tackles last year.
Senior defensive back Dwight McGlothern also returns to help anchor the Hogs on the defensive side of the ball. Last year, McGlothern led the Hogs with four interceptions and will look to build on that mark.
If the Hogs play up to their potential on both sides of the ball, they could surprise some people this season. Here are my predictions on how they will fare game-by-game in 2023.
Arkansas Razorbacks 2023 Game-by-Game Predictions
Western Carolina (Fayetteville, AR) – Expect the Hogs to take this one 49-17. KJ and Rocket Sanders will steal the show as a tandem on the offensive side of things. The defense may give up a few big plays as they round into form, but ultimately the Hogs will roll getting their first win of the season.
Kent State (Fayetteville, AR) – The Kent State Golden Flashes finished in the middle of the pack last year in the MAC and will have tough sledding going into this matchup against the Hogs. Kent State will be coming off of a road game against the UCF Golden Knights and should be 0-1 heading into the contest. Look for the Hogs to seize momentum early with an emphasis on defense in this one defeating the Golden Flashes 35-3. This will have the Hogs feeling good heading into their week three showdown against BYU.
BYU (Fayetteville, AR) – This will be a tough matchup for the Hogs. Thankfully, it is at home and that should help to propel them to a predicted 28-17 victory over a BYU Cougars team who has a good chance at entering the contest 2-0 themselves and will be riding momentum if so. Last year the Cougars finished 100th in the country allowing thirty points per game. Look for the Hogs to take advantage on the ground in this one to advance to 3-0 entering SEC play.
LSU (Baton Rouge, LA) – The Hogs head into the gauntlet that is the SEC West as the travel down to Baton Rouge for “The Boot” rivalry game against the LSU Tigers. Expect the Hogs to give LSU quite a struggle in this one as they will be 3-0 with momentum on their side heading into the contest. The Hogs will fall in this one, but it will be closer than many think with a final of 34-21 as the Tigers pull away late.
Texas A&M (Dallas, TX) – What is considered to be a neutral site game, the Hogs will travel to Dallas to take on the Texas A&M Aggies and should feel pretty good about their performances all together in the first four weeks. Last years contest against the Aggies was a devastating and somewhat controversial loss which saw the Hogs fall 23-21. Expect the Hogs to take care of business this year beating the Aggies 35-28 in a contest that always seems to be a nail biter. Since 2009, the Hogs have defeated the Aggies four times. In those seasons, their win totals have been 8, 10, 11, and 9. That bodes well for the Hogs if they can pull this one out.
Ole Miss (Oxford, MS) – 38-17 will be the final here as the Hogs take this one. Although the Hogs will be in the midst of their SEC gauntlet, so will the Rebels of Ole Miss who will have just come off of back-to-back losses to Alabama and LSU. This will help the Hogs who will have momentum on their side. A significant difference as well should be apparent at the quarterback position. Watch for KJ Jefferson to look elite compared to whoever Ole Miss trots out on the field as their starting quarterback. This could be an issue for the Rebels coming off of back-to-back losses in confidence wavering for them at that position. This win puts the Hogs at 6-1 as they head to Tuscaloosa to take on the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL) – Expect the Alabama Crimson Tide to be undefeated heading into this one as they take care of business at home 42-10. This will be a disappointing loss for the Hogs if they indeed enter at 6-1 considering their competitiveness in the game’s prior. The Tide will have a balanced attack heading into this one and will be a tall task for any team. Traditionally, the Tide have been strong at shutting down opposing teams’ tight ends and will be able to focus on stopping Rocket Sanders in the run game which will limit options for the Hogs. This will drop the Hogs to 6-2 on the season as they had back to Fayetteville to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Mississippi State (Fayetteville, AR) – Coming off of a loss in Tuscaloosa, the Hogs will feel relief in a sense that this one is at home against the Bulldogs. Look for KJ Jefferson to put the Hogs on his back in this one leading them to a statement 49-10 victory. Zach Arnett will be in his first season as head coach of the Bulldogs, so it’ll be a rough one for them as the Hogs focus in on senior quarterback Will Rogers making the Bulldogs have to rely on their run game.
Florida (Gainesville, FL) – By the second half of the season, the Florida Gators should be rounding more into form under second year head coach, Billy Napier. While the Gators have a tough first half of the season, unfortunately for the Hogs they will get them in the second half when things start to turn. The Hogs will take this one in a low-scoring affair 17-10. Napier was 11-3 in his second season at the University of Louisiana as head coach of the Ragin Cajuns. So, although Florida’s record will not seem that impressive at this point in the season, the Hogs should take solace in that they ran into a team rounding into form in a tough environment and gave them a strong game. This will put the Hogs at 8-2 on the season as they head into the home stretch.
Auburn (Fayetteville, AR) – With a ten-win season on the table, expect Sam Pittman to make sure the Hogs are motivated for this one. This could pose as the toughest remaining game for the Hogs. And the fact that it is at home proves crucial again. Hugh Freeze will be in his first season as head coach of the Auburn Tigers. While Freeze is a proven winner in the SEC during his time as head coach at Ole Miss, year one will prove rough for the Tigers who come into the season with a roster that requires much rebuild. This will work to the benefit of the Hogs to take this one improving to 8-3 on the season. The Tigers will give the Hogs a contest as coming off of a loss is always difficult, but they should handle business 35-13 as KJ Jefferson continues to thrive, putting his name in the Heisman conversation.
Florida International (Fayetteville, AR) – Stepping out of conference with a non-power five contest, expect the Hogs to take care of business here shutting out the Florida International Panthers 45-0 as KJ Jefferson and Rocket Sanders combine for six touchdowns. The Hogs will be hungry for that tenth win against Missouri to conclude their regular season next week.
Missouri (Fayetteville, AR) – The Hogs will clinch their tenth win of the season winning this one with ease 38-3. Don’t be surprised if Missouri has departed ways by this point with head coach Eli Drinkwitz who is a subpar 17-19 in his first three seasons with the Tigers. This should help to propel the Hogs.
This will be the Hogs first ten-win season since 2011 and could see the Hogs with a New Years Six bowl game.
If the season goes as planned, expect KJ Jefferson to get some Heisman talk as well and to maybe even end up in New York as a finalist.
This season will also keep Sam Pittman in good graces with Hogs fans and leave the fan base chomping at the bit for the 2024 campaign to begin.