SEC Football: Preseason power rankings for 2023 season
By Matt Melton
9. Arkansas Razorbacks
Sitting at No. 9 in our 2023 preseason SEC football power rankings is Arkansas, as the Razorbacks are entering year No. 4 of the Sam Pittman era in Fayetteville.
After posting one of their best seasons in recent memory back in 2021, Arkansas would finish last season at 7-6 overall, while also holding a 3-5 mark in SEC play. Also winning the Liberty Bowl to conclude the year, this would also be Arkansas’ second-straight winning season, the first time the Razorbacks have done that since the 2015-16 campaigns.
Returning for Arkansas this fall is one of the SEC’s top backfield duos in quarterback KJ Jefferson and running back Raheim Sanders, while offensive lineman Brady Latham is also a notable name that is back for the Razorbacks on offense. Also back on defense is Dwight McGlothern to lead the Razorbacks secondary, along with Chris Paul Jr., Hudson Clark, and Jayden Johnson elsewhere on the defensive side of the ball, among others.
In addition to those names, the Razorbacks have also added a lengthy transfer portal class, which includes the likes of North Texas tight end Var’Keyes Gumms, Bowling Green wide receiver Tyrone Broden, and Georgia cornerback Jaheim Singletary, among others. Also among the new additions is the Razorbacks 2023 recruiting class, which includes potential impact players such as Luke Hasz, Quincy Rhodes Jr., and more.
Arkansas will begin the 2023 season at home in Week 1, as the Razorbacks will host Western Carolina.