Arkansas football positional previews: Can fresh faces at linebacker thrive in the SEC?

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FAYETTEVILLE — There are eight weekends remaining until the return of Arkansas football.

The Razorbacks open the 2024 season in Little Rock against UAPB. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) on Thursday, Aug. 29.

Arkansas is coming off a disappointing 4-8 campaign that saw offensive coordinator Dan Enos get fired midseason and the eventual transfers of KJ Jefferson and Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders, two faces of the program.

More: Grading Arkansas athletics in 2023-24: Why we had to give Sam Pittman, football an F

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In response, the Hogs hired Bobby Petrino and hit the transfer portal, bringing in plenty of newcomers for what feels like an all-important season for head coach Sam Pittman.

Over the next month, the Southwest Times Record will run positional previews twice a week, asking two questions and providing one bold prediction. We tackled the entire offense earlier this month, including key position groups like the quarterbacks and offensive line.

Here’s a look at the linebackers entering 2024.

Are there clear starters at linebacker for Arkansas football?

The linebacker room this fall is defined by the unknown, with transfers who haven’t yet proven themselves in the SEC combined with underclassmen who don’t have many collegiate reps.

Brad Spence and Xavian Sorey Jr. took a majority of the first-team reps this spring. Spence played in 11 games as a true freshman last season, while Sorey is a former five-star recruit who transferred to Arkansas from Georgia. The coaches were happy with both players in the offseason, but they still went out and added two players in the spring transfer portal.

Larry Worth (Jacksonville State) and Stephen Dix Jr. (Marshall) bring experience and depth to the position, and both players figure to play…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/arkansas-football-positional-previews-fresh-080414654.html

Author : Ft. Smith Southwest Times Record

Publish date : 2024-07-02 08:04:14

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