Some of the key questions facing the Arkansas Razorbacks heading into the 2013 football season:
Can Brandon Allen be a productive SEC quarterback?
More than any other single factor, this issue will help determine whether Arkansas can bounce back from its 4-8 2012 season, and the answer is impossible to know at this point. Allen had a great opening scrimmage, completing 16 of 17 passes for 216 yards, but that performance came with very light blitzing and nothing too complicated on either side of the ball. Allen’s confidence and comfort with the system have soared since the middle of spring, and it needed to after most of his work last season came in adverse situations and wasn’t very productive. His accuracy in camp has been encouraging, but this work is much different than facing South Carolina or Alabama.
Will the linebackers be more productive this year?
Short answer: Definitely. How much more productive is the question. Last season was a linebacker nightmare after the injuries to Tenarius Wright and Alonzo Highsmith forced freshmen A.J. Turner and Otha Peters into action. There might not be a hungrier unit on the team, with veterans like Jarrett Lake, Braylon Mitchell, Austin Jones and Daunte Carr eager to contribute. Peters was having a good camp until he broke his arm, which is expected to sideline him six to eight weeks, and newcomers Martrell Spaight and Brooks Ellis are expected to add more physical play to a unit that could be a major surprise this fall.
Who is more primed for a breakout year, Jonathan Williams or Alex Collins?
Coach Bret Bielema said after one week of camp that Williams would be the “go-to guy,” but Collins’ talent is so apparent that he deserves multiple carries each game. It could be that both runners, if the blocking goes as hoped, could push past 800 or so yards. Williams’ vision, power and instincts were apparent last season, but his ball security and pad level need to be better. Collins will have to fight the instinct to reverse field when initial holes aren’t apparent because, although there is a chance for a breakaway run, there is a greater chance for large negative plays. The odds are pretty even that either one or both will make headlines in the SEC this year.
Will there be improvement in pass defense?
There has to be. Well, technically, there doesn’t have to be improvement — the Hogs ranked 113th nationally in passing yardage allowed last season — but there should be. The Razorbacks should generate a better pass rush, which should make for more hurried throws, and Arkansas should have better coverage. A healthy Eric Bennett at safety will be a big help, as should a full season from cornerback Tevin Mitchel. The unit gave up some big plays in the early scrimmage, so the play at cornerback, where the Razorbacks are not deep to begin with, needs to improve. The battle for a starting job between Jared Collins and Will Hines should be intense, and how much backups like Carroll Washington, D.J. Dean and Ray Buchanan Jr. can help will be of great interest. Leading nickel candidate Rohan Gaines had a knee injury early in camp, giving that spot a tinge of urgency.
Will the defensive front be as good as advertised?
The Razorbacks’ front four is ranked among the SEC’s best, and that is best-in-the-country territory. Arkansas will have to make major improvements to enter that realm. Ends Chris Smith and Trey Flowers were good last season, but they can be much better against the run and the pass. Byran Jones and Robert Thomas should be one of the best starting pairings at tackle Arkansas has had in years. While the Hogs might not be able to match the depth of last year’s unit, their young reserves, led by DeMarcus Hodge, Darius Philon, Deatrich Wise, JaMichael Winston and others, look to have large upsides. If Arkansas is to rise beyond its lowly expectations, it starts right here.
Can the Hogs go from a good pass protection, sub-par run-blocking team to a dominant drive-blocking team in the course of one season?
It can be done. It started in the winter, when strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert began reshaping and strengthening the bodies on the offensive front. Their lower-body strength improved, the offensive linemen will be asked to hold blocks longer this season, and the group can expect more tight end blocking help in this offense. Tackles David Hurd and Grady Ollison have highly touted freshmen Dan Skipper and Denver Kirkland behind them, which should make them all better. In reality, the Hogs should make more strides over the next couple of years in their run blocking, but this group, led by center Travis Swanson and guards Brey Cook and Mitch Smothers, stands to make a vast improvement from a year ago.
Will Arkansas make it three years in a row with a player breaking the single-season receiving yardage record?
Um, no. There isn’t an obvious Jarius Wright or Cobi Hamilton game-breaker in the system right now, and the shift to a more balanced approach will make it impossible for anyone to exceed Hamilton’s 1,335 receiving yards, which eclipsed Wright’s previous record by 218 yards. The unit also took a hit when Demetrius Wilson was lost for the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees during fall camp. The Razorbacks will have to spread it around to Julian Horton, Javontee Herndon, Keon Hatcher, D’Arthur Cowan and company and hope it complements a strong ground game.
Is this a bounce-back year for kicker Zach Hocker?
Yes it is. After making just 11 of 18 field goals and falling into mediocrity along with most of the team last season, Hocker should be poised for a big senior season. The Russellville native made a 57-yard field goal in a scrimmage with room to spare. He is the school’s kick-scoring leader with 287 points, just seven shy of Bill Burnett’s school scoring record. Hocker was outstanding in kickoff duty last season, and it’s likely he’ll reprise that role along with punting this year. If he maintains the punting consistency he showed early in camp, Hocker could mirror Dylan Breeding’s last two years of excellent work, capped by a 45.6-yard average last season.
With which SEC coach is Bret Bielema most likely to share an icy pregame chat or postgame handshake?
Considering he’s already gone a couple of light rounds with Auburn’s Gus Malzahn over the hurry-up offense, he’s the most likely bet. Bielema is wisely trying to stake out Arkansas territory for his Razorbacks program vs. Malzahn, an Arkansas native and former Razorbacks assistant who has picked off solid talent from Arkansas and enjoys good relationships with many high school coaches in the state. Other candidates include Nick Saban, the SEC kingpin, and hurry-up practitioners Kevin Sumlin of Texas A&M and Hugh Freeze of Ole Miss.
Of the four-game gantlet of ranked teams Arkansas will face in succession, which one offers the best upset opportunity?
This exercise is declared void if Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel winds up suspended for the Arkansas game Sept. 28, as it clearly puts the Aggies on upset alert in Fayetteville. All things being equal, the best shot is likely Oct. 5 at Florida. The Gators showed vast improvement under Will Muschamp in 2012, and analysts project the Florida defense as one of the league’s best. However, the Gators had turnover on that defense, injuries in camp, questions on offense and they haven’t fully made the transition to being the physically dominating team Muschamp envisions.