Mailbag: Answering your questions on the Razorbacks

Arkansas defensive lineman McTelvin Agim during practice Saturday, April 8, 2017,

In looking at the Diamond Hogs, what do you see that makes you think they can make it to Omaha. Conversely, what do you see as a limitation to reaching Omaha? - Mike

I think any time a team is able to hit home runs, it has a chance to make it far in the baseball postseason. Arkansas ran into a really good freshman pitcher, Eric Walker, Sunday who has worked 16 straight scoreless innings against two of the best teams in the league. But before that, the Razorbacks hit well against LSU's top two starters, Alex Lange and Jared Poche', who both likely are going to be high-round draft picks in June.

The concern for this team has to be the bullpen, which is crucial during a regional weekend when you might have to play four or five times in three or four days. Dominic Taccolini and Cannon Chadwick have been wild in several outings, and those are the two expected to carry the load on the back end. I think Jake Reindl might get a strong look at a different role after the way he pitched against LSU on Sunday, which was a continuation of a good streak for him.

LSU coach Paul Mainieri made a comment after Saturday's game that he thought Arkansas was a College World Series caliber team. Maybe he was being polite, but that comment was unsolicited and he knows what a team needs to look like to get to Omaha.

If the "kneeling" incident had not occurred, would there have been fewer transfers and would Jimmy Dykes still have his job? Or, was that only one part of the issue? - Greg

I do think the backlash from that contributed to at least one player transferring during the season, but there were a bunch of transfers under Jimmy Dykes in the two seasons before that transpired.

Ultimately, I think the leash always was going to be short with Dykes because of his lack of experience. It was an experimental hire and things had not gone real well for two years, on or off the court. Based on returners, next year probably wouldn't have looked much better. Most within the program would tell you that it probably was time for a change.

Arkansas' defense in 2017 can't be worse than it was last year, but how much better can it really be? - Billy

I think it can be better against the run. It'd be hard to be worse after giving up 39 rushing touchdowns.

I think the defense is a concern again, though. Several of the best players off an overall poor defensive unit are gone, which means there is going to be some growing up to do on that side of the ball. That's compounded when you consider the players are learning a new defensive scheme.

That said, I think there are some solid players like McTelvin Agim and Dre Greenlaw to build around, and Robb Smith showed a first-year coordinator can have success when pieces are in place. Paul Rhoads has a great opportunity to prove himself.

Are there still efforts being made to get the Hogs into a Labor Day match in a mega stadium? - John

Based on everything I've heard, Arkansas still is working on playing something at a neutral site to open the 2020 season. At last check, the most likely spots would be in Kansas City or Orlando. I've been told the Razorbacks won't play those games against just anybody, meaning they would be marquee matchups. The Kansas City option is intriguing because of its proximity to the Arkansas campus, closer even than Dallas.

My questions revolve around the offensive line and the defensive front seven. Do we have enough skill people at these positions to be competitive with the "big boys"? We have to be able to run the ball and protect the passer and we have to be able to stop the run on defense. Do we have the talent to line up and do so? - Steve

Arkansas has the front-line players to be competitive. In my opinion, the difference between Arkansas and the teams that historically fare better is the depth along the lines. There's little doubt that McTelvin Agim or Frank Ragnow could start for any team in the SEC, but there is a drop-off between them and their backups. Avoiding injuries is so important on both lines.

Will the Hogs offensive line make a big enough improvement to run the ball more effectively and close out games and hide our terrible defense? - Brent

I think the offensive line will be the most improved position group on the team next season. You can't overstate how much experience means there or the fact that all five starters last year were different than the year before (Frank Ragnow and Dan Skipper had position changes). At least four of the positions this fall probably will be filled by a player who started a game there in 2016.

The maturation of the running backs will help, as well as a multi-year starter at fullback. You hear words like "timing" and "rhythm" used a lot in the passing game, but those are important in the run game, too. The offensive grouping on the field for short-yardage situations will be a lot more comfortable with each other than last year.

Several of the defensive linemen have made references to playing more aggressively and not filling a gap. Does that indicate that the scheme may have been more of an issue than personnel, or is that just spring football hope? - Bill

I would say a little of both. The players are going to repeat everything their coaches say, and the emphasis in the spring is on correcting the mistakes of the year before.

Were there locker room/chemistry issues with the football team in 2016? - Larry

Nothing out of the ordinary that I am aware, although any time there are so many bad losses it makes you wonder whether everyone was on the same page.

Have a question for next week's mailbag? Email Matt Jones at mojones@nwadg.com.