Frequently asked questions about Arkansas in 2019

Arkansas quarterback Ben Hicks carries the ball Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019, during practice at the university's practice facility in Fayetteville.

Ten frequently asked questions regarding the 2019 Arkansas Razorbacks:

Who will win the starting quarterback job?

Ben Hicks clearly had the inside track by going through spring workouts and imprinting his leadership on the offense and team through summertime skills and drills. Not to mention, Hicks has as much familiarity with the current iteration of the Chad Morris/Joe Craddock offense as any person alive from their days at SMU, and he can impart that knowledge on and off the field to his teammates. Nick Starkel has a much stronger arm and creates natural spin that produces tight spirals. He needs to learn when to take a little something off of shorter routes. It would be no surprise if Hicks and Starkel split time in the early going. It would make sense to start Starkel against his former Texas A&M team in game No. 5. He might have the goods to take the reins on a permanent basis, which wouldn’t be a bad outcome since he has another year remaining. KJ Jefferson needs seasoning, but he profiles as the perfect dual-threat QB for this system.

Can the Arkansas defense force more turnovers?

Yes, and the unit will. Arkansas forced five turnovers in Game 1 vs. Eastern Illinois, then had only 11 more the rest of the season. The Hogs wound up with a minus-10 turnover margin, one of the worst in the country. The Razorbacks never had more than two takeaways in a game after the opener. Opponents had four consecutive games, and five out of six, without losing a fumble. The Razorbacks had just five interceptions, all by Ryan Pulley (3) and Dre Greenlaw (2), so none from returning players. The key to getting interceptions is forcing quarterbacks into bad decisions with pressure. Playing faster in the second year under coordinator John Chavis should provide more opportunities like that, and better play from ends such as Dorian Gerald, Gabe Richardson, Jamario Bell and Mataio Soli is a key. This year should lead to around 25 takeaways.

Will any Arkansas running back rack up 1,000 rushing yards?

You have to average 83.3 yards through 12 games to reach 1,000. The thought is Rakeem Boyd, Devwah Whaley, Chase Hayden or T.J. Hammonds all could hit that mark if they got 20-plus carries per game. Will that happen? Possibly. Boyd wound up with 734 yards last year after a slow start, which included 192 yards in the first five games. If he avoids injury, which did not happen last year, Boyd can crack 1,000. Whaley should accumulate 500-plus yards, and Hayden, Hammonds and others another 500. The Razorbacks need to push for 2,000-plus rushing yards this year.

What’s some over-under numbers on sacks posted and touchdown passes allowed?

Last year, we said over 25 sacks and the Razorbacks got 26. We also took the under on 23 touchdown passes allowed and Arkansas gave up 22.

This year, we’ll set the sack prediction at 29 and touchdown passes allowed at 22 again.

We’ll also predict the Razorbacks will give up 28 sacks (they allowed 32 last year) and will throw 25 touchdown passes (17 last year).

Will the offensive line perform better?

Logic would say the losses of Hjalte Froholdt, Johnny Gibson and Brian Wallace would make it hard for this unit to take a step forward; however, solid recruiting should give line coach Dustin Fry more options and allow the unit to withstand injuries such as the one that will cost RT Noah Gatlin the season. LT Colton Jackson, who rushed back from injury in September, C Ty Clary and RT Dalton Wagner are imparting leadership. LG Austin Capps and RG Shane Clenin should be solid. If the unit avoids another rash of injuries — Capps recently underwent a minor surgery — it should improve this fall.

Can special teams avoid disaster?

Tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr. now has the title of special teams coordinator, and he has vowed to make the kicking game more organized and dynamic. Field goal kicking — with the trio of snapper Jordan Silver, holder Jack Lindsey and kicker Connor Limpert — was a bright spot, though a missed 48-yarder at Colorado State in the third quarter loomed critical. The punting coverage and return units all must take a step forward. Veteran return man De’Vion Warren is solid on kickoffs, but the Razorbacks must find a replacement for steady Deon Stewart on punt returns after he tore an ACL during the second scrimmage of camp.

How many true freshmen will play?

Can’t pinpoint the exact number, but there are some no-brainers who will be in the rotations barring injury, such as receivers Trey Knox and Treylon Burks; tight end Hudson Henry; defensive backs Devin Bush, Greg Brooks and Jalen Catalon; defensive ends Mataio Soli and Zach Williams; and some combination of defensive tackles Taurean Carter, Enoch Jackson and Marcus Miller. Defensive end Eric Gregory’s participation might hinge on how soon he comes back from left ankle surgery. Linebacker Zach Zimos also is expected to get action, possibly on special teams. These and other true freshmen — such as quarterback KJ Jefferson and the large crop of offensive linemen — could see playing time in four games or less to protect their redshirt seasons.

Who will lead the team in receptions?

Tricky. The easy and safest answer is tight end Cheyenne O’Grady, and that’s the pick here even if he misses the opener after arthroscopic knee surgery. As the unit becomes more dangerous downfield, there should be more space across the middle and on the flanks to operate for guys such as O’Grady, Grayson Gunter and Hudson Henry. Numbers for the wideouts have to pick up as well, and it’s easy to envision Mike Woods, Trey Knox or Treylon Burks pushing O’Grady for the overall lead. Also, it’s go time for fleet-footed De’Vion Warren and Jordan Jones when he comes back from injury. Koilan Jackson is likely to miss a couple of games after clean-up knee surgery, so his odds are down to top the charts.

Is depth at linebacker and in the secondary finally here?

Not quite. Defensive coordinator John Chavis is vowing to keep MLB De’Jone Harris around 55 snaps per game, which means Grant Morgan, Deon Edwards, Hayden Henry, Andrew Parker and others have to contribute. Moving D’Vone McClure to WLB with Bumper Pool and Henry should spread the reps around there as well. The secondary will be incredibly young and is certain to face adversity, but quality numbers at corner and nickel appear to be on the uptick. Recruiting and developing safeties behind Kam Curl, Joe Foucha and Myles Mason — like up-and-comer Jalen Catalon — is a high priority. True freshmen Greg Brooks, Devin Bush and Catalon are being counted on this year.

We assume the Razorbacks will improve on that 2-10 record, but by how much?

Arkansas will enter the season with an 11-game losing streak in conference play, and the Hogs might not be favored in a league game this fall unless they can win in Week 2 at Ole Miss and build momentum. That means a sweep of the four nonconference games is essential to lay the foundation for the rebuild. We predict that will happen, and that the Razorbacks will find a way to post two conference victories to get to 6-6. Making a bowl would be a sign of strong progress in a conference that makes it hazardous for rebuilds.