FAYETTEVILLE — With four games remaining and two-plus years removed from winning an SEC game, Arkansas (2-6, 0-5 SEC) appears to have no real good reason not to have a youth movement on the field.
It might begin with Saturday’s game with visiting Mississippi State (3-5, 1-4).
Arkansas offensive lineman Dalton Wagner admits the program needs any help it can get with only four wins in 16 games over the past two years, going 8-26 in its last 34 outings and riding a 16-game SEC losing streak.
“We want to win,” Wagner said. "We’re sick of losing, sick and tired of being sick and tired. It’s about this new season now and we have to get after it and win the month of November.”
That November push would seemingly include getting time for true freshmen such as quarterback K.J. Jefferson, tight end Hudson Henry, running back A’Montae Spivey, safety Jalen Catalon, cornerback Malik Chavis, offensive lineman Brady Latham and others.
All of them can play four games this season and still keep their redshirt. Catalon and Latham are the only ones who have been on the field this season.
Hayden Henry, a junior linebacker and the older brother of Hudson, believes his brother has now done enough to be ready for his first game action.
“Yeah, he sure has,” Hayden Henry said. “He’s changed quite a bit from this week to the start of the season, kind of figuring out what it takes to play at this level, what it takes to be a successful tight end in this league.”
Hudson Henry was regarded as the nation’s best high school tight end going into his senior season at Pulaski Academy, where the Bruins were 53-3 during his career and won three state championships.
He caught 86 passes for 1,207 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior and chose Arkansas over Alabama, Florida, LSU and others.
“I hope he gets a shot on Saturday," Hayden Henry said. "I think he’ll prove a lot of people…prove a lot of people right I guess.”
Latham saw his first action of the season last week when Kirby Adcock was injured in a 48-7 loss to then-No. 1 Alabama.
“We love Brady,” Wagner said. “We were getting in his ear for the Alabama game, like, 'Dude your first snaps are against the No. 1 team in the country. Don't be nervous.' He's a true freshman, so of course he got a little nervous.
“As it goes for freshmen, it's tough. You just don't have a lot of football experience, but I think he's done really well. I think he's progressed a lot since he got here and he's gotten a lot better. I think he'll be a really good football player.”
Mississippi State routed Arkansas 52-6 last season in Starkville, Miss. The Bulldogs reeled off 35 straight points to close out the game, including a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter that seem to have irked the Razorbacks.
Arkansas senior defensive end T.J. Smith remembers it well and coach Chad Morris has brought it up.
“It is kind of a revenge deal,” Smith said. “They ran it up on us. Coach (Morris) was talking about it…throwing the ball at the end of the game when they were up. So we are going out there, excited to play against these guys. We want to get off to a fast start and have a good game against these guys.”
The Razorbacks are riding a five-game losing streak and Smith knows it’s important to just get a win.
“It’s huge, especially at this point in the season,” Smith said. “Getting a win, just starting off with one, just to turn it around. It’s a big deal to go out here and get a win.”