FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas has been picked to finish third in the SEC West in 2022 by media members who cover the conference.
The Razorbacks are slotted to finish behind projected division and overall conference champion Alabama and Texas A&M in a poll released Friday at SEC Media Days in Atlanta. They are expected to finish ahead of Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn, respectively.
"We don't want to repeat last year," Arkansas safety Jalen Catalon said this week. "We want to be better. Like I said, last year was a great year, but I always say to the team that last year was last year. It's 2022.
"Now it's a new year. Everybody is looking to start off right and try to make it to the top."
The league’s media predicted the Razorbacks to finish sixth last year. They went 9-4 overall, capping the season with a victory in the Outback Bowl, and 4-4 in SEC play to secure third in the division behind the Crimson Tide and Rebels.
In 2020, Sam Pittman’s first season leading Arkansas, the Razorbacks were picked last in the SEC West for the third consecutive year.
"I've been a part of teams that have been 2-10," Arkansas linebacker Bumper Pool said this week. "After last season things completely changed, but it wasn't an overnight success. There's a lot of work that goes into it.
"You talk about repeating (our) success, well, the work is what ultimately can determine the wins and losses. This team is extremely hard working."
Four Arkansas players were named to preseason All-SEC teams on Friday, led by offensive lineman Ricky Stromberg and Catalon on the first team. Pool (second) and offensive lineman Brady Latham (third) were also selected.
Quarterback KJ Jefferson, entering his second season as the team's full-time starter, was not named to any of the three teams.
Here are the division and conference voting results, and All-SEC teams:
Overall
Alabama (158)
Georgia (18)
South Carolina (3)
Vanderbilt (1)
Texas A&M (1)
SEC West
1 Alabama (177)
2 Texas A&M (3)
3 Arkansas (1)
4 Ole Miss
5 LSU
6 Mississippi State
7 Auburn
SEC East
1 Georgia (172)
2 Kentucky (4)
3 Tennessee (1)
4 Florida
5 South Carolina (3)
6 Missouri
7 Vanderbilt (1)
All-SEC first team
Offense
QB – Bryce Young, Alabama
RB - Tank Bigsby, Auburn
RB – Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
WR - Kayshon Boutte, LSU
WR - Jermaine Burton, Alabama
TE - Brock Bowers, Georgia
OL - Emil Ekiyor Jr., Alabama
OL - Warren McClendon, Georgia
OL - O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida
OL - Nick Broeker, Ole Miss
C - Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas
Defense
DL - Jalen Carter, Georgia
DL - BJ Ojulari, LSU
DL - Derick Hall, Auburn
DL - Byron Young, Tennessee
LB - Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
LB - Nolan Smith, Georgia
LB - Henry To'oTo'o, Alabama
DB - Jordan Battle, Alabama
DB - Kelee Ringo, Georgia
DB - Eli Ricks, Alabama
DB - Jalen Catalon, Arkansas
All-SEC second team
Offense
QB – Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
RB - Chris Rodriguez Jr., Kentucky
RB - Devon Achane, Texas A&M
WR - Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
WR - Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss
TE - Cameron Latu, Alabama
OL - Layden Robinson, Texas A&M
OL - Kenneth Horsey, Kentucky
OL - Darnell Wright, Tennessee
OL - Javion Cohen, Alabama
C - Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
Defense
DL - Zacch Pickens, South Carolina
DL - D.J. Dale, Alabama
DL - Ali Gaye, LSU
DL - Colby Wooden, Auburn
LB - Bumper Pool, Arkansas
LB - Dallas Turner, Alabama
LB - Brenton Cox Jr., Florida
DB – Cam Smith, South Carolina
DB - Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
DB - Christopher Smith, Georgia
DB - Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
All-SEC third team
Offense
QB – Will Levis, Kentucky
RB - Zach Evans, Ole Miss
RB - Kenny McIntosh, Georgia
WR - Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
WR - Josh Vann, South Carolina
TE - Jaheim Bell, South Carolina
OL - Brady Latham, Arkansas
OL - Tyler Steen, Alabama
OL - Javon Foster, Missouri
*OL - Jeremy James, Ole Miss
*OL – Kendall Randolph, Alabama
C - Cooper Mays, Tennessee
Defense
DL - Gervon Dexter, Florida
DL - Justin Eboigbe, Alabama
DL - Maason Smith, LSU
DL - McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M
LB - Owen Pappoe, Auburn
LB - Ventrell Miller, Florida
LB - Jeremy Banks, Tennessee
DB - Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
DB - Trey Dean III, Florida
DB - Trevon Flowers, Tennessee
DB - Malachi Moore, Alabama
Specialists
First team
P - Nik Constantinou, Texas A&M
PK - Will Reichard, Alabama
RS - Kearis Jackson, Georgia
AP - Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
Second team
P - Oscar Chapman, Auburn
PK - Anders Carlson, Auburn
RS - Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
AP - Devon Achane, Texas A&M
Third team
P - Paxton Brooks, Tennessee
PK - Harrison Mevis, Missouri
RS - JoJo Earle, Alabama
AP - Ainias Smith, Texas A&M