Arkansas’ Week 3 depth chart came with a few tweaks on offense, but the bigger picture stayed the same for Ryan Silverfield’s team heading into Georgia.
The first-year Razorbacks coach kept junior KJ Jackson at quarterback, even though an “-or-” option between Jackson and AJ Hill seemed like the kind of move fans might have expected. Instead, Jackson remains listed first for Saturday’s matchup.
The only real movement showed up around the edges of the offense. At receiver, the depth chart brought back the “-or-” designation at WR-X, where No.
6 Chris Marshall is joined by No. 19 Antonio Jordan and No.
1 Courtney Crutchfield. Jordan has two catches for 17 yards, while Crutchfield has logged just ten snaps through two games.
At WR-A, things stayed unchanged, with No. 9 Jamari Hawkins still listed with No.
4 Ismael Cisse and No. 13 Jelani Watkins behind them.
That group remains Arkansas’ most productive spot on offense. WR-Z also stayed steady, with No.
3 CJ Brown ahead of No. 8 Donovan Faupel and No.
11 Monte Harrison.
The rest of the offense held firm, too. Sutton Smith, Braylen Russell and Cam Settles remain the top three at running back. Settles’ role is still worth watching after he continued to out-produce the backs ahead of him, and offensive coordinator Tim Crasmey has called him a “complete back”.
Up front, Arkansas listed the same five starters: Kavion Broussard at left tackle, Malachi Breland at left guard, Caden Kitler at center, Kobe Branham at right guard and Bryant Williams at right tackle. Adam Hawkes is the backup at right tackle after entering in the second half following an undisclosed injury to Williams. Hawkes, the Oregon State transfer, graded out a shade better after early-season struggles, according to Pro Football Focus.
Tight end and the defensive side of the ball also stayed unchanged. Arkansas’ defensive front still has Quincy Rhodes Jr., David Oke and Hunter Osborne featured up front, while the linebacker, secondary and special teams groups carried no changes for the second straight week.
The Razorbacks are set to kick off against the Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. CT at CommunityAmerica Razorback Stadium. ABC will carry the game nationally.
In Other News...
Arkansas Already Has One Big Offensive Problem Fans Cant Ignore
A rough night in Salt Lake City left Arkansas with more questions than answers on offense after the Razorbacks fell 43-10 to No. 20 Utah at Rice-Eccles Stadium. KJ Jackson never found much rhythm through the air, finishing 14 of 34 for 139 yards and an interception, while the ground game was held to 61 yards on 28 carries, a frustrating combination for a unit that never managed to settle in.
Ryan Silverfield pointed to multiple offensive issues afterward and made clear the fixes have to come from everywhere, not just one spot. For Arkansas, the concern is bigger than a single bad performance because the trouble showed up in both the passing game and the run game, leaving little relief for a team that needs cleaner execution from every offensive position moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Already Has A KJ Jackson Question It Can't Ignore
KJ Jacksons first two games have left Arkansas with more questions than clarity at quarterback. The Razorbacks have leaned on the redshirt freshman to guide the offense, but his early showing has been uneven, with accuracy and confidence emerging as concerns while he has completed 38 of 69 passes for 406 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Backup AJ Hill has not seen much action, yet even that limited work was enough to stir talk about whether a competition could develop if the offense does not clean itself up quickly. After the loss to Utah, Sam Pittman pointed to the need for improvement across the board, including the offensive line and the receivers, which means Jacksons situation is tied to much more than one players play. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Has No Time To Fix What Utah Exposed
Arkansas left its meeting with Utah with far more to sort out than a simple loss. The Razorbacks were competitive only in the opening stretch, settling for a field goal before Utah answered with 43 straight points and took control with efficient offense and relentless defensive pressure. By the time it was over, the 43-10 final reflected how thoroughly the game had slipped away.
The concern now is the timing. Arkansas does not get a soft landing after what Utah exposed, because Georgia is next in the SEC opener and the margin for error only gets smaller from here. Whatever fixes the Razorbacks need have to come quickly, because the first conference game will ask a lot more than a reset against nonconference competition. [Read more 🡒]