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Arkansas kicks off its spring practice on March 29 and will have its spring game on April 23. The Razorbacks enjoyed a successful season in 2015 by most accounts, finishing third in the SEC West after back-to-back last place finishes in 2013-14.
But Arkansas’ season could have been so much more had it not been for a slow start. The Razorbacks lost three consecutive games from Week 2-5 to Toledo, Texas Tech and Texas A&M.
Head coach Bret Bielema was on the hot seat after talking a big game for his first two seasons despite finishing last in the SEC West. But Arkansas rallied to win seven of its last nine games and finish third in the division behind national champion Alabama and Ole Miss — a team it defeated 53-52 in overtime on Nov. 7.
The Razorbacks were one of the hardest teams to rate in terms of success given their lofty preseason expectations — ESPN ranked them as the No. 10 in its preseason RPI list — and how weird their season turned out to be. Arkansas lost to teams it should have beaten but managed to compete with or defeat every other team on its schedule — aside from Alabama.
Expectations should remain high in Bielema’s third season despite the Razorbacks losing their best player, running back Alex Collins, and several key contributors to the NFL Draft. Here’s a look at what to watch for when the Razorbacks kick off spring practice later this month.
Replacing Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams
Collins was arguably Arkansas’ best player once he stepped foot on campus. He rushed for 1,000-plus yards in each of his three seasons including a career-best 1,577 in 2015.
Collins split time with Jonathan Williams to give Arkansas one of the nation’s best running back tandems before Williams missed the entire 2015 season with a foot injury. Neither back will be on the Razorbacks’ roster this season.
Junior Kody Walker and freshman Rawleigh Williams III both saw playing time behind Collins in 2015. Williams had a 254 yards and a touchdown on 56 carries, including 100-yard performance against Tennessee, before missing his final six games with a neck injury which he is expected to make a full recovery from in 2016.
Walker rushed for 394 yards and six touchdowns on 90 attempts. He averaged 12 carries per game in Williams’ absence which could give him the edge entering spring practice. But given how Bielema split carries between Collins and Williams during his first three seasons, both backs will likely see plenty of playing tine in 2016.
Finding a quarterback
Brandon Allen enjoyed the best season of his career in 2015 with 3,440 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 244-of-370 passing. Unfortunately for Arkansas, it was his last and the team will need to find a replacement.
Austin Allen, Brandon’s younger brother, is the most experienced quarterback on Arkansas’ roster in 2016. Bielema also told swtimes.com that Allen was the favorite to work with the first group offense in January.
There’s also a chance that former USC quarterback Ricky Town could nab the starting position. Town sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules after joining the program just before the 2015 season. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Town ranked as the No. 6 pro-style quarterback for the 2015 recruiting class according to 247Sports.com and is the highest-rated Arkansas QB prospect since Ryan Mallett.
Replacing Hunter Henry
Bielema needs to find a passer while replacing his the SEC’s best tight end. Hunter Henry was not only an All-SEC first teamer, but the best player at his position in all of college football.
The Mackey Award winner is being regarded as the best tight end prospect in the 2016 NFL Draft, which is why it’s no surprise that he decided to forego his senior season. Rising senior Jeremy Sprinkle is expected to see a bigger role in Henry’s absence. Sprinkle led all SEC tight ends with six touchdowns and had 389 yards — fifth among his position — on 27 catches.
Arkansas also has a pair of former 4-star tight end prospects from its 2015 recruiting class in C.J. O’Grady and Will Gragg. Both players could make a push in spring practice for more playing time but it seems like Sprinkle is the favorite to see the majority of action at tight end in 2016.
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