2015 SEC West Division Preview
7. Arkansas
Poor Arkansas. They really turned a corner with Bret Bielema near the end of 2014, but they play in the toughest division in
Nov 22, 2014; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks running back Alex Collins (3) Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
College Football. The Razorbacks were one of the toughest teams to stop on the ground last season, boasting two 1,000 yard rushers in Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins – each of whom will return this year. They beat up teams up front with their massive offensive line.
At quarterback, Brandon Allen was solid. He did exactly what was asked of him, which was to take care of the football. He posted a 20-5 touchdown to interception ratio, while throwing for over 2,000 yards.
The concern lies within the defense. Arkansas ranked tenth in total defense a year ago, but lost four key pieces in the offseason: top pass rusher Trey Flowers, the SEC’s leading tackler in Martrell Spaight, interior force Darius Philon and the quarterback of the secondary in Alan Turner.
The Razorbacks have a deep rotation of talent up front on defense which should soften the blow of losing Philon and Flowers. The staff is hoping that Junior Brooks Ellis can pick up right where Martrell Spaight left off. Jared Collins and D.J. Dean return to their respective cornerback positions while Rohan Gaines and Josh Liddell will man the safety positions.
As if playing the rest of the SEC West wasn’t hard enough, Arkansas will take on two of the SEC East’s best this season. They will have to travel to Knoxville to take on an up and coming Tennessee team and finish up against Missouri at home. They should be able to move the ball on the ground, but can they replace enough talent on defense to keep up?