Arkansas Football Offseason Depth Chart – Special Teams
The game of football has changed so much in the last 10 years, nevermind the last 25, that special teams simply don’t have as large an impact as it used to in the sport.
That isn’t to say punters and kickers aren’t relevant. But with the kickoff on the perpetual chopping block seemingly every offseason and coaches taking fewer and fewer chances with returning kicks and punts, the days of a game-breaking playmaker in the back are few.
The best ones, though, can still alter things. That’s especially true with the positions where the foot touches the ball. The foot ball. Football.
Anyway, at Arkansas, the Razorbacks are in good shape at kicker and appear to be solid at punt returner, too. But elsewhere? Let’s see how the Hogs are looking on special teams this summer.
Placekicker No. 1 - Cam Little
No one is taking Little’s gig. He could leave Arkansas in two years as the greatest placekicker in school history. Little missed just three field goals last year and not a single extra-point.
2022 stats: 13 of 16 FG, 50 of 50 XP
Kickoff speciliast No. 1 - Tyler Larco
UT-Martin transfer kicker Tyler Larco (@LarcoTyler) can do it all, and he plans to do whatever it takes to get on the field in Fayetteville. Read his full interview with @DanFair88…
Story: https://t.co/t8uSrdLueq pic.twitter.com/7O0q5reYuW
— Mason Choate (@ChoateMason) May 18, 2023
Larco didn’t arrive to Arkansas until after spring practices and the scrimmage and he didn’t just choose the Razorbacks out of nowhere. The kickoff specialist job is there for the taking and as a guy who has done that his entire career, it’s likely his.
Punter No. 1 - Max Fletcher
Fletcher was one of the top punter recruits in the country and he won the job, rather inexplicably to this author, to start the season. Things didn’t go well and Reid Bauer took over about halfway through. Bauer’s now gone, so Fletcher will get first chance again.
2022 stats: 38 punts, 37.47 yards per punt
Punter No. 2 - Owen Lawson
Thank you @CoachSamPittman ,@CoachSFountain & @CoachChrisHurd. After an amazing visit & much reflection, I’m blessed to announce I’ve accepted the offer to be a Razorback and will enroll this Jan. @Red_Raven_FB @GoHawklets @RazorbackFB @KohlsKicking @Prokickercom @punt_21 🙏 🐗 pic.twitter.com/cDwLYpg6c8
— Owen C. B. Lawson (@owenlawson11) December 17, 2022
Lawson transferred from Northern Colorado where he averaged nearly 41 yards per punt last year. The thin air of the Big Sky Conference in FCS perhaps helped, but even if he didn’t necessarily win the job in the spring, he needs to keep ready.
Kick returner No. 1 - Isaiah Sategna
Sategna is making his way upward in the wide receiver room, but his best bet for first-team duties is returning kicks. Not that he’ll have that much of a chance in a game that rarely sees the ball even stay in play. Regardless, his speed and athleticism should give him a shot.
Kick returner No. 2 - AJ Green
Green was the man in the back last year, but it wasn’t that impressive. He had eight returns for 127 yards. Granted, kickoff returners don’t get a chance to change games too often anymore, but Arkansas had just 10 kickoff returns, period, last year. That’s the third fewest in the sport.
Punt return No. 1 - Bryce Stephens
Stephens has a chance to be the best punt returner since Joe Adams. He was great last year and saved Arkansas’ bacon against Missouri State. Another season of similar stats will show the Razorbacks have a legitimate weapon on special teams.
