Arkansas football transfer portal tracker 2023: Who is joining, leaving the Razorbacks

The Arkansas football offseason is underway.

After a 48-10 loss to Missouri to end the season, the Razorbacks (4-8, 1-7 SEC) must now figure out their roster for 2024. Coach Sam Pittman is coming back for another season and needs to upgrade the roster in key spots like offensive line and wide receiver.

Pittman, who received an endorsement from athletic director Hunter Yurachek after the win over FIU, has expressed confidence in recent weeks about Arkansas NIL program and the Razorbacks' ability to land quality players in the transfer portal.

Undergrads cannot enter the portal until Dec. 4, but those who have received a degree or are graduating in December can enter at any time. Undergraduate students have until Jan. 2 to decide whether to enter the portal.

More: An offensive line failure: Position-by-position grades for Arkansas football in 2023

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Incoming transfers can commit any time, even after the window closes, but most fall transfers will commit before the start of the spring semester. Arkansas' spring semester begins Jan. 16.

Here's who's coming and going:

Players entering the portal from Arkansas football

LB Jaheim Thomas

The Razorbacks' leading tackler from 2023 is entering the portal and giving Arkansas another giant hole at linebacker. Thomas joins Chris Paul Jr., Jordan Crook and Mani Powell as linebackers to enter the portal. Thomas, who transferred to Arkansas from Cincinnati, logged 90 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2023. Fortunately for the Hogs, they already have a transfer linebacker committed and multiple four-star prospects in their high school recruiting class.

QB KJ Jefferson

Arkansas' all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass completions, total touchdowns, total plays and total yards will play for a new school next year after announcing his intention to transfer on Dec. 16. Arkansas already brought in Taylen Green to compete with Jacolby Criswell to be QB1 next year.

OL Joey Su'a

The Bentonville High School product lasted just one year at Arkansas, playing in zero games before announcing his intention to enter the transfer portal. Su'a was a consensus three-star prospect who helped Bentonville win the 7A State Championship during his senior year.

DT Anthony 'Tank' Booker

Booker spent just one year with the Arkansas program, coming to Fayetteville from Maryland for the 2023 season. The Ohio native made 19 tackles and 2 tackles for loss in 11 games. His best game came against Florida when he had 4 tackles. Booker was a consensus three-star prospect coming out of high school and has just one year of eligibility remaining.

WR Bryce Stephens

A consensus three-star prospect coming out of Oklahoma, Stephens finishes his Arkansas career with 12 catches for 114 yards and 1 touchdown. He saw the most snaps as a redshirt freshman in 2022, when he played in all 13 games. This fall, Stephens played in just 3 games. Arkansas should be aggressive for wide receivers in the transfer portal.

DB Malik Chavis

Chavis played in 34 games for the Razorbacks, including six starts during the 2022 season. The three-star prospect out of Rison finishes his Arkansas career with 37 tackles and 1 interception. With Dwight McGlothern leaving for the NFL, this is a hit to the Hogs' depth in the secondary, but Chavis likely didn't figure to start in 2024.

RB Raheim 'Rocket' Sanders

Sanders fought injuries and never got rolling behind the Arkansas offensive line in 2023, but the previous year was one to remember. Sanders ran for 1,443 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns to go with 28 receptions for 271 yards and 2 scores. His 1,443 rushing yards are the fourth-most by a Razorback all time and ranked second in the SEC and 13th nationally.

RB AJ Green

This is a hit to the running backs room. Green played in 37 games for Arkansas, running for 951 yards and 6 touchdowns on 201 carries. The redshirt sophomore was a four-star prospect out of Oklahoma and started a handful of games this fall with Rocket Sanders out with injuries. His departure leaves more carries for freshman Isaiah Augustave.

LT Devon Manuel

Manuel entered August projected as the Hogs' starting left tackle and coaches had high expectations for the redshirt sophomore, but he battled injuries early in the season and the Arkansas offensive line never gelled. Manuel made four starts on the season and came in at halftime of the Hogs win over Florida. The Louisiana native was a consensus three-star prospect.

DT Taurean Carter

Carter started the first four games of the 2023 season and played in all 12 after missing 2022 with a knee injury. He provided solid depth to the Hogs' defensive line, racking up 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack. The Texas native was a three-star prospect out of high school and played in 33 games for the Razorbacks.

LB Chris Paul Jr.

Paul produced an outstanding freshman season in 2022, earning Second-Team Freshman All-American from College Football News and The Athletic, and Freshman All-SEC honors from the league’s coaches. He battled injuries and was up-and-down in 2023, but this is still a significant loss. Paul was arguably the face of the Arkansas defense entering the season.

LB Jordan Crook

Crook played in 13 games during the 2022 season and started the Liberty Bowl win over Kansas. However, Crook was passed on the depth chart in 2023 and never found consistent playing time. He was a consensus three-star prospect out of Texas who finishes with 40 tackles in 25 games.

LB Mani Powell

Powell became the third Arkansas linebacker to enter the portal on Dec. 3. He played in 11 games as a freshman in 2022 and 10 games in 2023, recording just five total tackles in his career. The former star at Fayetteville High School came to the Razorbacks as a three-star prospect and the No. 37 linebacker in the country, according to 247sports.com.

WR/DB Chris Rhodes

Rhodes played defensive back in junior college but was listed as a wide receiver on the Arkansas roster. Rhodes did not accumulate any stats at Arkansas after arriving in 2022 from Butler Community College. He started his career at South Dakota State.

DB Jaylen Lewis

The redshirt freshman was a consensus three-star prospect coming out of Haywood High School in Tennessee. In two seasons, Lewis appeared in just four games and made three total tackles.

K Tyler Larco

Cam Little announced he would be departing for the NFL on Dec. 1, and Larco announced his intention to enter the transfer portal that same day. Larco transferred in for the 2023 season after being named second team all-conference in the Ohio Valley with UT-Martin. Arkansas needs a new kicker for the 2024 season.

Players transferring to Arkansas football

RB Ja'Quinden Jackson

Jackson started his career at Texas but has spent the past three seasons with Utah in the PAC-12. Originally a dual-threat quarterback coming out of high school, Jackson made a full transition to running back for the 2023 season. He racked up 797 rushing yards and four touchdowns as the Utes' leading rusher.

DB Marquise Robinson

Robinson comes to Arkansas with two years of eligibility after spending his freshman and sophomore seasons at South Alabama. In 2023, Robinson 36 tackles, three interceptions and six passes defended while starting every game at cornerback. He joins a secondary group that was already bringing back talented players like Jaylon Braxton and Lorando Johnson.

WR Jordan Anthony

Anthony was a four-star recruit in 2022 who started his career at Kentucky and spent 2023 with Texas A&M. He only has three catches in his collegiate career, but he brings much-needed speed to the wide receivers room and will also run track for Arkansas.

LB Xavian Sorey Jr.

Sorey Jr. comes to Arkansas via Athens, Ga., where the former five-star recruit racked up 19 tackles and one sack his redshirt sophomore campaign in 2023.  He was the No. 20 prospect in the country and the No. 1 outside linebacker coming out of IMG Academy and could slot in alongside Jaheim Thomas as the Arkansas starting linebackers in 2024.

OL Addison Nichols

Nichols became the second former Tennessee Volunteer to commit to Arkansas and provides another intriguing addition to the offensive line. Nichols was a four-star recruit coming out of the Georgia high school ranks and logged 116 snaps in 2023 as a redshirt freshman.

QB Taylen Green

Green is coming off a terrific season with the Broncos. Despite splitting time with another quarterback, Green threw for 1,752 yards and ran for 436 while scoring 20 total touchdowns. In the Mountain West Championship game against UNLV, Green completed 12-of-15 passes for 226 yards and two scores as Boise State beat Barry Odom and the Rebels 44-20.  He joins a quarterback group that includes Jacolby Criswell and freshman Malachi Singleton, with the Razorbacks still awaiting an official decision from KJ Jefferson.

OL Fernando Carmona Jr.

Carmona could be a key piece to the Hogs' transfer portal additions. The San Jose State transfer chose Arkansas over programs like Auburn, BYU and UCLA and could be a plug-and-play starter up front for Coach Pittman. The Las Vegas native was honorable mention all-conference in the Mountain West this season, receiving an 81.5 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2023.

K Matthew Shipley

Arkansas needed a kicker with Cam Little declaring for the NFL Draft and Tyler Larco entering the portal. Shipley will come to Fayetteville from Hawaii, where he made 56-of-73 field goals with a career-long of 51 yards. Shipley did double-duty as Hawaii's punter over the past three seasons, but Arkansas will likely stick with Max Fletcher as that position.

DB Doneiko Slaughter

A three-star prospect coming out of the Georgia high school ranks, Slaughter will come to Fayetteville from the University of Tennessee with one year of eligibility remaining. Slaughter played in 43 games across four seasons with the Volunteers, racking up 26 tackles in 2023. He will join a position group that includes Jaylon Braxton, Jaheim Singletary and Lorando Johnson, with Arkansas hosting Tennessee on Oct. 5.

TE Andreas Paaske

Paaske is a Denmark native who will come to Fayetteville by way of Eastern Michigan. Paaske didn't do much in the passing game in 2023 with just 4 catches for 39 yards, but he did have 206 receiving yards as a sophomore in 2022. Paaske joins a loaded tight end room with Luke Hasz, Ty Washington and Var'keyes Gumms all returning in 2024.

OL Keyshawn Blackstock

Blackstock is transferring from Michigan State, and entered the transfer portal on Oct. 24, after Mel Tucker was fired earlier in the year. Prior to his time at Michigan State, Blackstock was one of the top junior college players in the country. He was a junior college All-American in 2022 at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, and was the top junior college offensive lineman recruit in 2022 according to 247Sports, On3Sports and Rivals.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football transfer portal tracker 2023