Arkansas in top five for major football transfer in the portal
The last time Arkansas went into the transfer portal to land a defensive tackle, the Razorbacks came away with John Ridgeway, arguably the most disruptive defensive lineman on the team in 2021.
Perhaps the best tackle in the portal this offseason, Tulsa’s Jaxon Player, named the Hogs in his top five potential destinations on Tuesday.
Player had 50 tackles, including 15 1/2 for-loss and five sacks for the Golden Hurricane this past season. He was the best player in the middle of a run defense that allowed just 143 yards per game this season, ranking 49th in FBS. Arkansas ranked 68th.
Player would almost certainly insert directly into the starting lineup in 2022. Arkansas will lost defensive end Tre Williams and end/tackle Markell Utsey, two of their three regular starters because of exhausted eligibility. Ridgeway could return for another season, but he accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl in November and the expectation is he will declare for the NFL draft.
Arkansas previously landed two players from the transfer portal in the fall. Former Oklahoma wide receiver Jadon Haselwood committed in December after 39 passes and six touchdowns for the Sooners in 2021. Landon Jackson Jr., a former four-star recruit who battled injuries at LSU, committed shortly thereafter.
