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With a defense that should be equal parts experienced and talented, Arkansas coordinator Robb Smith could very well have a unit that returns to its staunch form of 2014, which saw the Hogs finish second in the SEC in total defense (No. 10 nationally).
Smith’s defense boasts a promising back seven, returning starters in the secondary and a pair of linebackers in Brooks Ellis and Dre Greenlaw that rival any tandem in the conference.
They’ll have their work cut out for them in 2016 when it comes to facing electric offenses despite an SEC that sees plenty of its starting quarterback roles in flux on both the East and West sides of the conference’s aisles.
New starters at Louisiana Tech, TCU, Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi State fill the Razorbacks’ slate.
Gone to the next level off the Arkansas schedule are the likes of Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott, Louisiana Tech’s Jeff Driskel and TCU’s Trevone Boykin. But others under center will certainly make Bret Bielema’s program pay if they let their guard down.
Here is a look at the top four quarterbacks that the Arkansas defense will game plan for this fall.
CHAD KELLY, OLE MISS
After LSU’s Leonard Fournette, no other athlete that Arkansas will face in 2016 comes with as much hype as Chad Kelly. That’s evidenced by the Ole Miss quarterback’s 12/1 Bovada odds to win the Heisman Award (Fournette checks in at 6/1 odds). It doesn’t promise to be as easy for Kelly to replicate his lofty 2015 numbers — including an SEC-leading 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns. The Rebels are breaking in replacements for several key cogs from last season’s offense, such as first-round NFL picks Laquon Treadwell at wide receiver and left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Arkansas got the better of Kelly in 2015 … kinda. The Ole Miss signal-caller tossed for 368 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding 110 yards rushing and another three scores on the ground, but was eked out by Arkansas and quarterback Brandon Allen, who needed every minute of their overtime contest to stun the No. 19 Rebels 53-52 in Oxford. With Allen off to the NFL, the Razorbacks defense will have to contain Kelly better if it wants to win the program’s third straight over Ole Miss.
KENNY HILL, TCU
The SEC got its first real look at Kenny Hill in Week 1 of the 2014 season when the then-Texas A&M quarterback introduced his talents to the world in primetime by lighting up a South Carolina team ranked No. 9 in the preseason AP Poll to the tune of 511 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Trill burst onto the scene but eventually faded before being replaced by Kyle Allen seven games later. Hill then took his 2,832 career passing yards and 24 touchdowns out of College Station, landing a year later at TCU — and subsequently on Arkansas’ Week 2 slate in Fort Worth, Texas, back on ESPN during primetime. While Hill hasn’t rightfully claimed the Horned Frogs’ starting role just yet, there are whispers placing him among early dark-horse candidates for the Heisman Trophy. Robb Smith and his Hogs defense better study the film of Hill’s execution from 2014 against South Carolina.
TREVOR KNIGHT, TEXAS A&M
Trevor Knight is the man who is taking the helm of the Texas A&M offense after a two-year fallout under center for head coach Kevin Sumlin that has witnessed the aforementioned Kenny Hill and three five-star quarterback recruits exit the program. But all is not lost in College Station. Quite the contrary, perhaps. Knight brings a veteran presence to an Aggies lineup that features arguably the best receiving corps in the SEC, if not the nation. He arrives at A&M via graduate transfer from Oklahoma, where he threw for 3,424 yards and 25 touchdowns. He lost his starting job with the Sooners to Heisman hopeful Baker Mayfield but could fit in nicely with an Aggies team looking for stability among its offensive weaponry. The Arkansas defense finished last in the SEC (No. 116 nationally) last year when it came to allowing yards through the air. The secondary only loses starting safety Rohan Gaines, meaning those returning could have their work cut out for them in Week 4 in the Hogs’ conference opener.
BRANDON HARRIS, LSU
Brandon Harris enters the 2015 season with many questions surrounding the security of his job and ability to lead a loaded LSU offense. However, there’s no questioning the junior quarterback’s arm strength, talent and swagger, for that matter. Harris threw for 2,158 yards and 13 touchdowns last season but was dogged by concerns over his accuracy. He’s already played in 20 games as an underclassman, including starts in all 12 Tigers contests in 2015, giving him some much-needed experience. If Harris can put it all together this year, he should only benefit from being encompassed by star running back Leonard Fournette and the return of leading receivers Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre. Harris beat Arkansas for 271 yards and a touchdown in the air last season, but the Razorbacks got the last laugh with an interception and a 31-14 win over the No. 9 Tigers.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
