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FAYETTEVILLE – This day and age there exists a tendency to confuse words and their meaning. For example, if someone says “Green Day sucks” it simply means they don’t like the band Green Day. Most critics, and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, would tend to disagree with the assertion the band has no skill.
It’s somewhat the same argument when talking about other topics. College football isn’t immune. What does “the best” mean, anyway? Is the best team the one that wins the national championship? No one thought Ohio State belonged in the sport’s first-ever College Football Playoff (caveat: it’s only the first playoff in FBS; FCS has had one for years). Now, it’s almost impossible to find someone who thinks they’re not a clear-cut No. 1 entering 2015.
So best is, somewhat, a personal preference. It’s different than, say, “most important.” The latter list includes the quarterback of nearly every team. The former list, when it comes to top 10 Razorbacks, doesn’t include signal-caller Brandon Allen.
10B. Jonathan Williams, running back – There’s a catch here. If Williams was healthy, he would be in the top three. But it was revealed Sunday the senior will miss “extended” time with a foot injury requiring surgery. It’s unclear what that word means yet, but it should be established later today after Bret Bielema meets with the media. Williams led Arkansas in rushing last year with 1,190 yards and 12 touchdowns. If he’s out for the year, the team’s dark-horse SEC title chances take a real blow. If he’s out for only the first few games, it shouldn’t be much of a burden.
10. JaMichael Winston, defensive end – The odds that Winston becomes an All-SEC type are slim. He won’t (likely) put up the individual numbers to achieve that honor. But his importance lies in soaking up blockers. His job is to soak up opposing players in order to free the other end – either Tevin Beanum or Jeremiah Ledbetter – to do what’s best in their skill set: get to the quarterback. Accordingly, it’s more likely Beanum or Ledbetter get the All-SEC honors as they’ll have more sacks. But they’ll largely be helped by the most fundamental member of the defensive line, Winston.
9. Henre’ Toliver, nickel back – The distinction between cornerback and nickel back in the Arkansas system is an important one for both usual and atypical reasons. It’s not often the most athletic and highest-ceiling defensive back is put against slot receivers and off the field more often than two others. But that’s the case with Toliver. Defensive backs coach Clay Jennings said Toliver is “everything you want” in a DB. But with the physical D.J. Dean on one side and ultra-sound Jared Collins on the other, Toliver (just a sophomore) hasn’t been able to crack those spots. Still, he’ll likely be on the field for as many snaps as he’s able.
8. Frank Ragnow, guard – Ragnow was the only member of the Arkansas offensive line who didn’t garner either preseason all-conference or award watch list honors. But he’s arguably Bielema’s favorite. Ragnow forced his way into the lineup last year, playing several series at center, sending Rimington Trophy watch list member Mitch Smothers to the sideline. Ragnow has moved over one spot to guard in 2015 and is remeniscient of a former Bielema guard at Wisconsin, Kraig Urbik.
7. Jared Collins, cornerback – Collins is arguably the most underrated defender in the SEC. Not the most underrated defensive back or most underrated cornerback. Most underrated defender. He was consistent last year, knocking down 14 passes. Collins was the man guarding Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper last year when the Crimson Tide slipped past Arkansas, 14-13, and Cooper was held to just two catches for 22 yards (Cooper finished the year with 124 catches for 1,727 yards). Turning some of those passes broken up into interceptions will earn him some all-conference love.
6. Dan Skipper, offensive tackle – Skipper made national attention within just a couple games last year, mauling defenders into submission with incredible pancake blocks. Two weeks after that, though, he made national attention for more detrimental reasons. It was his penalty against Texas A&M that brought back a touchdown run in the Razorbacks’ ultimate 35-28 loss to the Aggies. A few weeks after that he was flagged again, negating another score. Personal foul and holding penalties were a key determinant in the Arkansas season. He’s since changed jersey numbers and positions. But he’s still 6-foot-10 and 330 pounds. If he plays with more control, he can be one of the most devastating blockers in the league. If his temper gets the best of him, he could possibly ruin another game.
5. Brooks Ellis, linebacker – The middle linebacker is often thought of the leader of the defense, the guy makes all the calls and signals. A lot of times the best all-around linebacker, or smartest linebacker, plays this role. It was Ellis’ role last year. It isn’t this year. So why the move? Ellis will be shifting over to take the place of Martrell Speight. You know, the Martrell Speight who led the league in tackles last year and made his way to the NFL less than one calendar year after making his way from roster afterthought. The Arkansas hope is it was less about Speight and more about the position. If defensive coordinator Robb Smith’s system funnels ball carriers that direction, Ellis will reap the benefits.
4. Sebastian Tretola, offensive guard – Tretola is basically Bielema’s lieutenant. No, he isn’t No. 2 in command. But, man, he sure does have his coach’s same sense of humor and ability to charm. Tretola came into the public consciousness last year when he threw a touchdown pass – a 350-pound offensive guard threw a touchdown pass – against UAB. When Arkansas stretched its decent start into a hot finish, Tretola began to get more attention for his best skill instead. He’s a big, strong, run blocker with surprisingly agile feet in the pass-blocking game and the public face among the players locally.
3. Alex Collins, running back – A spring spent in Bielema’s doghouse may have done Collins some good. His coach took nearly every public opportunity he could to bust Collins’ chops. The five-star running back was overweight and undedicated to the game, Bielema said. Collins returned to camp this fall with an apparently new attitude and despite showing up late for a practice last week, has stayed on Bielema’s good side. Now, with Williams out of the fold for an undetermined amount of time, Collins’ importance to the Razorbacks is equal to his ability. That is if the new attitude holds.
2. Hunter Henry, tight end – It’s possible Henry is only the third-best tight end in the SEC. Unremarkable, right? It’s also possible, at the same time, he’s the third-best tight end in the nation. Bielema’s offenses, dating back to Wisconsin, use the tight end more than almost any other offense in football. Henry won’t likely catch 80 passes or anything, but a 50-catch, eight-touchdown season isn’t out of the question considering his talent. The Razorbacks will use a tight end on nearly every play and often will have two, sometimes even three. Henry is the top tight end on a team with the best group of tight ends in the SEC. It’s possible, too, Henry is the best in the nation.
1. Denver Kirkland, offensive tackle – If there one player that looks like an automatic NFL player, it’s Kirkland. He isn’t as universally known as his linemates Skipper and Tretola. In fact, Kirkland is rarely around during the team’s media availability. But he’s also almost never hassled or singled out by Bielema or the staff. If the coach’s old Wisconsin teams had good tight ends, they had great offensive lines. Kirkland is the best one for Bielema at Arkansas.
Eric Bolin is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football and Arkansas.
