Arkansas Razorbacks Football

Thanks to defensive end Trey Flowers, 2014 is already looking up for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday afternoon, the junior pass-rusher decided to return to school for his senior season, via Sportinglifearkansas.com:

Arkansas defensive end Trey Flowers announced Monday he was returning to the Razorbacks for his senior season after considering early entry into the NFL Draft.

“I have made the decision to stay at Arkansas for my senior season,” Flowers said. “Coach Bielema was very supportive throughout the process and helped me and my family navigate this decision. I still have goals on and off the field I want to accomplish at Arkansas, beginning with graduating, and want to continue pursuing those. On the field, I am excited about the program being built and wanted to help the Razorbacks back in 2014. Even though my draft grade was good, I believe another year with Coach Bielema will help improve my draft status. I am looking forward to another season at Arkansas, where we have support from our administration, some of the best fans in the nation and a bright future for the football program.”

That’s great news for an Arkansas football program trying to regroup from a disappointing 2013 campaign. One that saw the team follow up a 3-0 start by losing each of its final nine games.

But believe it or not, expectations are higher for the Razorbacks in 2014.

Flowers’ presence on defense is surely a large factor in that.

In 11 games this past season, the Huntsville, Ala., native recorded 44 tackles (13.5 for loss), 5.0 sacks, forced three fumbles and intercepted a pass. That came a year after Flowers broke onto the scene in 2012 with 6.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss.

All in all, Flowers was a leader on this team and will be looked on to anchor the Arkansas defensive line with seniors Chris Smith (8.5 sacks) and Robert Thomas (3.5 sacks) set to graduate.

All stats and rankings used in this article are courtesy of CFBstats.com.

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Recruiting has developed into almost somewhat of a science. It is very meticulous, and coaches spend hours on end analyzing prospects to find guys that will best fit their game plan and style.

When a program changes head coaches, the new one comes in and implements his philosophy on the field and on the recruiting trail. Very rarely does the old coach's philosophy match the new one's, as was the case when Bret Bielema was hired to be the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach. 

After the now-infamous Bobby Petrino saga, the Razorbacks named John L. Smith as the interim coach for 2012 and he kept the style Petrino had in place. But, once Arkansas tabbed Bielema as the next Head Hog, he brought in a system much different from Petrino's pass-happy offense.

Bielema's Wisconsin teams were notorious for their ground-and-pound style on offense, big, husky linemen and physical defenses.

Him bringing that style to Arkansas has drastically changed the program's recruiting strategy. 

Under Petrino, the emphasis in recruiting was on the offensive side of the ball. Because his offense passed to open up the run, and not vice versa, the focus in recruiting was speed. That meant fast wideouts and running backs, as well as nimble offensive linemen who weren't as strong or as big as the guys on a Bielema-coached team.

Petrino also wasn't known to recruit great defensive players, though he did haul in some very talented defenders during his four years. 

With Bielema, the focus has shifted to recruiting players that are big, strong and physical. 

The biggest impact seen so far in the change in recruiting strategy, has been the influx of talented offensive linemen. In just two months on the trail after taking the job in December 2012, Bielema reeled in 4-star prospects Reeve Koehler and Denver Kirkland, and 3-star mammoth Dan Skipper, who stands at 6'10".

So far for the class of 2014, the Razorbacks have three O-linemen on board. Jovan Pruitt and Sebastian Tretola, both 3-stars, have great size and fit exactly what Bielema is looking for. The third is 4-star Brian Wallace, who chose the Hogs (subscription required) over Alabama and Iowa at the U.S. Army All-American Game. 

A big part of all the highly ranked linemen jumping on board has been thanks to O-line coach Sam Pittman, who the Hogs gave a hefty raise to $550,000 before he even coached in a game after Alabama made a run at him. As Trey Biddy of HawgSports.com wrote, Pittman has had a huge impact on the recruiting trail. 

There's also been a big change in recruiting on the defensive side, particularly for the defensive backs. In Petrino's five recruiting cycles, including 2012 before his fall from grace, the Hogs signed 19 defensive backs. Bielema has already landed nine, a number that could rise before the 2014 class is wrapped up. 

As stated, Petrino did land some very talented players on the defensive side of the ball, but there is a much bigger emphasis on defense with Bielema leading the charge. Petrino never recruited a ton of talent in the secondary or at linebacker, and it had a negative effect in Bielema's first season as both positions struggled mightily all year. Though Arkansas has just two linebackers currently committed, you can fully expect Bielema to make it a top priority leading up to national signing day and in future cycles.

The Razorbacks had a very rough season, but you have to remember that the players were playing in a whole new system. Many of them were recruited to Arkansas to fit Petrino's scheme and had trouble adjusting to Bielema's style, which is power football.

The change in recruiting strategy is going to bring in guys that are fit to play in Bielema's hard-nosed, physical style, instead of prospects that are more based in schemes for speed and finesse.

It always takes time for a program to fully grasp a new scheme and bring in prospects that fit it, but Bielema is working toward turning the Hogs into those country-strong teams that beat teams down physically while he was at Wisconsin. Rome wasn't built overnight, so have some patience because he's slowly reconstructing Arkansas to be what he envisioned when he took the job.

Bryan Heater is the featured columnist for the Arkansas Razorbacks football team. Follow him on Twitter @BHeaterRivals.

Over the last decade, the recruiting of high school athletes by college football programs has become just as big as the game itself. 

Fans indulge themselves in keeping up with their school's recruiting endeavors—not just for the upcoming class but for classes one and two years down the line. National Signing Day 2014 is just over two months away, and coaches across the country will be focusing all of their attention on this single day over that time period. 

However, recruiting of the 2015 class has been underway for sometime now, too, and after National Signing Day 2014 passes, much of the attention will shift toward next year's event. A number of programs have gotten off to a running start for the '15 class, including the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Head coach Bret Bielema has reeled in five commitments so far for 2015, per 247 Sports, and they are all considered to be top-notch recruits. Out of the five current commits, four of them are 4-star players, which is two more than the Hogs have for 2014. 

The ball got rolling back in June, when 4-star quarterback Ty Storey, a Natural State product, committed to Arkansas over Alabama and Auburn, per Richard Davenport of WholeHogSports.com. Just over a week later, the Razorbacks secured a huge commitment from offensive lineman Zach Rogers, a Texas native.

Rogers was followed two weeks later by 3-star offensive lineman Colton Jackson, another big-time in-state player. Bielema got yet another top in-state prospect in August, when 4-star defensive end Jamario Bell decided to stay in Arkansas and suit up for the Hogs.

The latest to jump on board for 2015 was 4-star defensive tackle Hjalte Froholdt, a foreign exchange student from Denmark who played ball this past season in Ohio and committed to Arkansas over Michigan, Ohio State and Florida State. 

Though there's still a lot of time before the 2015 class is official, Bielema and the Razorbacks have to be happy with how things have started. The biggest takeaway so far has to be Bielema keeping the best that the state has to offer at home. 

Arkansas watched running back Altee Tenpenny opt for Alabama in the 2013 class, and recently, defensive tackle Josh Frazier also picked the Crimson Tide over his home-state Hogs (h/t Doc Harper of ArkansasFight.com).

That isn't a trend continuing into 2015, however, with three highly touted Natural State products already choosing the Hogs.

Bell, Jackson and Storey are all top prospects in Arkansas, and all three stayed true to their home roots. It's imperative to keep the best in the state at home if you want to build a successful program. While the Hogs haven't done that the last two years, Bielema has made it a point to put up a fence around his own backyard.

Bell has the prototypical long and lean frame that you look for in a pass-rushing defensive end. He needs to put on some weight and muscle, but he figures to have an immediate impact from Day 1.

Storey was also a huge get and has big potential. His arm strength and accuracy are quite advanced for a high school quarterback. Storey has a great pocket presence and could be the future under center.

Jackson, with some work, could be a solid piece on the O-line in the future, protecting Storey.

Will Gragg, the younger brother of former Razorback tight end Chris Gragg, is high on the Hogs radar and is another part of what is arguably the best recruiting class to ever come out of Arkansas.

It's a good sign to see Bielema keeping players from Arkansas in state, especially the best ones.

There's also Rogers and Foholdt. Rogers is country strong and appears to be a lock as a future stud on the O-line. He has all the intangibles to excel at the highest level in college football.

Froholdt will also be an anchor on the line, but on the defensive side. He possesses a quick first step off the line and seems to never stop when rushing the pocket.

There's a long way to go before everything is said and done for the 2015 class. A lot of prospects remain on the board that could make this class for the Hogs even better. However, you also have to consider the possibility of losing a recruit's commitment over such a long period of time.

Don't dwell on what might or might not happen, though. Instead, enjoy the start the Razorbacks are off to for 2015, because it's the best start the program has gotten off to in a recruiting cycle in a long time.

There hasn't been a lot to be happy about with the Hogs in a while, but there's an awful lot to get excited about on the recruiting trail.

For more info on the Arkansas Razorbacks, follow Bryan Heater on Twitter @BHeaterRivals. 

Let's be honest with ourselves: The 2013 season for the Arkansas Razorbacks is one that no one wants to dwell on. It's hard to see past the mess of a year it was for the Hogs, but believe it or not, head coach Bret Bielema has a solid foundation to build around. 

I know, I know. How could there possibly be a solid foundation when Arkansas just completed its first winless campaign in the SEC and endured its first nine-game losing streak in the program's history?

The answer is in the abundance of young players that had key roles for the Razorbacks this past year.

Bielema was forced to put in a lot of underclassmen. In fact, the Hogs had 25 underclassmen on the two-deep depth chart (cornerback Will Hines not listed) by the end of the 2013 season, with 12 of them being freshmen. Whenever you have to play that many young guys, let alone in the toughest conference in the country, it's going to be hard to win a lot of ball games. 

Many of the freshmen that played significant roles showed they are going to be very special in the years to come, including tight end Hunter Henry, running back Alex Collins, offensive tackle Denver Kirkland and defensive tackle Darius Philon.

All four were recently named to the 2013 SEC All-Freshman Team, tying Arkansas with Ole Miss for the most freshmen on the team. Collins and Henry were also named to the 2013 Sporting News Freshman All-American Team, which consists of the best freshmen from across the country. 

So, whether you looked past the Hogs record or not, there clearly is evidence that Bielema has some solid pieces to build around heading into the offseason. 

It wasn't just those four guys either that made big impacts as youngsters either. 

Middle linebacker Brooks Ellis earned a starting spot late in the year and didn't disappoint with his play. Of course he had some hiccups, but Ellis finished the season tied for ninth on the team with 33 total tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss. If Bielema and linebackers coach Randy Shannon can get him to have a mean streak about him, Ellis could end up being one of the better middle linebackers Arkansas has had over the last decade.

The Hogs could end up moving Otha Peters, who was listed behind Ellis. The sophomore is simply too talented to be a backup and a broken arm derailed much of his season before the opener.

Other young guys that really came on during the season included freshman offensive tackle Dan Skipper, sophomore receiver Keon Hatcher and sophomore defensive tackle DeMarcus Hodge. 

At 6'10" and 305 pounds, Skipper is a mammoth of a man and the coaching from O-line coach Sam Pittman quickly lifted him into a starting role. Skipper is a future All-SEC lineman and has huge potential. Hatcher showed he's the leader to be the go-to receiver in 2014 by finishing the last four games with 221 yards after just 125 in the previous eight. Hodge is under the radar because he's behind Philon, but nonetheless, he's shown some glimpses of being a very solid player.

It's hard to be optimistic about the future after a year like the Hogs had in 2013. But when you look past all the negative publicity and the overall record, there is a lot to be excited about. Bielema has a very solid group to build this program around in the coming years. 

It's going to be up to the players, though, to make sure that foundation doesn't crumble. 

For more information on the Arkansas Razorbacks, follow Bryan Heater on Twitter @BHeaterRivals.

Bret Bielema's first season at Arkansas didn't go as planned, and now the Razorbacks head coach will have to deal with a bit more adversity with his program.

Matt Jones and Todd Murphy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that four Arkansas players are seeking a transfer:

Four football players are seeking to transfer, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said in a sitdown interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Tuesday.

Linebackers A.J. Turner and Myke Tavarres and running back Nate Holmes are seeking transfer options, Bielema said. The first-year coach said earlier this year cornerback Ray Buchanan Jr. was also looking to transfer.

Linebacker A.J. Turner, running back Nathan Holmes and corner Ray Buchanan Jr. all joined the Hogs in the class of 2012, all as 247Sports composite 3-stars. Linebacker Myke Tavarres was also a 3-star but came as a January enrollee in the 2013 class out of junior college.

None of the four were listed on the two-deep depth chart for the Hogs' final game of the season against LSU.

As mentioned by Jones and Murphy, Turner missed 2013 with a wrist injury, while Buchanan and Tavarres were utilized in scout team and special teams roles.

None of the three recorded a tackle in 2013.

Holmes played a very minor role in the backfield behind a true freshman starter, Alex Collins. Holmes, a sophomore, garnered six carries for 17 yards, seeing action in four games.

While the transfers might not be a red flag for Arkansas, it is never good to lose depth while building a program.

It'll now be on Bielema to fill that void on the recruiting trail. The Razorbacks already claim verbal commitments from one running back and two cornerbacks, though they haven't a single linebacker to the group.

The Hogs will open 2014 on the road against defending SEC champion Auburn.

The season is over for the Arkansas Razorbacks. When a team finishes 3-9 and winless in its conference, it's hard to take away positives from the year. 

From quarterback Brandon Allen's struggles to the defense's inability to stop anyone, 2013 was full of problems for the Razorbacks. One position that wasn't a problem was running back. Sophomore Jonathan Williams had himself a very good year with 900 yards and an average of 6.0 yards per carry. 

However, he was outdone by a freshman named Alex Collins. If you didn't watch this kid tote the ball this year, then shame on you because he's the next big thing on The Hill. The Hogs may have a lot of problems, but head coach Bret Bielema can sleep a little easier at night knowing he has Collins in his backfield for the next few years.

Collins was not only the best freshman back for the Razorbacks or even in the SEC, he was the best in the entire country. His 1,026 yards ranked 35th in the nation and led all freshmen. In fact, including the FCS, Division II and Division III, only nine freshmen rushed for more yards. 

To put just how good of a season he had into better perspective, Collins surpassing the 1,000-yard mark made him just the 10th freshmen in SEC history to accomplish the feat, as tweeted by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Wally Hall:

For the Arkansas program, it made him the second freshman back to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season.

The first to do it? Some guy named Darren McFadden.

Collins is sure to garner postseason honors, including being named to the Freshmen All-American team and one of the All-SEC teams. 

Many backs have one skill but lack the others to be great. Collins, on the other hand, possesses the speed, power and vision that set apart the great backs from the average ones. What made his first season so impressive were the circumstances he was dealing with.

Up until the last few games, Allen posed no threat to drop back and beat teams with his arm. The passing game was so anemic that opposing defenses were able to stack the box all year against the Hogs to stop Collins and Williams. Collins was also running behind a line that featured two true-freshmen starters who were learning on the fly.

Despite the circumstances, Collins was still able to surpass the 1,000-yard milestone and average 5.4 yards per carry.

It's that rare combination of speed, power and vision that is going to make him a very special player for the Razorbacks in the years to come—and it already has to a degree. Collins can run defenders over, or he can use his elusiveness to juke them out of their shoes. 

A lot of times, though, the first wave of defenders doesn't even have a chance to put a hand on him.

His ball-carrying vision allows him to find holes in the defense while his speed gives him the ability to hit the hole quickly once he has located it. That's indicated in ESPN's stat sheet, where he had a run of over 10 yards in every game except the last one against LSU. In six of Arkansas' 12 games, he had longs of over 20 yards—nine games with a long over 15.

The scary thing is, Collins is only going to get better with time. 

He's a model student and citizen around the Fayetteville community and is a perfect example of what the student-athlete should be. After a season in a Razorback uniform, the humble and hard-working kid out of Florida has already endeared himself to Arkansas fans.

Even if you're not a Hog fan, you find yourself rooting for Collins. He's just that kind of person.

With an offseason to hone his skills and work on his game, he is bound to put up even better numbers in 2014. Arkansas fans need to savor these next few years with him carrying the ball out of the backfield because he's the biggest thing for Arkansas since McFadden was making hearts stop.

Every so often, a player comes along, and you know from Day 1 he's going to do great things. Collins is one of those players.

For more info on the Arkansas Razorbacks, follow Bryan Heater on Twitter @BHeaterRivals.