FAYETTEVILLE — There are seven weekends remaining until the return of Arkansas football.
The Razorbacks open the 2024 season in Little Rock against UAPB. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Arkansas is coming off a disappointing 4-8 campaign that saw offensive coordinator Dan Enos get fired midseason and the eventual transfers of KJ Jefferson and Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders, two faces of the program.
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In response, the Hogs hired Bobby Petrino and hit the transfer portal, bringing in plenty of newcomers for what feels like an all-important season for head coach Sam Pittman.
Over the past month, the Southwest Times Record ran positional previews twice a week, asking two questions and providing one bold prediction. We tackled the entire offense and defense, including key position groups like the quarterbacks and offensive line.
Here’s a look at the special teams entering 2024.
Are there clear starters in the kicking game for Arkansas football?
The Hogs had one of the better kicker-and-punter duos in the SEC last year with Cam Little and Max Fletcher, but Little is now a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, while Fletcher transferred to Cincinnati.
Fletcher’s departure was a surprise, and Arkansas has just two punters on the roster. Devin Bale will slide into the starter’s role, but Pittman will hope freshman Sam Dubwig can provide necessary competition this fall. Dubwig ranked as the No. 8 punter in the nation by Chris Sailer Kicking coming out of high school.
A starting kicker is still unclear, and Little’s departure presents a massive hole. The Hogs brought in Matthew Shipley from Hawaii during the winter transfer portal, but the senior struggled this spring after making 76.7% of his field goals in four seasons with the Rainbow Warriors.
That prompted special teams coach Scott Fountain to find another option, adding Kyle Ramsey from Abilene Christian. Ramsey also spent time at Houston earlier in his career and is 19-for-21 on field goals across the last two seasons. It will be a fall battle to determine who is the first-team kicker.
Can Arkansas maximize Isaiah Sategna in the return game?
We asked a similar question in the wide receivers preview earlier this month. Sategna was a four-star recruit, and according to 247sports, one of the best 150 players in the country coming out of Fayetteville High School in 2022. He had an 88-yard punt return for a touchdown against BYU last season, and Sategna feels like an obvious choice to be the designated returner this fall.
However, Fountain used Jaylon Braxton a ton at the position this spring, and track star Jordan Anthony is another option. Still, whether it be on special teams or on offense, Arkansas must find a way to capitalize on Sategna’s explosiveness.
One bold prediction: Shipley rediscovers his form this fall
Shipley’s poor spring was a stunner, and Arkansas did well to find another option, but the Hawaii transfer will lock down the starting job in fall camp and be a reliable kicker in 2024.
Shipley isn’t nearly the same weapon as Little, but he’s been a successful Division I kicker and is Arkansas’ best option. As a sophomore in 2021, Shipley was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award and made 18-of-21 field goals. He’ll produce similar numbers for the Hogs.
What the coaches said this spring
“I came across his name in the portal, started watching his tape, got to talking to him on the telephone, I just think he’s a very real person. He’s not a high and low guy. Just very even-keeled. I like that about his personality, and he had a really good career at the University of Hawaii I felt like. That’s a tough place. There’s a lot of wind on the Island. A lot of traveling back and forth.”
— Arkansas special teams coach Scott Fountain on recruiting Matthew Shipley out of the transfer portal.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football positional previews: Can Hogs replace Cam Little?
