Sam Pittman sends message to Arkansas fans worried about transfer portal moves

In the opening days of the NCAA Transfer Portal winter window, Arkansas saw several of its standouts enter their names, including players such as tight end Luke Hasz and cornerback Jaylon Braxton. Shortly after their decisions, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman sent a message to any fans beginning to panic about the transfer portal.

“We’re not stupid. We know if a guy like a Luke Hasz walks out the door, it’s going to mean something,” Pittman said. “Hell, it meant something to us too. It meant something to him too. It was very difficult for him and his family.

“But the decisions have to be about the team. It can’t be about just the individual, it has to be about the team. All I would say is, all I would ask is that they be patient to see over the next week and a half (to) see if we get out of the portal what I think we can get. If we do, I think they’ll be very excited about that.”

As of this report, it’s been exactly two weeks since Pittman made these comments. So, how are the Razorbacks looking? Well, they’ve lost more than they’ve gained, with 26 total players entering the transfer portal.

Nonetheless, this trend isn’t entirely out of the ordinary. Moreover, Arkansas has combated their losses well, adding 14 players via the portal. Most notably, Arkansas reeled in Georgia Tech offensive lineman Corey Robinson II, who made 24 starts and 36 appearances for the Yellow Jackets.

Alas, none of Arkansas’ additions appear to mend the holes left by several of their departures. However, it’s worth noting that Arkansas has been in this position before.

Last offseason, Arkansas lost 34 players to the portal while adding 20 fresh faces. Although the losses seemed significant at the time, the Razorbacks showed significant improvement this season, finishing with a 6-6 regular-season record.

Now, Sam Pittman is asking for fans to trust him once again. After all, he’s well aware of what the Razorbacks need.

“Offensive line would be one (area of need),” Pittman said. “Defensive line would be one. We felt like we were pretty good at the linebacker spots. If you go back and look a couple of years ago, the world was falling because this linebacker (left), that linebacker (left). 

“I think we all agreed our linebacker room was a strength for us this year. But that would be probably the least worried about (position). We need some safeties. We need some corners. But I think O-line and tight end’s a big deal. Wide receivers. We’ve got several spots to fill, but off the top of my head, that’s who it would be.”

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. 

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.