Arkansas football to finish near the bottom of the SEC, projects Phil Steele

Nov 11, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA;  Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium during the second quarter of the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks. Auburn won 48-10. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium during the second quarter of the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks. Auburn won 48-10. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
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It's no secret that the Razorbacks are on a downward trajectory, at least in the eyes of people outside the program. Arkansas football is dealing with an offensive coordinator change, a rebuilt offensive line, and a depleted linebacker room, to name some of the adversity. And it doesn't help when they keep missing on big-time recruits.

So it's unsurprising that Phil Steele projects the Razorbacks to finish 14th in 2024.

When evaluating Steele's projections, Nick Schultz of On3 Sport wrote this about the Razorbacks:

"All eyes are on Fayetteville this year as Sam Pittman enters a crucial year at Arkansas. He moved on from offensive coordinator Dan Enos part-way through his first year with the Razorbacks, and the 2024 season could be important for Pittman’s future with the program.

"KJ Jefferson is out after transferring to UCF, meaning it could be Taylen Green’s show at quarterback. Nonetheless, it’s looking like it could be another rough year for Arkansas, which came in at No. 14 in Phil Steele’s SEC predictions."

The Hogs have a rough schedule next season (as always), but with so much change and so little depth, it might be hard to overcome. The home schedule is one of the best in recent history. However, Arkansas's stretch of Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas is rough. Luckily, the Razorbacks have two by-weeks and an away game against Mississippi State mixed. Maybe that's enough for the Hogs to pull off an upset.

Here's how Phil Steele projects the rest of the SEC to finish.

Projected order of finish

Team

1

Georgia

2

Texas

3

Alabama

4

Ole Miss

T-5

LSU

T-5

Missouri

T-5

Oklahoma

T-5

Tennessee

9

Texas A&M

11

Florida

T-11

South Carolina

T-11

Kentucky

T-11

Auburn

14

Arkansas

15

Mississippi State

16

Vanderbilt

Next. 3 Questions for Arkansas football's 2024 season. 3 Questions for Arkansas football's 2024 season. dark