Bret Bielema’s first season at Arkansas resulted in an overall record of 3-9, including 0-8 in the SEC. It was the Razorbacks’ worst SEC mark since entering the league in 1992 and their first winless in-conference season since 1942. It was a season that all razorback fans agree they would like to forget. Bret Bielema changed the offense and defense playbooks last year and did not have the right players for his system. He hopes that after recruiting well and training the returning starters, that he can get this year’s team to buy into his system and be a hard nose grind it out type of team. 
The offense will return 7 starters with key starters being QB Brandon Allen, RB Alex Collins, TE Hunter Henry, OL Brey Cook, OL Denver Kirkland. Alex Collins may be the featured player in this year’s offense. Last year his four 100-yard rushing games ranked second in school history among freshmen and tied for second in the nation for 2013 freshmen. He led all NCAA freshmen in rushing yards. The razorbacks will be searching for a go to guy at the WR position. They lost WR Javontee Herndon, WR Julian Horton, with Herndon being QB Brandon Allen’s favorite target last year. Bielema thinks that Keon Hatcher can become that go to receiver, but TE Hunter Henery will see a lot of receptions this year as well. 
The defense will return 8 starters with key starters being DE Trey Flowers, DT Darius Philon, LB Braylon Mitchell, S Alan Turner, CB Telvin Mitchell, S Rohan Gaines. The defense was not good last year. The D-line was ranked 78th in the nation in yards allowed per game (178.4). With Flowers coming back for his senior year, and the young talent like DE Deatrich Wise, th should be a lot better this year. Although nobody is expecting Arkansas to make big strides in the win loss record this year, they should be much improved over last year’s team. I say give Bielema another year or two in recruiting for his system and the razorback’s will be back to competing for that SEC west crown.
