The Recruiting Guy

A look at Bielema's recruiting efforts

Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema reacts during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. Arkansas won 38-37. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)
Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema reacts during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017. Arkansas won 38-37. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)

This season hasn't gone as well as Arkansas Razorback fans and Coach Bret Bielema had hoped, but after studying the roster, a couple of things stand out.

When Bielema was announced as the Hogs' head coach on Dec. 5, 2012, he took over a program that saw Bobby Petrino fired as the coach in the spring because of scandal and John L. Smith being named interim coach and being let go after a 4-8 record.

In two months' time, Bielema and his staff signed an impressive 2013 class of 23 that included 7 players who are on current NFL rosters. Because the Razorbacks' roster was shy of talent, eight of the freshmen were forced to play early. The same happened with the 2014 class, with seven freshmen playing.

The lack of fifth-year seniors and four-year juniors and attrition might help explain some of the Hogs' struggles this season.

The Razorbacks only have two 5th-year seniors -- quarterback Austin Allen and safety De'Andre Coley -- and four 4th-year juniors -- offensive tackle Brian Wallace, safety Santos Ramirez, and defensive linemen Armon Watts and Jake Hall -- on the two-deep depth chart for the Missouri game.

Arkansas is usually at its best when the two-deep is dotted with several fifth-year seniors and fourth-year juniors. The 11-win season in 2011 showed a roster with six 5th-year seniors that included All SEC defensive end Jake Bequette and All SEC linebacker Jerry Franklin, along with defensive back Greg Gaston, and offensive linemen Grant Cook and Grant Freeman.

Quarterback Tyler Wilson, who was named 1st team All SEC in 2011, headlined the five 4th-year juniors.

Eight of Arkansas' 2013 signees out of high school have either transferred, graduated early or quit football, an attrition rate of 35 percent. Running back Alex Collins, offensive lineman Denver Kirkland and tight end Hunter Henry played as freshmen and left after their junior years for the NFL. If the three were included in the departures, the attrition rate would be 48 percent.

It's rare for a true freshmen to play on the offensive line, but Kirkland and Dan Skipper were forced to play early. While there's no way of knowing if a redshirted Kirkland would have stayed around for a fifth year, Skipper could have been a much-needed fifth-year senior on this year's offensive line. The same can be said of receiver Drew Morgan and linebacker Brooks Ellis.

Five members of the class were junior college signees.

The Hogs four senior starters on defense -- defensive lineman Bijhon Jackson, linebacker Dwayne Eugene, cornerback Henre' Toliver and safety Josh Liddell -- played as freshman, are four-year seniors and part of the 2014 class. Injured senior center Frank Ragnow also played as a freshman.

Eight members of the 2014 class of 25 left the program for various reasons while another never made it to campus. That would translate to a 36 percent attrition rate.

Bielema's attrition rate for his first two classes aren't totally out of line based of the limited research available. While the NCAA doesn't keep statistics on attrition rates of recruiting classes, an unknown source posted research on Reddit showing an attrition rate that ranged, on average, from 35 to 45 percent for all the Power 5 schools.

An Associated Press analysis of the 2007 recruiting classes of Florida, USC, Tennessee, LSU and Texas showed only 48 percent were on the rosters as seniors in 2010-2011 (depending on if they redshirted).

Twelve of Arkansas' 2015 class of 23 signees redshirted their freshmen years. Three members of the class have left the program while All SEC running back Rawleigh Williams III retired from football after suffering his second neck injury in the spring.

The class also included two junior college signees, who have finished their eligibility.

All 23 signees of the 2016 class remain on campus and 15 have been redshirted at some point while at Arkansas.

All but one of the 2017 class of 25 is on campus. Defensive lineman Melvin Johnson wasn't academically eligible and didn't enroll. Twelve members of the class have not played this year and are redshirting, while two have only appeared in one game and could also be given a redshirt if it's proven they suffered an injury.

Linebacker Hayden Henry and offensive lineman Ty Clary are regarded as blue shirts who are expected to go on scholarship in January.

Email Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com

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Sports on 11/24/2017

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