Ranking Arkansas football's impact sophomores

FAYETTEVILLE — Our rankings now move on to Arkansas sophomores, and this bunch includes and is led by a player who stands a strong chance of becoming a team captain this fall. The total number of sophomores is 24, the second-smallest group among all the Razorbacks’ classes behind the juniors. That includes summer transfers in tight end Var’keyes Gumms, offensive lineman Amaury Wiggins and wideout Chris Rhodes, who played defensive back at Butler (Kan.) Community College. The true sophomore class is paced by tailback Rashod Dubinion, offensive lineman Patrick Kutas and homegrown cornerback Quincey McAdoo of Clarendon, whose move to cornerback midway through 2022 was one of the most impactful personnel stories for the Hogs. McAdoo’s status in 2023 is still in question following his rollover car accident in May. The Razorbacks project to have some standout sophomores on both sides of the ball. 1. LB Chris Paul This redshirt sophomore is the defensive equivalent of quarterback KJ Jefferson in that he largely sat behind a standout transfer in Drew Sanders last season before he could break into the regular starting lineup the way Jefferson did behind Feleipe Franks in 2020. No matter how he got here, look for No. 27 to be in take-charge mode for the new-look Arkansas defense coordinated by his position coach Travis Williams this fall. Paul, the son of U.S. Navy veteran Chris Paul Sr., of Cordele, Ga., has a voice of authority and two good years of seasoning behind the likes of Sanders, Bumper Pool, Grant Morgan and Hayden Henry. Paul had huge games as a starter late last season against Missouri and Kansas, so he’s primed for a starring role and perhaps a captaincy on the defense. The 6-1, 230-pounder has 63 career tackles, 4 sacks last season and 1 forced fumble with only 2 career starts. 2. DL Cam Ball Ball had the most production among Arkansas’ interior defensive lineman last season despite not starting until the Liberty Bowl win over Kansas. The 6-5, 311-pounder from Atlanta had 31 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 hurry and 1 forced fumble. Much like position mate Taurean Carter in 2022 before his knee injury, Ball seems primed for a breakout season. He suffered a high ankle sprain late in the spring which kept him out of the Red White showcase. If things go as planned, he could team with Carter, Eric Gregory and others to form the nucleus of a veteran defensive interior for the Hogs. 3. RB Rashod Dubinion Dubinion, a true sophomore and the third consecutive Georgian on this list, ran either second or third on the depth chart at tailback last season, depending on the week. The 5-10, 213-pounder scored a touchdown in a Week 2 win over South Carolina, rushed for 28 yards at Mississippi State and scored twice in a huge road win at Auburn. Those were his highlights behind Raheim Sanders and AJ Green before he blasted off with 112 rushing yards and two more touchdowns in the 55-53 triple-overtime win over Kansas in the Liberty Bowl. His high school coach described him as a player who was never tackled by the first defender and that type of elusiveness translated pretty well to the highest level of college football for Dubinion last year. 4 (tie). OL Patrick Kutas and OL Devon Manuel Kutas opened spring as an offensive guard. After the Hogs’ tackles had a rough scrimmage containing edge rushers, he was moved to right tackle and stayed there the rest of the way, seemingly earning a starting job by the end of spring. The 6-5, 303-pound true sophomore from Memphis could team with Manuel, a redshirt sophomore, to open 2023 as the Hogs’ starting offensive tackles. Manuel, of Sunset, La., is a man-mountain at 6-9, 310 pounds, and he’s lost about 50 pounds in a serious bid to be a player now. 5. WR Bryce Stephens Perhaps underutilized as a slot man behind Jadon Haselwood last season, Stephens made a star turn with his 82-yard punt return touchdown that finally gave Arkansas a 31-27 lead in the fourth quarter of an unexpected major tussle with Missouri State in Week 3. Stephens, of Oklahoma City, also made one of the catches of the year, a leaping 54-yard grab in traffic for a touchdown at Mississippi State. Those two plays accounted for 48.7% of the 6-0, 175-pounder’s all-purpose yards. Wish we could rank Cornerback Quincey McAdoo of Clarendon, who projected as one of the rising stars in the SEC prior to his accident. Also in contention Linebacker Jordan Crook, punter Max Fletcher, receiver Sam Mbake, receiver Jaedon Wilson