FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas football is gearing up for an exciting stretch of spring football, which gets going on March 7 and concludes with the annual spring game on April 13.

There will be a competition to determine the starting quarterback, and the Razorbacks will welcome a handful of new coaches, including the return of Bobby Petrino. The pressure is on head coach Sam Pittman to show meaningful improvements in 2024 after a disappointing 4-8 campaign last fall.

Outside of quarterback, there are still three position groups left unresolved after Arkansas' work in the transfer portal and on the high school recruiting front.

Here's a look at those three spots, and potential candidates to take a step forward this spring.

Linebacker

This position represents the most obvious hole on the roster. The Razorbacks lost Chris Paul Jr., Jaheim Thomas, Mani Powell and Jordan Crook to the transfer portal this offseason. Paul and Thomas combined for 164 tackles in 2023.

The linebackers currently on the Arkansas roster have combined for 41 tackles in their collegiate careers, but there is promise among the group.

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Sophomores Brad Spence, Alex Sanford and Carson Dean were all three-star prospects in the 2023 recruiting rankings, and coaches raved about that trio in fall camp. Only Spence logged significant snaps during the season.

Xavian Sorey Jr. transferred in from Georgia and was a consensus five-star prospect coming out of high school in 2021. The Hogs also loaded up at the position in this year's class, with four-star Bradley Shaw and three-star prospects Justin Logan and Wyatt Simmons. Shaw was a top-20 linebacker in the country according to multiple recruiting websites.

Arkansas could still add a linebacker when the transfer portal opens again later this spring, but there figures to be a youth movement regardless of any additions. There are potential stars all along the defensive line and in the secondary, so the Hogs can ill-afford to let this position ruin a potentially stout SEC defense. Development must me made this spring.

Offensive Line

Arkansas boasted one of the worst offensive lines in the entire country in 2023. The Razorbacks ranked 87th in rushing yards per game and 128th in sacks allowed. This position will feel unsettled until the Hogs prove they are a much-improved group in the fall.

Brady Latham and Beaux Limmer are headed for the NFL, while Devon Manuel transferred to Florida. That leaves just two starters from last year's struggling group in Josh Braun and Patrick Kutas. But the Hogs brought in three transfers this spring in Fernando Carmona (San Jose State), Keyshawn Blackstock (Michigan State) and Addison Nichols (Tennessee).

Prior to his time at Michigan State, Blackstock was a junior college All-American in 2022 at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. Carmona was honorable mention all-conference in the Mountain West this season, receiving an 81.5 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2023, and Nichols was a four-star recruit coming out of the Georgia high school ranks and logged 116 snaps in 2023 as a redshirt freshman.

There are other returnees like Ty'Kieast Crawford, Andrew Chamblee and E'Marion Harris who should compete for playing time, but Arkansas hopes the three transfers come in and lock down starting spots. If that happens, there's all of a sudden decent depth on the offensive line.

Wide Receiver

Arkansas needs a No. 2 receiver to step up in 2024. Andrew Armstrong is back after hauling in 56 catches for 764 yards and five touchdowns, but no other wideout recorded more than 351 receiving yards.

The only addition in the transfer portal was Jordan Anthony (Texas A&M), who only has three catches in his college career. Any added production will likely come from players already on the roster.

There are plenty of options. Isaac TeSlaa was one of the premier additions last year and was Arkansas' second-leading receiver in 2023. There's also Tyrone Broden and Isaiah Sategna, who both had moments of brilliance while the offense slogged its way through a disappointing campaign.

But perhaps the biggest name to watch is Davion Dozier, who was a four-star prospect coming out of Alabama in the 2023 class. The big, athletic wide receiver seems like an ideal fit for Bobby Petrino's offense and could project into a No. 1 wide receiver down the line.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Unresolved position groups to watch for Arkansas football this spring