FAYETVILLE — Senior center Ricky Stromberg declared for the NFL Draft, punter Reed Bauer announced he would be entering the transfer portal on Tuesday, and two days into University of Arkansas coach Sam Pittman’s exit interview. I emphasized my eyes.
Additionally, it was announced that both defensive back Karli Johnson and defensive end Eric Thomas Jr. will enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, which opens next Tuesday.
The Razorbacks (6-6, 3-5) are waiting for news of Sunday’s bowl berth, reading rosters to bring to the bowl site, and looking for a new strength and conditioning coach.
“There’s a lot of action going on. It’s not just here, it’s all over the country,” Pittman said last week to preview what’s to come this week.
Former Razorback Kiero Small, now an assistant strength staffer under coach Jim Harbaugh at the University of Michigan, and Ben Herbert, a former strength and conditioning coach at the University of Arkansas, interviewed Pittman on Monday. Other candidates are also in the mix.
Stromberg, a senior from Tulsa who made the preseason All-SEC team, bypassed an early entry into the draft last season, but chose to forgo a potential bonus year at Arkansas. Stromberg, who has started 44 games, will not play in the Razorbacks’ bowl game, according to a source close to .
In a social media announcement, Stromberg thanked Pittman, Cody Kennedy and Razorbacks offensive line coach Brad Davis.
“You have made the last four years unforgettable, and I will cherish every moment I have spent here,” Stromberg wrote.
Bauer, a redshirt senior from Magnolia, Texas, averaged 43.3 yards per punt last season and also won the Motel Award as the holder of the year. He threw his pass for a touchdown to Blake his Khan in Alabama and ran on the first down to set up his goal on the field against LSU.
This season, he averaged 44.6 yards on 23 punts for a career length of 78 yards.
He thanked Pittman and special teams coordinator Scott Fountain, writing, “Thank you Arkansas for the best time of my life. I will be all to myself forever!”
A true junior from Boston, Johnson has made three starts at defensive back this season as part of a unit that has had to mix-and-match and cross-train throughout the season due to a number of injuries. I was. He appeared in nine games in 2020, including one start at cornerback, five in 2020, and 10 this season.
Johnson ranked 13th on the team with 25 tackles, 10 of them solo, with one pass breakup. He didn’t appear in his 29-29 loss to Missouri last Friday.
Thomas is a true junior from Pensacola, FL. The 6-3, 253-pounder has been a major special this season for his team, where he has appeared in 11 games and assisted twice.He has recorded a tackle.
Pittman said he expects to see a lot of player transactions this winter, including an early contract period from December 21-23 and portal entry and exit.
Junior receiver Jadon Hazelwood announced later Monday that he will declare his entry into the NFL Draft rather than returning as a senior.
Hazelwood, who spent a year out of Oklahoma, caught at least three passes every game and had a team-leading 59 receptions for 702 yards. He caught three touchdown passes for an average of 11.9 yards per catch while playing with an AC joint injury in his left shoulder all season.
Transferring to Arkansas reunited Hazelwood with running back coach Jimmy Smith, his high school coach at Cedar Grove, Georgia High School.