2020 Arkansas Razorbacks football team


The 2020 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Sam Pittman, the Razorbacks compiled an overall record of 3–7 with an identical mark in conference play, tying for sixth place at the bottom of the standings in the SEC's Western Division. The team played home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
This was the first season since War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock opened that the Razorbacks did not play at least one home game in the stadium. Arkansas was scheduled to play the annual Red/White spring game at War Memorial in April at the conclusion of spring practice, but the SEC did not approve those plans.
On October 3, Arkansas defeated No. 16 [2020 2020 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State], 21–14, snapping a 20-game SEC losing streak. The win was the Razorbacks' first conference win since October 2017, their first win against a ranked team since November 2016, and their first road win against a ranked SEC team since November 2015. After the regular season, the Razorbacks accepted a bid to the Texas Bowl. Slated to face [2020 2020 TCU Horned Frogs football team|TCU Horned Frogs football team|TCU], the bowl was canceled when TCU withdrew due to COVID-19 issues within their program.

Schedule

Arkansas had non-conference games scheduled against Charleston Southern, Louisiana–Monroe, Nevada, and Notre Dame that were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2020, the SEC revealed a revised ten-game conference schedule, consisting of the eight conference games previously scheduled plus an additional two interdivisional games, one home and one away, for each team. After Arkansas was scheduled to play [2019 2019 Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia Bulldogs football team|Georgia] and [2020 Florida Gators football|Florida Gators football team|Florida], the top two teams in the SEC's Eastern Division in 2019, athletic director Hunter Yurachek stated that Arkansas had "the most challenging schedule in the history of college football." Arkansas' full ten-game schedule, consisting of five home games and five away games, was released by the conference on August 17.
On November 23, Arkansas' game against [2020 2020 Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri] was postponed due to an increase in COVID-19 cases within the Arkansas program. On November 27, the SEC revised the schedules of multiple teams, moving the Arkansas–Missouri contest to December 5 and the Arkansas–[2020 2020 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama] game to a date to be determined, later scheduled for December 12. The Razorbacks were selected to participate in the 2020 Texas Bowl against TCU, but the game was canceled two days beforehand because of COVID-19 concerns in the Horned Frogs' program.

Rankings

*Poll not released week 1.

Preseason

SEC Media Days

In the preseason media poll, Arkansas was predicted to finish in last place in the West Division.

Preseason All-SEC teams

The Razorbacks had one player selected to the preseason all-SEC teams, released on September 17, 2020.
Offense
2nd team
Rakeem Boyd – RB

Game summaries

LSU

Personnel

Recruits

The Razorbacks signed a total of 19 recruits from high school and junior college.

Transfers

Arkansas signed six transfers in 2020.
Pos.PlayerFormer schoolYearSource
QBFeleipe FranksFloridaSenior
LBLevi DraperOklahoma Junior
DTXavier KellyClemsonSenior
CBJerry JacobsArkansas State Junior
PKA.J. ReedDukeSenior
PGeorge CaratanMichigan Sophomore

Players drafted into the NFL

6207Jonathan MarshallDTNew York Jets