Three position battles to watch for Arkansas football in fall camp

FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas football team begins fall camp Wednesday night, with a month of preparation left before its season opener against UAPB in Little Rock.

Bobby Petrino is back and he will be teaming up with a new quarterback, quarterback Taylen Green, as they attempt to orchestrate a bounce-back season for head coach Sam Pittman after a disappointing 2023 campaign that ended with a 4-8 record.

More: Four-star DL Reginald Vaughn commits to Arkansas football over LSU and Ole Miss

More: Five Reasons Arkansas Football Could Surprise Experts and Exceed Expectations in 2024

Before the intrastate showdown with the Golden Lions — and another grueling schedule in the SEC — there are still roles to be defined and plenty of questions about the Razorbacks’ roster.

Below is a look at three key position battles in Arkansas football to keep an eye on during fall camp.

Outside cornerback

Jaylon Braxton is an undisputed starter and poised to become one of the top players on the roster. There are three candidates to join as a first-team cornerback.

Kee’yon Stewart and Jaheim Singletary are two options who transferred to Arkansas before last season. Stewart, from TCU, was a starter and consistent performer for most of the spring. At 6-foot, 2 inches and 182 pounds, Singletary has the ideal frame to be an SEC cornerback, but he hasn’t lived up to his reputation as a five-star high school recruit who began his career at Georgia.

The third option is a fresh newcomer in Marquise Robinson, who had a fine junior campaign with South Alabama last season, with 36 tackles and three interceptions. He was drafted out of the transfer portal to compete for a starting spot, and he’ll get that chance starting Wednesday.

Defensive end

This is another spot on the defense with a clear starter and a question mark on the other side. Landon Jackson could be one of the best players in the country this season and is a potential first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

His running mate on the edge will likely be Nico Davillier or Anton Juncaj. Davillier is a Maumelle High School product who has been in the program for the past three years. Coaches were impressed with his motor this spring and he maintained a starting spot through 15 practices in March and April.

Juncaj will provide stiff competition, however, especially given his strengths in rushing the passer. He led all FCS with 15 sacks and finished third with 21.5 tackles for loss last season at Albany. It’s important that Juncaj becomes the player Pittman envisioned when he signed him this offseason, and both players should see significant snaps this fall.

Slot-wide receiver

Isaiah Sategna figures to be the favorite at the position. Sategna is a local star — ranked as a four-star prospect coming out of Fayetteville High School in 2022 — who presents a big-play threat unique to Arkansas’ roster.

Jaedon Wilson will be a factor, though. The redshirt junior consistently got more opportunities than Sategna last season and was the starting slot receiver this spring until suffering a hamstring injury.

Andrew Armstrong, Tyrone Broden and Luke Hasz make for a great core of pass catchers for Bobby Petrino, and the slot receiver will round out the group.