FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Razorbacks showed Friday their 9-4 record last season under Coach Sam Pittman provided some traction heading into 2022.
The University of Arkansas was projected to finish third in the SEC West by media member in attendance at the annual SEC Media Days, which concluded on Thursday at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
The Razorbacks were picked behind defending SEC champion Alabama (177 first-place votes) and Texas A&M (3) in the treacherous West, followed by Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn, in that order. Arkansas, which received one first-place vote among the 181 ballots, tied for third in the division behind Alabama and Ole Miss last season after being picked sixth.
"We don't want to repeat last year. We want to be better," Arkansas junior safety Jalen Catalon said at media days. "Last year was a great year, but I always say to the team that last year was last year. It's 2022. Everybody is looking to start off right and try to make it to the top."
Georgia was the overwhelming choice to defend its title in the SEC East with 172 first-place votes, followed by Kentucky (4 first-place votes), Tennessee (1), Florida, South Carolina (3), Missouri and Vanderbilt (1).
Alabama was the landslide pick to win the conference championship with 158 votes to 18 by Georgia. South Carolina received three first-place votes to win it all, while Texas A&M and Vanderbilt got one vote each.
The Razorbacks placed Catalon and senior center Ricky Stromberg on the first-team preseason All-SEC unit. Senior linebacker Bumper Pool was a second-team choice, and junior guard Brady Latham was selected to the third team.
The three quarterbacks picked for All-SEC, in order, were defending Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young of Alabama, Tennessee's Hendon Hooker and Kentucky's Will Levis, leaving the Razorbacks' KJ Jefferson with more incentive to better his production from last season.
Alabama led the way with eight first-team selections and 20 total picks on the preseason teams, including first-team kicker Will Reichard and all-purpose player Jahmyr Gibbs, a transfer from Georgia Tech. Defending College Football Playoff champion Georgia had five first-team picks and nine total selections.
Stromberg, who was one of 40 players named to the Rimington Trophy watch list Friday, started all 13 games last season for a unit that led all of Power 5 with 227.8 rushing yards per game. The Tulsa native allowed three sacks on 873 total snaps last season and was the anchor on a line that produced three 300-plus yard rushing games (Texas, Ole Miss, Penn State) and two games of 600-plus yards of total offense (Georgia Southern, Ole Miss).
Catalon had 46 tackles last season while playing in just the first six games prior to shoulder surgery. The Mansfield, Texas, native posted 99 tackles and three interceptions to earn Freshman All-America honors in 2020.
Pool, a Lucas, Texas, native, amassed 125 tackles while making just one start last season. His 320 tackles since 2019 rank second among FBS defenders and his 349 total tackles are ninth on Arkansas' all-time list.
Latham started all 13 games, primarily at left guard. The Jenks, Okla., product played 890 snaps and had an 81.7 pass blocking grade, including seven games with a pass-blocking score of 80-plus.
The Razorbacks open the season at 2:30 p.m. on Sept 3 on ESPN at home against Cincinnati, which lost to Georgia in a CFP semifinal last season.
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NoneMedia picks
SEC predicted order of order of finish by members of the media during SEC Media Days this week in Atlanta. First-place votes in parentheses:
SEC West
1. Alabama (177)
2. Texas A&M (3)
3. Arkansas (1)
4. Ole Miss
5. LSU
6. Mississippi State
7. Auburn
SEC East
1. Georgia (172)
2. Kentucky (4)
3. Tennessee (1)
4. Florida
5. South Carolina (3)
6. Missouri
7. Vanderbilt (1)
PREDICTED OVERALL CHAMPION Alabama 158; Georgia 18; South Carolina 3; Texas A&M 1; Vanderbilt 1