College football’s heavyweight programs often recruit themselves with the intoxicating combination of money and prestige. The scrappy welterweights, on the other hand, have to get a little creative.
Schools like Arkansas, ever the iron-chinned brawler, often have to take risks on overlooked backups at bigger programs, or offer second chances to star players with checkered pasts.
That was the dilemma facing former Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman and defensive coordinator Barry Odom were faced with ahead of the 2021 season.
Defensive end Tre Williams, who starred under Odom at Missouri, had entered the transfer portal. Odom brought him to Fayetteville knowing full well the gamble could blow up in his face.