In Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fernando Carmona, Jr., emerges as one of the premier portal acquisitions nationwide. He secures the second spot among transfer tackles in college football for the upcoming season, trailing only Illinois’ JC Davis, who transferred from New Mexico, as reported by Pro Football Focus-College.
Having excelled at San Jose State, Carmona attained an impressive grade of 81.5 based on his 765 snaps last season. Notably, in pass protection, he yielded just two sacks across 424 pass-blocking attempts. His junior year performance earned him second-team All-Mountain West Conference honors. Carmona occupies the No. 284 prospect and the 12th position among offensive tackles in the 2024 transfer rankings, according to 247sports. Presently, the Razorbacks boast the 29th ranked transfer class this offseason.
Standing at 6 feet 5 inches and weighing 315 pounds, Carmona surpasses former Razorback left tackle Devon Manuel. Arkansas also sees another offensive lineman transfer, with redshirt freshman Joey Su’a moving to Arizona State.
With a revamped offensive line, there’s optimism for significant improvement in the trenches come 2024. Both Sam Pittman and Eric Mateos swiftly identified their targets and made impactful moves in the transfer portal. Additionally, they’ve secured the services of former JUCO All-American and Michigan State transfer Keyshawn Blackstock, alongside Tennessee’s Addison Nichols.
Keep an eye on SMU’s Branson Hickman, who announced his intent to enter the transfer portal in April and could potentially join Arkansas, as reported by allHogs last month.
The Razorbacks are banking on a revitalized offensive line for 2024. Last season, the unit struggled, allowing a staggering 47 sacks, placing them dead last in the FBS. Their average of nearly four sacks per game ranked them at the bottom of the SEC.