Arkansas adds safety Howse as portal haul tops three dozen players

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — If Arkansas’ portal strategy were a Sunday potluck, you’d wonder whether folks showed up with casseroles or just an extra plate to reel in “seconds.”

Because somewhere between one linebacker and another offensive lineman, the Hogs just dipped back into the portal fridge and grabbed another safety with John Howse IV.

Honestly, you can’t blame them for wanting seconds.

Let’s be clear, this isn’t your granddaddy’s transfer pickup. This is more like stocking up the pantry because you’re pretty sure winter’s coming.

The Razorbacks added Howse Friday, nudging their portal haul north of three dozen acquisitions in a window that’s starting to feel like an inventory clearance sale.

Howse’s résumé reads like a well-worn recipe card: 6-foot-1, 194 pounds, one year of eligibility left and enough experience to know a blitz from a butter knife.

He played in all 12 games last season for Middle Tennessee State, piling up 48 tackles, 3½ stops behind the line, a sack, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

Oh, and he led the team with 688 defensive snaps, which usually means his coaches trusted him to be where he needed to be — not just showing up for the photo.

Before his stint in Conference USA, Howse cut his teeth in the SEC at Vanderbilt, so he ain’t exactly clueless about how fast Saturdays can get in this league.

That’s something the Hogs will gladly take, especially when they’ve been busier than a cat in a rocking chair factory trying to remake their secondary.

Let’s talk volume, because Arkansas fans aren’t exactly reminiscing about quiet offseason moves. This is about 37 transfers — yes, three-seven — picked up since the portal opened.

That number starts to look less like roster management and more like someone forgot to turn off the faucet.

And for whatever it’s worth, this isn’t just random. The Hogs have clearly made the secondary a priority.

Howse was reportedly the third defensive back added on Friday alone. It just pointed out that Arkansas wants bodies, experience and depth. Whether they need it now or just like to sleep better at night.

Let’s not sugarcoat it: Depth matters. Especially in the SEC, where depth gets tested quicker than a snowstorm in Oklahoma. And Howse isn’t being brought to watch from the sideline.

With the snaps he’s logged, Arkansas expects him to compete right away. That’s what you do when you’re rebuilding a secondary one portal pickup at a time.

That competition will start as soon as spring practices begin. Let’s face it, Razorbacks fans will be hearing about it in every meeting room and pickup game in Fayetteville.

When you’ve made the kind of roster turnover Arkansas has this cycle, coaches have to coach. Players have to earn reps, and fans have to learn a whole new set of names.

If there’s a pattern here, it’s this: Arkansas isn’t chasing headlines or five-star tags. They’re chasing reliability, experience and someone who can figure out where the ball’s going before it gets there.

Howse fits that mold. He’s been around, he’s productive, and has already seen the kind of competition that makes or breaks defensive backs.

Whether he starts or rotates, his presence changes the room. That’s the hope, at least. It’s a portal cycle that’s looked less like roster tweaking and more like a full-on renovation.

If nothing else, the Hogs will at least be ready for spring drills with plenty of hands on deck.