We can agree that Arkansas has a small recruiting base compared with the competition.

But it doesn't explain some really bad losses since the Petrino firing.

2012 ULM
2013 Rutgers
2015 Toledo
2018 Colorado State and North Texas
2019 San Jose State and Western Kentucky
2022 Liberty
2023 BYU

Just for a moment, forget about Arkansas competing in the SEC and focus on who they should beat. Did Arkansas losing to these teams listed above have superior recruiting bases than Arkansas?

If we look at the recruiting rankings then the answer would be no.

So looking the coaches of that time.

John L.
Bert
Chad

After leaving Arkansas with a 4-8 record which Arkansas began the season ranked in the top 10, John L. was 14-19 at Fort Lewis. He was 7-24 at Kentucky State.

So he would be in the category of a terrible coach who isn't coaching right now. He was more worried about his $800,000 check than his job.

Bert was 29-34 at Arkansas. After he left Arkansas, he is currently 18-18 at Illinois. That maybe considered good at Illinois but from an outside perspective, it isn't good. So far in his third year as coach at Illinois, he has lost nine one possession games. The same problems he had at Arkansas and to an extent at Wisconsin.

He isn't good, horrible or terrible but in the category of a bad coach.

Chad was 4-20 at Arkansas. After he left Arkansas, he eventually went back to the high school ranks at Allen, Texas. He was forced out and is now an offensive analyst at Clemson.

He isn't good, bad or terrible but just a horrible coach who is the worst coach in SEC history.

So it can't all just be talent but most of it was just bad to horrible coaching that is the cause for problems at Arkansas.