TRANSFER: Kirami Yego to Arkansas

Earlier today, South Alabama standout Kirami Yego announced via Instagram that he will be transferring the University of Arkansas. The incoming Razorback is expected to be a standard transfer and will have two seasons of cross country eligibility, at least one season of indoor track eligibility and one season of outdoor track eligibility remaining.

Despite Arkansas being a clear front-runner to land the now-former Sun Belt star, sources also told The Stride Report that Tennessee, Alabama and Washington State were spots of interest for Yego once he entered the transfer portal.

Yego evolved into one of the biggest breakout names in the NCAA over the past academic year. On the oval, the South Alabama runner posted times of 13:34 (5k) and 28:22 (10k). He won the 10k title at the Raleigh Relays over Graham Blanks, was an outdoor national meet qualifier in that event this past spring and placed 37th at the NCAA XC Championships last fall to earn All-American honors.

Yego's introduction to Arkansas should instantly raise the ceiling of this cross country team in the fall of 2023 by a significant margin, especially when paired with another top talent.

The Razorbacks' top returning low-stick, Patrick Kiprop, made noticeable improvements in terms of consistency and racing IQ over this past year. He finished 6th over 5000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships and later placed 8th over 10,000 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He also ran times of 13:24 (5k) and 28:00 (10k).

On the grass, Kiprop was a cross country All-American, placing 24th on the national stage last fall after winning the South Regional XC Championships and placing 5th overall at the SEC XC Championships.

Together, Kiprop and Yego should form a lethal 1-2 punch that can effectively counter the firepower that teams such as Alabama, Tennessee and maybe even Ole Miss will try to field later this fall.

Compared to historical standards, the Arkansas men faltered a bit in the fall of 2022. While Kiprop had his moments of excellence, the depth of this team was admittedly limited and greater scoring potency was needed in order for this squad to truly stand out.

The good news for the Razorbacks is that, according to TFRRS, they only lose Jacob McLeod and Ryan Murphy (two second-half lineup contributors) from last year's team which placed 23rd overall on the national stage.

And by adding Yego in their place for the next two years, the Arkansas men should be able to crack the top-20 of the nation's best cross country teams later this fall. In fact, they could potentially threaten for a top-15 spot depending on how the rest of this roster develops.

While Yego is a massive win for this Razorback group, the Arkansas men have a history of aggressively going after top names in the transfer portal. It's plenty possible that Coach Chris Bucknam will continue to pursue other high-level aerobic-centric talents who can instantly contribute to his cross country lineup come October and November.