Two Hogs named to Phil Steele Preseason All-America Team
Two Razorbacks were named to Phil Steele’s Preseason All-America Team ahead of the 2025 college football season on Thursday.
Wide receiver and punt returner Kam Shanks was named First Team All-American at the punt returner spot, while offensive lineman Fernando Carmona Jr. was named Second Team All-American.
Shanks is named First Team All-American
Shanks transferred in to Arkansas from Alabama-Birmingham over the offseason after two seasons with the Blazers. Last season, he hauled in 62 passes for 656 yards and six touchdowns and fielded 16 punt returns for 329 yards and two touchdowns.
A native of Prattsville, Alabama, Shanks actually played in Reynolds Razorback Stadium when the Blazers took on the Razorbacks in Week 3 last season. The Hogs won 37-27, but Shanks finished the game with five receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Shanks was also named a finalist for the Jet Award, given to the best return specialist in the nation.
Carmona named Second Team All-American
Carmona was named Second Team All-American by Phil Steele and is joined along that All-American offensive line by Keylan Rutledge of Georgia Tech, Gennings Dunker of Iowa and Blake Miller out of Clemson.
Now in his second season as a Razorback, Carmona moved to the interior of the offensive line after he spent the entirety of last season at left tackle. The move was made possible after the Hogs grabbed Corey Robinson II out of Georgia Tech to handle left tackle duties.
“Moving inside is kind of something that I wanted to do and it’s just been, it’s been really hard,” Carmona told reporters in April. “Because moving from tackle, you’ve got a lot of space to now, you’re moving inside and everything’s happening, bam, bam, bam.
“So, just kind of getting comfortable in that spot of learning how to pull and being a guard. It’s been a lot of learning but it’s been a lot of fun because I’m learning something new and just trying to get better each and every day.”
