Arkansas was gutted at linebacker via the transfer portal in the offseason, but could an influx of new and unproven faces make the position a strength for the Razorbacks in 2024?
The two leading tacklers from last season’s defense — Jaheim Thomas and Christopher “Pooh” Paul — are off to Wisconsin and Ole Miss respectively.
Antonio Grier exhausted his eligibility, Jordan Crook transferred to Arizona State and Mani Powell joined former defensive coordinator Barry Odom at UNLV.
Those five players accounted for 93 percent of the tackles in the linebacker room.
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Arkansas is high on rising sophomore Brad Spence, who flashed last season as a true freshman, and there is hope for youngsters like Alex Sanford and Carson Dean to take a step forward.
Expectations are high for Georgia transfer Xavian Sorey, who had 19 tackles for the Bulldogs last season, and will need contributions from post-spring additions Stephen Dix Jr. (Marshall), Larry Worth (Jacksonville State) and Anthony Switzer (Utah State).
Nobody in the room is a proven commodity in the SEC, which makes it reasonable to raise an eyebrow at the position, but the jury will be out until the pads start popping on game days.
As Sam Pittman put it during spring practice ahead of a make-or-break season at the helm, “Just because you haven’t played doesn’t mean you can’t.”
Fall camp fodder can often be taken with a grain of salt, but there appears to be a level of optimism behind closed doors that the linebackers are primed to surprise some skeptics.
In fact, co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson went as far as to suggest it may be much better than advertised.
“Right now, one of our strongest positions is the linebacker room,” Woodson said. “Coach T-Will and Coach Jake Trump have done a really good job in terms of replacing some guys and bringing guys in that fit what we do.
“With that, we have to find packages to get more of the linebackers on the field. That puts four linebackers on the field. That’s one of the strongest and deepest positions that we have on defense.”
Whether or not Arkansas will truly run four linebackers on the field at once remains to be seen, but the ceiling for the defense would rise if the Hogs had a four-man rotation at the position it was fully confident in.
To the naked eye, Spence and Sorey look the part of a commendable SEC duo. Time will tell if the depth behind them is legitimate, or if the fall camp Kool-Aid is extra sweet.
“Right now, we’re just trying to figure out the best pieces to the puzzle to put the best 11 on the field to give us the best chance to win and be successful,” Woodson said.
Arkansas opens the 2024 season Thursday, August 29 when it faces UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock (Ark.). Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT), and the game will be aired on ESPNU.
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