Arkansas returns star power on the defensive line, but do the Razorbacks have enough depth in the trenches to make it through the grind of the SEC?
With the likes of All-SEC end Landon Jackson, rising junior defensive tackle Cameron Ball and experienced redshirt senior Eric Gregory back in the mix, Arkansas projects to start strong up front.
With a mix of intriguing newcomers and promising returners jockeying for a spot on the two-deep, time will tell if the Hogs will be able to successfully rotate 8-10 defensive linemen per game the way they did a season ago.
Through Arkansas’ first week of fall camp, defensive line coach Deke Adams has been pleased with what he has seen from his group.
“They’ve done a really good job,” Adams said. “They’re competing hard. They’re holding each other accountable. The expectations in the room are high.
“Even with the guys in the room that are coming back, they are really putting a lot of pressure on the young guys to learn things and develop and come along. It’s been good.”
Defensive End
Arkansas has several options on the end to flank Jackson. Among the most promising returners is junior Nico Davillier, who flashed his potential on multiple occasions in SEC play last season.
“Nico has played well,” Adams said. “Didn’t play much his first year. Played more last year. The light came on this spring, and we think he’s playing at a high level right now. I’m really pleased with where he is. He plays physical and he’s playing fast right now.”
The Razorbacks also have high expectations for Albany transfer Anton Juncaj, who led the FCS in sacks a season ago.
While the talented transfer has missed the last several practices of fall camp, Adams is confident he will make his presence felt.
“He’s going to be fine,” Adams said. “He’s a tough kid. Comes from a tough program. Tough family. He’s going to be fine.
“He had a really good spring. A lot of things when he got here that he had not been taught or exposed to. It got later in the spring and he understood what we were doing. You could see his growth really started to take off. We really want to get back to that point because he’ll be a big part of our success.”
Defensive Tackle
On the interior, Ball and Gregory are joined by redshirt senior Keivie Rose, who is in his second year with the program since transferring from Louisiana Tech, to form an experienced returning trio.
Arkansas will need more than three in the trenches on a weekly basis, which opens the door for others to emerge and earn a spot in the rotation.
“I don’t know if there’s a certain number because I’m going to play whose ready to play,” Adams said. “It’s really hard in this league to ask a guy to play 60-70 snaps per game at the level you want them to play.
“We have about five guys right now that we feel comfortable with.”
When it comes to newcomers, it would be impossible to overlook massive 6-3, 375-pound transfer Danny Saili as someone who could potentially plug things up in the middle.
“Danny has a lot of growing to do,” Adams said. “He transferred in from another university, but he was only there a semester. So, it wasn’t like he really got into the college mold because he was coming out of junior college at that point.
“He’s doing a good job, and we expect him to keep getting better. He’s in the mix with all of them.”
Speaking of large human beings, it will be worth monitoring where 6-5, 388-pound redshirt freshman Ian Geffrard fits into the equation.
“He’s a big kid. He’s the biggest one in the room,” Adams said. “But he’s still a baby. It’s a lot like Quincy Rhodes. There’s a lot of growth that needs to be had, and he’s getting better every day.
“He’s being more physical, and I think part of truly understanding what we’re asking in the scheme will allow him to play faster. He’s getting to that point.”
Arkansas will hold its first of two preseason scrimmages Thursday morning, and Adams is looking forward to seeing how the defensive line stacks up with just three weeks until the regular season opener against UAPB.
“Tomorrow, I want to sit back and let them play and see where we are,” Adams said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but I want to see where we are at this point tomorrow. They’ve gone a great job up to this point.”