FAYETTEVILLE — Entering the preseason, filling out Arkansas’ projected two-deep depth chart at linebacker was next to impossible. That is still the case after five days of fall camp.
Not only was there plenty of rotation on the first unit during the spring, but the Razorbacks have since added several new pieces to the room, both via the transfer portal and traditional recruiting.
Heralded signees Bradley Shaw and Wyatt Simmons didn’t join the team until this summer, plus Arkansas brought in Stephen Dix Jr. (Marshall), Larry Worth III (Jacksonville State) and Anthony Switzer (Utah State) as transfers.
“I think our depth at linebacker and who starts and all is still obviously up for grabs,” Pittman said on the eve of fall camp. “We don’t know anything about Worth and Dix on the field, other than what we saw from where they came from. But I do think that was something we had to address. Not that we don’t have good players, they’re just young. So we’ll figure out how that goes.”
Those newcomers join a group that already included one midyear transfer in Xavian Sorey Jr., a former five-star recruit from Georgia, as well as a crop of youngsters highlighted by the second-year trio of Brad Spence, Carson Dean and Alex Sanford.
Sorey was a pretty consistent presence on the first-team defense, but the others rotated throughout the 15 spring practices and Spence emerged as the most likely starter. However, the other transfers are now pushing them for their starting jobs leading up to the Aug. 29 opener against UAPB.
Last year, Jaheim Thomas was a late transfer from Cincinnati and not only ended up earning a starting job, but led the team in tackles.
To figure out if he has another Thomas-like player on his hands, Pittman said the plan is to utilize both of Arkansas’ practice fields simultaneously to increase the number of reps for all of the units, first through fourth, in a method he’s dubbed “two-spotting.”
“We’re going to two-spot a lot so we can find out who we have,” Pittman said. “We’re also going to tackle a lot this fall so we can give kids (an) opportunity to show us what they are and so we can give them an opportunity to beat somebody out.”
Mystery Defenders for Arkansas Football
Of the three transfers listed above, Stephen Dix Jr. has the least amount of mystery surrounding him, but he’s still a bit of a wildcard.
A former four-star recruit, he burst onto the scene as a true freshman at Florida State in 2020, but injuries derailed his time with the Seminoles and he eventually decided to drop down a level last offseason. Dix ended up at Marshall and enjoyed a breakout season in which he made 67 tackles, including seven for a loss, and posted an 80.7 PFF grade.
Even if it’s not as a starter, he figures to at least rotate at linebacker this season. Pittman described him – and fellow transfer Larry Worth III – as “very physical specimens” who impressed in the summer strength and conditioning program upon their arrival in Fayetteville.
However, Worth may or may not end up primarily playing linebacker, even though that’s how he’s listed on the roster. Likewise, transfer Anthony Switzer is listed as a defensive back, but could potentially play linebacker, as well.
In fact, those two guys are probably capable of playing three positions. Pittman said both of them could play linebacker or nickel, while Switzer could also play either safety spot. In an interview with Hogs+, defensive coordinator Travis Williams added that Worth could play safety, as well.
Where those jacked Swiss Army knives end up will be determined during fall camp, which began last Wednesday.
“I’d like to figure that out to where we can have at least two full weeks of practicing in that one position, but I think we’ve got to figure out where he would fit,” Pittman said. “Is he one of our best 11? If he is, where is that fit? We’ve got to give (Switzer) and Larry, and Stephen Dix for that matter, all those guys that opportunity.”
In the limited team action during the media viewing periods so far, all three transfers – Dix, Worth and Switzer – have gotten reps with the second-team defense. As expected, Dix worked with the linebackers.
Perhaps surprisingly, Switzer has been the second linebacker alongside Dix and Worth has been at nickel – both of which contradicted how they’re listed on the official Arkansas football roster.
“Worth has so much speed that he can play inside, he can play outside,” Pittman said after Day 1 of fall camp. “We probably will switch that maybe after two or three days to see, but Switzer looked really good inside today, I mean really good. Unafraid, very aggressive. Obviously we don’t have pads on, but still, in pads or out of pads, you’re going to find out a little bit about the guy’s aggressiveness or ability, his physicality, so I kind of like where he’s at in there.”
Through five practices, those guys have pretty much stayed put at those positions. However, Best of Arkansas Sports did notice Switzer doing some individual drills with the nickels alongside Worth on Friday. He’s been primarily with the linebackers in the two practices since then, though.
This has been their first time working on the field with the coaches and the entire team, but both players have been in Fayetteville for a couple of months and went through summer workouts with the Razorbacks.
Perhaps no one on staff knows them better, at this point, than strength and conditioning coach Ben Sowders. He met with reporters last Tuesday and gave his impressions on both of the transfers.
On Worth: “He’s a freak,” Sowders said. “Got to find a spot for him. I mean, he can run, I’m excited to see his opportunity during camp. He’s a very versatile player, in my opinion. I think he could do a lot of different things. He moves well, he’s explosive, he’s powerful on his film. When we watched him as a coaching staff, he’d strike and hit you.”
On Switzer: “I thought he did a great job of merging the gap when he got here and just was very, very consistent,” Sowders said. “Another very, very competitive guy. He can play multiple positions. He’s versatile as well and he can move, man. He moves deceivingly well. That’s one thing I would say that he shocked me with. He moves better than what I thought he did, from a lateral standpoint.”
That kind of skill set is not something the Razorbacks have had very much of in recent years.
Older Arkansas football fans may remember Tony Bua having a similar ability, as he split his time in Fayetteville from 2000-03 between outside linebacker and free safety. The result was him racking up 408 tackles, which stood as the UA career record until it was broken by Bumper Pool in 2022.
Many of them of the R-rated variety:
One thing that might influence where Switzer, and possibly even Worth, end up playing this season is the Razorbacks’ depth – or lack thereof – at safety. Neither worked there Wednesday, but it’s an option they might look at.
Jayden Johnson and Hudson Clark are the presumed starters entering fall camp, but questions remain beyond that. The Razorbacks like what they have in Florida transfer Miguel Mitchell and sophomore TJ Metcalf, but Mitchell has been relegated to the third unit in team periods seen by reporters, with true freshman Ahkhari Johnson getting reps ahead of him on the second-team defense.
Pittman has also thrown around the possibility of moving South Alabama transfer Marquise Robinson from corner to safety.
“I think if you look in totality of what we did in the portal — trying to get depth at the safety spot, that’s where we didn’t get near the numbers there,” Pittman said. “I think we got quality, but we didn’t get near the numbers there as what we did at other positions. I think we’re good there, but I don’t know if we’re way past two-deep.”
Keep an Eye on the Freshmen
As far as the linebackers are concerned, Arkansas also signed an impressive crop of freshmen at the position in the Class of 2024.
The crown jewel of the group, and possibly the class as a whole, was Bradley Shaw out of Hoover, Ala.
Listed at 6-foot-1, 235 pounds, Shaw was a four-star prospect who turned down the likes of Clemson, Alabama, Notre Dame and many others to play for the Razorbacks.
“He’s a different beast,” strength coach Ben Sowders said. “He’s everything that we thought he was and more. He could run, he’s explosive, he’s powerful, he loves to compete.”
Sure enough, he has been the only freshman summer enrollee – out of four total – who’ve cracked the three-deep during the team periods seen by reporters through five practices. Pittman added after Day 1 that he even got some reps with the second-unit later in practice.
Another freshman linebacker who didn’t arrive on campus until this summer was Wyatt Simmons, an in-state product out of Harding Academy in Searcy. The son of Paul Simmons, who just led Harding to a DII national title, he was a high three-star recruit who also had offers from Clemson, Auburn and others.
Sowders praised him for doing “a fantastic job” this summer, resulting in him putting on 14 or 15 pounds. He was listed at 213 pounds on signing day, but is now 224 on the official roster.
Two other linebackers Arkansas signed were Justin Logan and JuJu Pope, both of whom were also rated highly by the recruiting services.
Logan will miss the season with a shoulder injury, Sam Pittman announced Tuesday, while Pope is another versatile defender who was originally believed to be more of a nickel, but can also play linebacker. He has been dealing with a hamstring injury.
Arkansas Football Injury Report
Here’s a rundown of several Arkansas football players who are dealing with injuries…
- LG Patrick Kutas (undisclosed): Has missed the Razorbacks’ last three practices and hasn’t been spotted.
- DE Anton Juncaj (undisclosed): Has missed the Razorbacks’ last three practices, but has watched from the sidelines and even walked around the practice fields on Saturday and Monday.
- RG Ty’Kieast Crawford (undisclosed): Missed Friday’s practice, but has been back and participated in Saturday and Monday’s practices.
- LB JuJu Pope (hamstring): Pittman mentioned before fall camp that Pope would be limited for the first week because of a hamstring injury. He has not been spotted at any of the five practices so far.
- DB Jaden Allen (knee): Pittman said the freshman had “cartilage repair” done on his knee and that he’s not expected to play this season.
- LB Justin Logan (shoulder): After being limited and wearing a green non-contact jersey, Pittman said he probably won’t play this season.
- OL Zuri Madison (ACL): Missed the spring and will miss the 2024 season with a torn ACL suffered in a scooter accident.
***
Listen to Arkansas football strength coach Ben Sowders’ full interview here:
***
More coverage of Arkansas football and fall camp from BoAS…
