Arkansas’ linebackers making plays for Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE — Sam Pittman saw the linebacker room at Arkansas take a big hit following the 2023 season as four headed to the transfer portal.

However, the Hogs kept Brad Spence and added several linebackers from the transfer portal and high school. Georgia transfer Xavian Sorey Jr. leads the Razorbacks with 60 tackles, 24 solo, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup and an interception. Spence has 34 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Stephen Dix, who came from Marshall, has 35 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup and forced a fumble.

“Yeah, I like them,” Pittman said. “I like them a lot. They get along well. Switzer made a huge play down on the goal line. Obviously Stephen Dix is playing well too. So those four guys, and to be honest with you, we’re planning on playing Brad Shaw more. So we feel like we have a lot of younger linebackers that are preparing to get ready, but those five guys we have a lot of confidence in. They’re all physical. They all can run. You specifically talked about Spence and Sorey. Those guys are playing at a high level right now and tackling well.”

Shaw is a true freshman. He has five tackles and a sack. Switzer, who came from Utah State, has 16 tackles and forced a fumble. Pittman was asked what Shaw has done to earn more playing time?

“Well we’ve always felt like he was a really good player,” Pittman said. “But with being a freshman and especially with the guys that were ahead of him and are ahead of him, we felt like we were gonna go with the veterans. If we would have played him at the beginning of the year, I think he would be in solid rotation right now. But obviously that entire room besides Spence was new. And so we went with the veterans earlier. But he’s always been able to play well and now we feel like he knows the defense better and he’s able to play even a little bit faster. But he’s always been a really good player and a really good tackler.”

A former Razorback linebacker is Chris “Pooh” Paul who is now at Ole Miss. Paul leads the Rebels in tackles with 57, including 32 solo. He also had 2.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups and 1 forced fumble.

“Well, we’ve always known he can run,” Pittman said. “And he’s running side-to-side, tackling very well. Looks like one of their leaders on defense and doing exactly what I what I thought he would do when he went into the portal wherever he went. Be a really fine player for whomever he went to. And he was a great player for us and doing the same thing at Ole Miss.”

Arkansas and Ole Miss will kickoff at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The game will be televised on ESPN from Razorback Stadium.