Defense has good day on Saturday at scrimmage

By Jason Pattyson

FAYETTEVILLE — Saturday was a test run before the Razorbacks welcome Hog Nation to Donald W Reynolds next Saturday afternoon. The defense, albeit short in numbers, looked crisp and dictated what the offense could do all morning scrimmage. 

The defensive line had a day. The first and second teams were able to put pressure on all three quarterbacks who saw action. The defense got home multiple times, bringing down Hog quarterbacks four times. 

One player Defensive Line Coach Deke Adams and Head Coach Sam Pittman looked upon to make a big leap this spring was Quincy Rhodes Jr. The junior defensive end finished the scrimmage with five tackles, and two of those were for a loss. The one takeaway was the pressure he applied to the first-team offense all afternoon. Fans could be pleasantly surprised next week if he has a similar showing. He could be the next player to fill that need, an explosive playmaker on the defensive line, left by Landon Jackson, who will find out his fate in the 2025 NFL draft next week. 

Lets look at the second level for a moment. Xavian Sorey Jr. had the highlight of the day with an interception, picking off Taylen Green toward the end of the day. He led the defense with six tackles, three tackles for loss, and three sacks. Defensive Coordinator Travis Williams is seeing the effort on the field, but it’s the prep off the field that is impressive and will help him at the next level. 

“I just tell him, this time next year, you’re going to be in these rooms, and these GMs and these coaches are going to be asking you these questions. So, let’s draw it up. Let’s talk through it. And he’s become just a student of the game,” Williams said this week during his press conference after practice. “He’s asking questions, and not only is he asking questions, he’s actually helping the younger players on the scheme that we have, which is always good. So you’re seeing that growth, and we have that conversation a lot. He’s in my office all the time.”

Freshman JJ Shelton delivered the biggest hit in the scrimmage, a punishing thud to one of the running backs that turned up the sideline. It was a moment of meeting Shelton, a brick wall, and he lowered his shoulder, and the runner’s feet went in the air. The pop of the pads made the play sound as if an explosion went off. Currently, Shelton is playing the Hog position if this keeps up, Coach Williams will have a hard time keeping this freshman off the field. 

Coach Williams knows they need depth they are also making improvements with 

Other players that had a good day, included rising freshman Charlie Collins, who had six tackles and a sack, Cade Fields had a strip fumble that was recovered by the defense, 

The secondary, albeit thin in numbers, was active causing all three quarterbacks at times to break their progressions and tuck the ball and run. Selman Bridges had a pass breakup in the endzone on the north end, but in a game situation would have been called pass interference. The coverage was great forcing receivers to make some tough contested catches. 

The defense we see in the spring will not be what we see in the fall, too many variables that could change. Transfer portal and possibly adding players, someone shows up in June and has a great fall camp and a tweak needs to be made, just like switching to a three-high safety look in the middle of the season. Nothing will be set in stone until September as Williams said last week. 

“I think it’s year-to-year. So you go in and you say, ‘Okay, as a defensive coordinator, we’re this.’ We’re four-down, we’re going to be attacking, we want to rush the passer. And then you’ve gotta, okay… Like last year, three-high, that’s not in my background, right? We played Tennessee and then boom, it pops up. You go out and you play Texas and it pops. Whatever we gotta do to win the game. Travis Williams could be stubborn and say, ‘We this and this.’ Okay, well, can we stop this particular offense with this particular scheme? So it’s just trying to be as multiple as possible and giving our guys a chance to be successful on the field.”

The Hogs will hold the spring game on Saturday at 1 p.m.