Xavian Sorey feels confident in linebacker room

FAYETTEVILLE — Former Georgia linebacker Xavian Sorey is now at Arkansas and helping lead the linebacker room that has several other new faces.

Sorey transferred to Arkansas at midterm and has seemingly found a very good home for him. Arkansas lost several linebackers to the transfer portal following last season, but added Sorey, Larry Worth, Anthony Switzer and Stephen Dix plus some high school recruits. Following Thursday’s first scrimmage, Sorey talked about how the linebacker room is shaping up.

“I think we’re coming along pretty good,” Sorey said. “Of course we’ve got things we need to get better at, but other than that, everybody’s working. Everybody’s happy. We’re like brothers in there. We joke around. In the locker room, the linebacker row, we all sit together. We eat together and things like that. I’d say we’re a family if anything. We’re close-knit in the linebacker room.”

Sorey was asked specifically how they did during the scrimmage?

“I would say as a defense, the first drive or two, we started slow.” Sorey said. “We just got to come out there with fire. Come out there, it was kind of early, but that can’t be an excuse. We’re going to have early games, morning games, so we just got to get after it. Go out there and put our foot on the gas. Let’s go.”

Bradley Shaw and Wyatt Simmons were the two high school linebackers who didn’t arrive until summer. Sorey has liked what he has seen from both.

“B-Shaw and Simmons, yeah, they’re doing good,” Sorey said. “They’re doing great. I tell them all the time, they’re way (more) advanced than I was my freshman year when I came into college. They’re way ahead of me, so that’s a credit to those guys. They’re good players and they come from good programs, high school programs. B-Shaw came from Hoover, so you can tell he’s been coached. He’s going to be a player.”

One thing that Sorey is thankful for is he’s on the same team as the other No. 10 on Arkansas, quarterback Taylen Green.

“He can run,” Sorey said smiling sitting next to Green. “Don’t get in a foot race with him. It’s hard. It ain’t too much you can’t handle. When you’re in front of him, he’s in front of you. Credit to him. He’s on our team. Go Hogs.”

Sorey and the Hogs will open the season on Thursday, Aug. 29, in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium against UAPB at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.