Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
RAZORBACKS DON’T WAIT to get in a rush.
FAYETTEVILLE — Generating a better pass rush is a huge key for the University of Arkansas in 2021, and there was no better time to get started than Day One of spring drills.
Whether it’s through their base package from
3- or 4-man fronts or bringing extra blitzers, the Razorbacks understand they must pressure quarterbacks more often than they did in 2020.
“As a defense we have to put pressure on the quarterback, it doesn’t matter if we’re rushing three or one,” said linebacker Grant Morgan, who added the Razorbacks worked on it Tuesday in shorts and helmets. “We have to get somebody there and get pressure on him and make him move around.
“You can ask Trelon [Smith] too when he comes up. He had to pick us up today in pass blocking. He’ll probably say the exact same thing: That we had emphasis on getting to the quarterback.”
The Razorbacks posted just 14 sacks last season while giving up 34.
Coach Sam Pittman mentioned the pass rush during his media session introducing new assistant coaches, including defensive line coach Jermial Ashley, and on his pre-spring video conference.
“We’ve got to put a team in the hole, and we didn’t do that on a consistent basis last year,” Pittman said. “That was one of our self scouts that we found out. But we’ve got to find those pass rushers. They’ve been working extremely hard and we should have … we’ve got guys on the team that can rush the passer.”
O-line tout
Top tailback Trelon Smith was doling out praise to the offensive line, which returns all five starters from last season.
“That O-line, man, all I’ve got is positive things to say about those guys,” Smith said. “Those guys during this offseason, they had it on their mind. They want to come in and be different this year. They want to be a completely different O-line this year.
“First day of spring, you really can’t tell because we didn’t have pads on, but from what I was seeing as I was getting the ball in the backfield, they’re creating holes. I’m definitely excited to see what we can do this year.”
18, Gordon
Arkansas senior linebacker Grant Morgan said he knows everybody’s name on the roster, but he’s still putting names to jersey numbers.
One of the team’s new defensive backs made his No. 18 jersey pop to Morgan on Tuesday.
“Trent Gordon made some really good plays today,” Morgan said. “I was talking to Bump[er Pool] and Trent made a really good play on the goal line in two-minute, and I was just like, ‘That’s the Penn State kid, right?’ Then we were like, ‘OK, 18, Trent Gordon.’ So we were screaming for him.
“He’s doing really well. He can help us out.”
Early smack
Senior running back T.J. Hammonds had a nice run over the right side early on during an inside-run drill Tuesday.
The chatty back informed the defenders that was just the beginning.
“That’s all year!” Hammonds said while running back to the huddle.
Friday football
The Razorbacks’ “Battle Line Rivalry” game against Missouri this fall has moved back to Friday, the UA announced on Tuesday.
Arkansas will host this year’s game Nov. 26, with the 2:30 p.m. game being televised on CBS.
The Razorbacks and Tigers have played on Thanksgiving weekend each of the past seven years and each of those games was moved to Friday except for the 2020 game, won 50-48 by Missouri in Columbia, Mo. The Tigers have a 6-1 record since the seasonending rivalry started.
New spots
The Razorbacks don’t have a swath of position changes to open spring, but there are a few, including senior Koilan Jackson’s request to move to tight end from wide receiver and take jersey No. 88, perhaps a tribute to his father Keith Jackson. The elder Jackson, a College Football Hall of Famer, wore No. 88 in his NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers.
“He wanted to do it, and I was all happy for him to do it,” Pittman said. “We haven’t really seen enough out of him to be honest with you, to figure it all out yet.”
Jackson is likely to be limited this spring as he continues to battle injuries.
Additionally, Pittman said signee Raheim Sanders will start out at running back rather than receiver. The 6-2, 210-pounder from Rockledge, Fla., will vie for “big-back duties” in the backfield.
Also, linebacker Zach Zimos, listed at 6-4, 225, in the spring guide, will probably get a look at safety during drills.
Kevin Compton, who had been a wide receiver, is now listed as a defensive back; long-snapper John Oehrlein is now listed as an offensive lineman; and former quarterback Cade Pearson is now with the defensive backs.
Jersey notes
The Razorbacks have a record 10 freshmen among their early enrollees on campus for spring drills, quite an achievement considering the hoops needed to jump through during the coronavirus pandemic.
Here is a listing of the fresh faces by jersey numbers: 2 WR Ketron Jackson, 3 QB Lucas Coley, 5 RB Raheim Sanders, 8 DB Jayden Johnson, 13 WR Jaedon Wilson, 21 RB Javion Hunt, 25 LB Marco Avant, 29 PK Cameron Little, 36 DB Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan and 40 LB Chris Paul Jr.
Jersey numbers for the transfer early enrollees: 18 DB Trent Gordon, 18 QB Kade Renfro, 41 DB Darrell Wilson, 53 OT T’Kieast Crawford and 97 DL Jalen Williams.
Returning players who have taken new jersey numbers include: 4 QB Malik Hornsby, 20 LB Zach Zimos, 22 LB Deon Edwards, 34 LB J.T. Towers, 88 TE Koilan Jackson.