Not every young athlete dreams of becoming a home-grown hero at their home-state university, but new redshirt senior Arkansas linebacker Anthony Switzer did — he just had to take the long way around.
A former two-star safety prospect in the class of 2019 out of Marion, Switzer began his career in the northeast part of Arkansas with the Red Wolves of Jonesboro. From 2019-21, Switzer racked up 91 total tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception and three forced fumbles under head coaches Blake Anderson and Butch Jones.
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Following the 2021 campaign, Switzer joined his former head coach Anderson at Utah State but had to sit out in 2022 due to a season-ending ACL injury. In his lone playing year with the Aggies, Switzer totaled 84 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception while playing as a safety-linebacker hybrid. After being courted by Pittsburgh and other select programs, the Arkansas native finally ended up where he always hoped.
"I’ve always dreamed of being a Razorback," Switzer said. "Unfortunately, I didn’t get that chance coming out of high school. At the end of the day, it did not deter my dream. I just took a different path. It all worked out on god’s time and not my time. I’m here when I’m supposed to be here. I’m glad to be home and make the most of the opportunity."
Switzer is an example of the good the transfer portal brings to college football. After not getting his shot as an SEC player out of high school, the 6-foot-0, 220-pound reformed defender will play a major role in Travis Williams' defense in 2024.
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"Being in a strength program, you’re going to grow physically," Switzer said. "My knowledge, I have been around some great coaches at Arkansas State and Utah State. But through that whole process, you get to pick different defensive coordinators and defensive coaches’ mind.
"You just learn a lot of things and you get to see other people’s perspective on things. I’d say that’s one of the biggest things that helped me. Some things I learned, I can kind of tell (Travis Williams) how I see things. I learned that from another DC’s perspective. He might not have looked at it that way or something. Just helping him to become a better defensive coordinator so that he can help me become a better player.”
A lover of football according to Williams, Switzer's high game IQ enables him to pick up on things quickly and anticipate what's coming next — a pretty valuable trait in a fast-paced conference.
"He’s very, very sharp and he makes check," Williams said. "Any little, small movement, he can kind pick up on what route is coming or what play is coming. If he hears the offensive line say whatever it’s going to say, he’ll point exactly where the ball is going.
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"Man, just a football player. You can tell he’s a gym rat as far as loving football and you can just tell… We talk as a defensive staff, ‘Okay, he was in the backyard.’ He’s a kid that played in the backyard, got dirty, one of those kids because he loves football."
Switzer said he knew the staff would let him be versatile when he was being recruited, and that's come to fruition as the flexible prospect has seen time at "Hog" (nickel) and linebacker during fastball drills in fall camp. Despite his experience, there's been an understandable learning curve for the sixth-year player.
"Now instead of just getting off blocks by receivers, you’ve got to get off 300-pound linemen trying to block you," Switzer said. "It’s just a different technique. You’ve got to use your hands more in the box and be more under control. Your eyes, you’ve got to see pulls and different things.
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"It’s a bit different with the technique, but Coach T-Will has been doing a very good job of teaching me how to use my hands. Teaching me how to play linebacker."
Arkansas will open its season Thursday, Aug. 29, against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPNU.
