Arkansas sophomore Preseason All-SEC cornerback Jaylon Braxton relied on talent to get through his eye-catching 2023 freshman campaign, but his new display of maturity and schematic soundness in the offseason has him primed for a breakout 2024 season on the national level.
"He's a guy that even now we kind of go back, whether it's the first game against Western Carolina and we talk about the maturation process as a player," Arkansas secondary coach Deron Wilson said on Monday. "First game he played some snaps and he was like, ‘Hey, I was just out there.’ The speed of college football has slowed down and understanding route concepts.
"A lot of times when you're a true freshman, you’re playing off of all ability because the game is still going fast. Now, him going into year two, the game is slowing down, he's reading concepts, he's asking next level questions."
The 6-foot, 190-pound Texas native earned Freshman All-SEC honors last season after playing in nine games with six starts and accumulating 20 total tackles, one forced fumble, eight pass breakups and one interception.
"It feels better for me just to have a year under my belt and know what I’m doing now," Braxton said. "So I’m out there more comfortable."
In his last four games of the season against SEC competition, Braxton recorded three 70.0+ Pro Football Focus performances — two of which were graded 80.0+. The former four-star had his lowlights, too, but he's looking to build on that as a leader of the Hogs' defense.
"From my freshman year to now, I think I’ve gotten better with just knowing what the offense is trying to do to me, what they’re trying to do to the defense," Braxton said. "Just recognizing route concepts."
After losing star cornerback Dwight McGlothern to the NFL Draft over the offseason, Braxton will be leaned on as the top cover-man in the Razorbacks' defense. He's not the only playmaker in the unit, however, as Arkansas appears to be more complete top to bottom with quality transfers, freshmen and returning talent.
"For the group, we’ve been doing real good in camp," Braxton said. "I would say for myself, I had a rough day the first day, but I’ve been getting better from the first day and just keep stacking good days. We’ve got a lot of depth in the cornerback room this year and you’re going to see a lot of us on the field this year."
Arkansas will continue with practice No. 6 of fall camp Tuesday in preparation for the season opener Thursday, Aug. 29, against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT and it will be televised on ESPNU.
