A knee injury kept junior linebacker Larry Worth III out of reach from high-level programs coming out of high school, but the Florida native said he put his nose on the grindstone and is finally reaping the rewards at Arkansas ahead of the 2024 season.
Though Worth said the knee injury doesn't bother him anymore, — he doesn't even remember which leg got hurt — at the time it forced him into taking a walk-on roster spot with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks as a freshman out of the 2022 recruiting class.
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"So I originally started out, I played receiver coming out of high school," Worth said on Friday. "But I ended up going in as a walk on at Jacksonville State at nickel. Then I kind of transitioned and started playing some safety a little bit and that’s when they could kind of just see my versatility. So ever since then I’ve just kind of been versatile, playing a little bit of everything."
Through two seasons in the Ohio Valley Conference, Worth totaled 83 tackles, four sacks and an interception. Worth's career-high performance came against Louisiana in the New Orleans Bowl during the 2023 season, when he made 12 total tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack.
Now with the Razorbacks, Worth said his transition to the SEC has been great and that his teammates have helped him throughout the process. A frequent participant at both "Hog" (nickel) and linebacker, the 6-foot-4, 224-pound athlete has represented his versatility well in fall camp. He even played safety Friday.
"I’m used to kind of moving around a little bit, so wherever I can help the team at, that’s where I’m best at," Worth said. "I don’t mind the versatility at all. Wherever I’m the best fit at, wherever I can help my team at, that’s where I feel the best at."
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Being at a program that boasts top-of-the-line resources is always a plus, but Worth said the recruitment process felt good and that Arkansas felt like home.
"It was just like a full-circle moment because I didn't really get to receive it coming out of high school," Worth said. "So it was kind of like I felt new and like a rookie almost, being like a full-circle moment.
"Some SEC schools, a lot of schools from different conferences, but Arkansas just felt really good. Coach (Travis Williams) and Coach (Sam Pittman) felt like a great fit."
Arkansas will return to the practice field Saturday in preparation for the season opener on Thursday, Aug. 29, against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
