Arkansas already has cornerstone returning pieces in its secondary with Jaylon Braxton, Kee'yon Stewart, Jaheim Singletary and others, but newcomers from the transfer and high school ranks elevate what may be a darkhorse top-half SEC unit heading into the 2024-25 season.
Secondary coach Deron Wilson spoke to the media Monday and reviewed last season's Razorback secondary, which ranked 32nd nationally in pass yards allowed per game, as well as how the coaching staff fixed some issues over the offseason.
"As you look at the film and you go back and watch it, we had to get depth, which we did," Wilson said. "We addressed the depth issue with older guys who can play and also understanding when you bring in guys from the portal, try to get them in early so they can go through the spring.
"So, from a relationship standpoint and time standpoint, in the spring they get to know them, they get to know you, you get to know them and y’all continue to build and time we know brings trust. When you’re consistent over time, the player trusts you, you trust the player and y’all can thrive together."
Wilson isn't wrong about adding depth, as the Hogs landed five transfers and four high school defensive backs in the class of 2024. Though not all will see significant time on the field and some may be mixed around, Wilson said the group "has a chance to be really, really special because of the depth and talent."
Below is a breakdown of the newcomers in the secondary and what Wilson said about each of them:
Transfers
Two hot-topic names discussed around Arkansas fall camp are Larry Worth III and Anthony Switzer, who transferred to the Razorbacks from Jacksonville State and Utah State, respectively.
A big-bodied linebacker with versatility, Worth has spent time playing the "HOG" (nickel) position in practice thanks to his unique blend of size and speed. He finished fifth on Jacksonville State with 63 total tackles in 2023.
"When you think about Larry (Worth III), you think about a guy that’s 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4 that has the ability to run a 48 quarter," Wilson said. "In most states, if you run a 400 meter in 48 seconds, you’re either going to be first or second in that event. So, when you think of him from a speed and length standpoint, he has position flexibility whether he can play outside linebacker/HOG position, whether he can play safety."
Similar to Worth, Switzer was primarily a defensive back with the Aggies in 2023 but has been working with the linebacker group through five practices. He looked especially good in one-on-one pass protection drills against the running backs as well.
"Multiple ways to use (Switzer) whether it’s linebacker, he can play boundary safety, he has experience and he’s an extremely intelligent player," Wilson said. "I think one day, he’s going to be a really, really good coach. Just talking to him, that guy is extremely intelligent and he has the ability to run, has the toughness of a linebacker but the ability of a defensive back. ‘Switz’ Army Knife, you know what I mean?' You find different ways to use him."
Tennessee transfer Doneiko Slaughter — who finished with 32 total tackles and a sack last season for the Volunteers — has emerged as a strong candidate to start at the HOG position and is another in a long list of Arkansas defensive backs with all-around ability.
"When you think about Doneiko, he's one of the guys you're talking [can] play man coverage, a guy that has the ability to blitz, a guy that can drop in the flat, a guy if you need him to that can play in the post, a guy that could play curl flat, whatever it is," Wilson said. "He's a guy that has the corner ability, right? But also has the toughness as a nickel ‘Hog’, right?
"And when you look at him, and I don't want to say when you say toughness, because any position if you're not tough, you can't play, right? If you can't tackle, you can't play in the secondary. You know what I mean? But he has the verbal confirmation, A, from a communication standpoint, he does a good job at it."
The second former SEC transfer in this group is Miguel Mitchell out of Florida, a stout safety who racked up 37 total tackles, two pass breakups and an interception in 2023. Mitchell has been seen playing on the third team during fastball in practice, but that can be taken with a grain of salt as depth charts from those drills are sometimes misleading.
"He's playing safety," Wilson said. "A guy, again, played a lot of football at the last university he was at. You think of Miguel, you think of toughness, big guy, you’re thinking 6'2 maybe 210, but also has the ability to cover. We have a lot of depth. I think we have a lot of depth, and he could play [multiple spots]. Shoot, if we go dime, he has position flexibility to go to different spots when we go dime."
Another transfer addition not spoken about by Wilson is former South Alabama cornerback Marquise Robinson, who had a career-best 2023 campaign with 36 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions.
Freshmen
Now onto the freshmen class, where the Hogs added one highly-ranked four-star and three three-star athletes. Most notable is 6-foot-2, 175-pound Texas native Selman Bridges, whose long frame gives him NFL vibes on the field. The talented corner totaled 19 tackles with three pass breakups and an interception as a senior at Lake Belton High School.
"When you think of Selman, long guy that can run, similar to a team in what, the NFC West, how they like they corners, Seattle," Wilson said. "He looks like one of those guys. As you look at Selman, when you have length and you can run they’ve got sometimes you could play low hip, meaning a little bit under a receiver and you’re still covering the receiver up, right? It makes it harder on quarterbacks, because they can’t see the receiver, right?
"And Selman, I always tell him, ‘Man, I’m on you a lot, but just remember Jaylon Braxton was in this position last year and he continued to climb and trust the process,’ right? And when you trust the process you’re gonna reach the standards."
Speaking of versatility, how about defensive back Ahkhari Johnson, who played quarterback in high school and has played some second-string safety for the Razorbacks in fall camp fastball drills.
"When you think about Ahkhari (Johnson), he’s a young guy," Wilson said. "Played quarterback in high school, transitioned some to defensive back. When you get a guy who played quarterback in high school, you know you’re bringing in a high-IQ guy.
"Naturally they’ll understand how to read route concepts, they can hold a lot of information and be a quarterback of the defense. He has a really, really bright future. You’re talking 4.0 student, you don’t have to worry about him being on any lists, extremely intelligent player."
Receiving some major praise from Wilson is Tevis Metcalf, the brother of current Hog TJ Metcalf and cousin of NFL wide receiver DK Metcalf. After recording 20 total tackles and six pass breakups last season, Wilson said he thinks Metcalf will help Arkansas win games this season.
"Next guy, a young guy that's having a really impressive camp, you think about Tevis Metcalf," Wilson said. "And also TJ Metcalf has that same ability to play that position. I always joke and say those Metcalf guys are different. They’re built different from a mentality standpoint. I think they were raised the right way. With the last name they have, they definitely don't let it down.
"He's a perfect example of a guy that has the ability, has the strength, has the twitch, has the power, also has the football IQ to play Hog and play corner. And that's the kind of guys you got to look for. Again, if you even look at his weight numbers, when you're talking about bench press and power clean, you would never guess that Tevis is a true freshman because he is so intelligent, he is so mature. He's a guy that I think he's gonna help us this year. Help us win."
