Arkansas spring football: Defensive end group mixes new and old
Quick, dear Arkansas fan: Name the leading sack artist the Razorbacks have returning in 2023.
Answering that question correctly, if you did, probably wasn’t an immediate act. Drew Sanders and his 9 1/2 sacks are off to the NFL. Jordan Domineck initially said he would return, but he took his 7 1/2 to Deion Sanders in Colorado.
The answer: Zach Williams. A career part-time starter and situational defensive end, Williams has had the talent to get regular duty up front for Arkansas since he arrived on campus. Now ready for his fifth year, he’ll continue sharing rotations, but this time with a crew coach Sam Pittman thinks will do the most damage yet.
Pittman went out of his way to name, specifically, Williams, Jashaud Stewart, Nico Davillier, John Morgan and Trajan Jeffcoat. The standout, though, has been Landon Jackson. The LSU transfer has put so much pressure on quarterback KJ Jefferson during drills, Arkansas’ beleaguered secondary has looked dynamite this spring.
Arkansas finished last in FBS in yards passing allowed per game in 2022, even with a team that finished sixth in the nation in sacks. Continuing that pressure up front will go a long way in helping the defensive backfield improve.
But don’t expect regular 1s and 2s, so to speak. Williams, Stewart, Jeffcoat and Jackson appear to be the primary top four defensive ends with Morgan and Davillier getting occasional reps.
The Hogs have been in worse spots, certainly, even if no proverbial big dog has proven himself during the season yet.
