No, really: Arkansas’ defensive line is deep and talented
Combing through the names on the Arkansas depth chart on the defensive line may feel a little bit like one of the opening scenes in the movie Major League.
Not an established star on the roster.
But like those Cleveland Indians, now Guardians, expect the the Hogs’ front four – on this case, maybe 10, by the time things are said and done – to be one of the better units in the SEC. They still may not have a superstar when that happens, but the depth is showing itself, for sure, in fall camp.
“We have finessers, we have powerful rushers, and we have speed rushers, so it’s just kind of a mixture of everything that we can play into,” defensive tackle Taurean Carter said. “So, you can’t just study for one thing, you’ve got to study for all of it, and you’ve got to expect who to study it for. With us rotating and flipping sides, it’s a chess game, not checkers.”
Carter didn’t play last year because of injury, though two seasons ago he was establishing himself as a staple and a majority snap-taker at his spot in the middle. Now, he has plenty of bodies to help. And not the kind who are just taking up a spot, either.
Maryland transfer Tank Booker, Louisiana Tech transfer Keivie Rose and returners Cam Ball and Eric Gregory give Arkansas five players with loads of experience and established results.
And that’s just at tackle. On the ends, Pittsburgh transfer John Morgan and LSU transfer Trajan Jeffcoat join returners Landon Jackson and Zach Williams. All four have been starters at the FBS level and will likely make up the two-deep when the Hogs open their season against Western Carolina the first weekend of September.
“The last time I’ve been a part of a three-deep defensive line was the year we went to the Outback Bowl when we went 9-4,” Carter said. “It was Ridgeway, Nichols and me. Of course, we had the end depth. But this depth is way different. It’s just a way different type of vibe.”
