Information from Arkansas Communications is included in this story.
Quincy Rhodes Jr. picked up another line for his growing resume this week.
The Razorbacks’ senior defender earned a second-team All-SEC nod from the league’s coaches, with the conference office making the announcement on Wednesday afternoon.
It’s just the latest honor stacking up for Rhodes heading into the 2026 season. Athlon Sports and a group of SEC media members already tabbed him a second-team preseason all-league pick.
Phil Steele went a little different route and slotted him on his third-team list.
Between all three, it’s clear people around the league expect big things from the Arkansas defense this fall.
Rhodes built that reputation with a breakout junior year in 2025. He finished the season with 44 total tackles and led the Hogs with a whopping 15.5 tackles for loss.
He also had eight sacks six quarterback hurries and one forced fumble along the way.
That tackle-for-loss total did more than just top the Razorbacks roster. It was the most by any Arkansas defender since Trey Flowers put up 15.5 back in 2015.
Rhodes also became the first Hog since Landon Jackson in 2023 to reach double digits in tackles for loss in a single season, and he was the first Razorback since Tre Williams in 2021 to post three multi-sack games in one year.
On a national scale Rhodes’ numbers held up just as well. He ranked 13th among every player in the country in tackles for loss per game and sat second in the SEC at 1.23 per contest.
He also finished 23rd nationally in sacks per game at 0.67, showing he wasn’t just racking up stats against weaker competition.
Signature outing against Mississippi State
Rhodes saved one of his loudest performances for a Nov. 1 matchup with Mississippi State. He finished that game with six tackles including 4.5 for loss, adding a sack and a forced fumble to the stat sheet.
That 4.5 tackle-for-loss mark was rare company. Only two other Power 4 defenders matched it in a single game all last season, Indiana’s Stephen Daley and Ohio State’s Caden Curry.
For Arkansas the number carried even more weight since no Razorback had posted that many tackles for loss in one game since 2005.
Rhodes wasn’t just a one-game story either. He also turned in four tackles for loss and two sacks during a road trip to Memphis on Sept. 20, proving his big games weren’t limited to conference play.
Rhodes wants another big season for the Hogs
Looking at returning players across the SEC, Rhodes still stacks up near the very top.
His 1.29 tackles for loss per game and his 15.5 total from 2025 rank second among every returning defender in the conference, trailing only Auburn linebacker Xavier Atkins. His 77 tackle-for-loss yards from last season actually rank first among all returning SEC players.
Arkansas kicks off the 2026 season inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium against North Alabama on Sept. 5 at 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
Key takeaways
- Quincy Rhodes Jr. was named second-team All-SEC by the league’s coaches, adding to preseason honors from Athlon Sports, SEC media and Phil Steele.
- His 2025 season included 15.5 tackles for loss, the most by an Arkansas defender since 2015, plus eight sacks and a forced fumble.
- Rhodes ranks second among returning SEC players in tackles for loss and first in tackle-for-loss yards heading into the 2026 season.
