Arkansas returns one proven name up front and everybody else is still earning trust.
Senior defensive lineman Quincy Rhodes Jr. enters his final season as the only Razorback picked for Preseason All-SEC honors by conference media, a nod to a 2025 season that included 15.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks.
That kind of production is rare for the Hogs and it makes Rhodes the closest thing this defense has to a sure bet right now.
The rest of the group is a different story.
Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts met with reporters for 17 minutes after Arkansas opened fall camp Wednesday afternoon and made clear the unit around Rhodes is still finding its footing.
Roberts said the staff currently trusts five interior linemen with three more players fighting for a job behind them.
“If we can have seven that would be good,” Roberts said. He wants seven trusted linemen by the time the season starts but admitted the group is still very young up front.
That youth shows up across nearly every position group Roberts discussed. Back in spring he said 17 or 18 players could land in the two-deep.
Now he thinks the real number chasing playing time sits closer to 24 or 25.
“I think there’s probably 24-25 guys we’re looking at probably going to get a chance to get in there,” Roberts said.
He added it’s too early in camp for things to get real and for coaches to know how players truly hold up.
Safety and linebacker still sorting things out
Roberts named three safeties who would start if Arkansas played today.
Khmori House, Christian Harrison and Miguel Mitchell lead that group with four or five other players chasing snaps behind them.
He explained why depth matters so much there. The SEC grind wears teams down and injuries pile up during a long season.
“It’s going to be tough to finish the season with the three starting guys you got,” Roberts said, which is why he wants multiple safeties ready to rotate in without any drop off.
Linebacker looks a bit more settled early on.
Bradley Shaw and Quay Smith sit atop that group right now with four other players fighting for the next open spot. Roberts said six linebackers total are competing for real snaps this fall.
Jack spot and pads test still ahead
Roberts also talked about what he needs to see once pads come on. Players can handle communication and assignments in shorts but the real evaluation starts once contact begins.
“You got to be honest with yourself,” Roberts said about judging players once things speed up.
He said some players look sharp without pads but the situation gets too big for them once the game turns physical.
The Jack position rounds out a defense still finding its shape.
Roberts said five players could compete for that job with Steven Soles, Charlie Collins and Jamonta Waller currently leading the group.
Fall camp still has plenty of practices left to sort out who separates from the pack around Rhodes.
Key takeaways
- Quincy Rhodes Jr. returns as Arkansas’s only Preseason All-SEC pick and its most proven defensive piece
- Roberts trusts five interior linemen right now with three more fighting for a job behind them
- Bradley Shaw, Quay Smith, Steven Soles, Charlie Collins and Jamonta Waller headline early leaders at linebacker and Jack
