Tag: Cam Ball

Arkansas Depth Chart – Defensive Tackle

Now running a four-man front along the defensive line, Arkansas will rely on some key returners and added transfers to secure the tackle positions.

Depth has been the biggest issue at defensive tackle for the Razorbacks in recent years. New defensive coordinator Travis Williams has implemented a 4-2-5 base defense, differing from former DC Barry Odom’s three-man fronts the past three seasons. But with some experienced players returning and additional help from the transfer portal, Williams is confident Arkansas has what it takes.

“I think we have enough depth,” he said. “It’s just like anybody else: You don’t want to get guys hurt, but you have to get guys ready. That’s why we two-spot, so there’s always guys getting reps. We have enough depth to get the job done.”

A huge boost is the return of 6-foot-3, 303-pound senior Taurean Carter, who was injured in the 2022 spring game and missed the entire season with a knee injury. The Hogs lost a pair of starters in Isaiah Nichols, who transferred to Purdue, and Terry Hampton, who was a senior. But they also gained two experienced transfers, in Maryland’s Anthony Booker Jr., and Louisiana Tech’s Kelvie Rose.

No, really: Arkansas’ defensive line is deep and talented

The Razorbacks may roll 10 deep, all with skill and experience, up front. That’s scary for SEC opponents.

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.”

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Arkansas Football Offseason Depth Chart – Defensive tackle

Arkansas hasn’t had a beastly front line in years. That may change in 2023.

Arkansas hasn’t had a consistently above-average-in-the-SEC defensive line in several years. That may change in 2023.

With two transfers in to bolster three primary returners at defensive tackle, the Razorbacks have legitimate depth. Anthony Booker and Keivie Rose weren’t just basics at Maryland and Louisiana Tech, they were real players.

Cam Ball was Arkansas’ best on the inside last year and could take a step toward top-tier status this year. Eric Gregory has been as consistent as any linemen on the roster the last three years. Taurean Carter was on his way to becoming a star before injury.

Those five players will form the core of the interior of the defense for Arkansas. If the Razorbacks are good against when the season starts, you can be certain it’s coming from the defensive line.

Let’s take a look at the projected depth chart heading into the fall.

Arkansas loses expected starter on defensive line to ankle injury

Cam Ball is expected to be Arkansas’ No. 1 defensive tackle next season. He’ll miss most of the next few weeks.

The Arkansas defense was one of the worst in the country last year. So any further personnel losses would hurt the Hogs.

Bummer.

Defensive tackle Cam Ball will miss most of the rest of spring practice because of ankle injury, coach Sam Pittman said Wednesday. He was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and was seen in a walking boot during Arkansas’ Pro Day.

Ball had 31 tackles last year, third most among all Razorbacks’ defensive lineman, despite not being a starter. Since the team’s Liberty Bowl win against Kansas, however, Ball has found himself locked in with the first-teamers.

The good news for the Razorbacks is that his ankle was merely sprained. The bad news is that high ankle sprains tend to linger.

Arkansas ranked 124th out of 131 FBS teams last year in total defense. Taurean Carter and Eric Gregory are likely to get the lion’s share of the reps on the inside when Arkansas uses a four-lineman set for the rest of the spring.

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Arkansas D-line on the rise: these players will make a difference in 2022

Arkansas defensive line lost a lot from 2021, but these players should step into the fold nicely.

Sacks haven’t been a significant statistic for Arkansas football in a long time.

The Razorbacks have shown they can win without having a dynamic pass rush as a unit, even if they have had individual players who can rack up the numbers. McTelvin Agim, Armon Watts and Jeremiah Ledbetter were all those kind of players even during the down years of Arkansas football.

Heading into the 2022 season, though, there is reason to think the entire front seven (or six, as the Hogs more often play) can beat some of the team totals of recent years. Arkansas hasn’t finished higher than eighth in the SEC in sacks since 2013.

“The difference I see in our line is the explosion off the ball and that we are moving the line of scrimmage backward a lot of the time in our pass rush games,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “We’re attacking the tackles more on the edge and making them move their feet. I think Deke has done a really good job and the kids have gotten close to his teaching and things he’s done.”

The Deke that Pittman mentioned is first-year defensive line coach Deke Adams, whose new approach suggests that Arkansas’ new-look front could turn heads.

The Hogs lost three starters up front in defensive tackle John Ridgeway, tackle/end Markell Utsey and end Tre Williams. These are the players Arkansas will rely on to replace them in the fall.DE