Tag: Dwight McGlothern

Hogs Depth Chart: Multiple corners vying for the two starting pots

Newly hired secondary and defensive coach Dominique Bowman says the cornerback room is very competitive.

Newly hired secondary and defensive coach Dominique Bowman says the cornerback room is very competitive.

Four players compete for the two starting positions and contribute to the Razorbacks’ pass coverage. Last season the Hogs finished in the middle of the pack in the country for passing defense despite having one of the worst pass rushes in the conference.

The Razorbacks’ secondary lost players, multi-year starter Montaric Brown going to the NFL, and Greg Brooks Jr — who was expected to be one of the projected starters — transferred to LSU earlier this year. However, Sam Pittman and Bowman are confident in the current group.

“You have Hud and certainly have Malik Chavis. Those two guys are running most of the time out there with the 1s,” Pittman said. “Dwight McGlothern, and then you got Day Day (Bishop). Those guys are right there, and who knows what’s going to happen in the next 21 days.”

The Hogs still bring back a group that can create opportunities in the secondary. However, we will likely see four players rotating in the starting roles.

Arkansas’ football’s fall practices are officially started

Arkansas is pretty set on offense, but position battles in the secondary bear watching.

Football season is here.

Arkansas was back on the field Friday for its first football practice of the 2023 season. Things were about the same as they were in the spring, but some minor changes could make a world of difference when the season begins.

A handful of Razorbacks players who spent last year or the spring injured are healthy. None of them are expected to be starters, exactly, but their availability helps depth, especially as about half of them could see time on the second team.

Defensive end Landon Jackson, a transfer from LSU, looked recovered from an ACL injury and was the second-unit end. Jaqualyn Crawford broke his leg in the spring, but was going full speed Friday. And Dorian Gerald, back for a seventh season of college football, was looking to make his way up the depth chart after the NCAA granted him another year.

Position battles in the secondary will highlight camp. Arkansas brought in starters from LSU and Georgia in Dwight McGlothern and Latavious Brini in the offeseason, but both were on the second unit Friday. LaDarrius Bishop, who started at one of the cornerback spots last year, was also on the second unit.

Arkansas opens its season September 3 at home against Cincinnati.

How is Arkansas Football replacing their biggest losses from last season?

Arkansas football has high expectations for 2022, but what area will they need to address the most heading into the season?

Arkansas Football is one of the teams that everyone is looking forward to watching in 2022. There is plenty of excitement surrounding the return of KJ Jefferson at the quarterback position, as well as the stable of running backs and the potential of the transfer wide receivers such as [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag].

But, that seems to be where the focus is, on offense. How does Arkansas look defensively heading into the new season? That seems to be a burning question.

Tom VanHaaren of ESPN wrote a piece called “How college football’s way-too-early top 25 teams are replacing their biggest losses“, with Arkansas’ defense being the biggest question.

Arkansas, which ranks No. 20 in the way-too-early top 25 from ESPN, will be looking to replace eight key defenders including [autotag]Grant Morgan[/autotag], [autotag]Hayden Henry[/autotag], and [autotag]Tre Williams,[/autotag] as well as Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks Jr. who left Arkansas for LSU via the transfer portal.

Despite the losses, Arkansas reloaded by bringing in talent from the transfer portal, and that is where they can begin filling holes says VanHaaren.

On the defensive line, the Arkansas coaches signed LSU defensive end transfer [autotag]Landon Jackson[/autotag], who was the No. 78 prospect in the 2021 class. Georgia Tech transfer [autotag]Jordan Domineck[/autotag] will also help Jackson in the pass rush. In the secondary, the staff landed LSU corner transfer [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag] and Georgia safety [autotag]Latavious Brini[/autotag].

The Razorbacks also have to replace three members of the backfield, but have players to step up, such as Simeon Blair, Jalen Catalon, and Keuan Parker, who all have playing experience.

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Where every LSU football player in the transfer portal landed

LSU had a handful of players enter the portal. Where did they end up?

With [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] in and [autotag]Ed Orgeron[/autotag] out, LSU was bound to see some departures in the transfer portal. It’s natural with coaching changes.

The Tigers probably did better than some expected, not losing a ton of critical players, though there are certainly some that hurt.

Since November, LSU has had 10 players enter the portal. All but one have found their next home, with receiver [autotag]Deion Smith[/autotag] being the lone remaining player to make a decision. Talent-wise, Smith is one of the best remaining players in the portal, but because of the Tigers’ depth at wide receiver, it’s a loss they can deal with.

With transfers, you never know how big of a loss it is until we have time to see how it all played out, though some are more obvious losses than others, such as cornerback [autotag]Eli Ricks[/autotag].

LSU also had a few transfers end up at division rivals, which is still something new to college football. With that said, let’s take a look at where the players who transferred will be playing this fall.

What LSU could be getting from Ohio State transfer Sevyn Banks

LSU could be adding even more in the transfer portal with the potential addition of the Ohio State defensive back.

Few programs have hit the transfer portal as hard as LSU this cycle, and the Tigers might not be done.

Former Ohio State defensive back Sevyn Banks has been given a couple of crystal balls to LSU as [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] looks to continue to build out the secondary.

Few position groups were hit as hard as the defensive backs in the last few months. [autotag]Eli Ricks[/autotag] transferred to Alabama and [autotag]Dwight McGlothern[/autotag] to Arkansas, while [autotag]Derek Stingley Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Cordale Flott[/autotag] declared for the NFL draft.

That left LSU with barely any experience at cornerback. Early in the cycle, it added [autotag]Greg Brooks[/autotag], [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], and [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag], three guys that are expected to come in and compete right away, with Brooks especially impressing in the spring.

Banks was a four-star and top-300 recruit, and he spent four years at Ohio State, where he saw significant playing time the last three seasons.

His play was up and down, with Banks earning some poor grades from PFF over the last two years. However, in 2019, only two corners who played at least 150 snaps graded out higher than Banks.

Even though LSU has already added a good amount, it still needs some guys that can play on the outside. Brooks will be a contributor, but he’s a slot guy who can drop down into the box and be a free-range safety. Bernard-Converse and Garner can play on the outside, but LSU needs some depth there and Banks can provide that.

Though, it’s not just depth. Banks would likely have the opportunity to start. Garner, a Louisiana transfer, has yet to prove himself at the SEC level. So like Banks, Tiger fans don’t know exactly what they will get from him.

Ohio State is one of the top programs in the country. The Buckeyes are loaded with talent year in and year out. Seeing the field in Columbus is an accomplishment, and Banks saw it a lot over the last few years. He might not be a star, but he could be a good piece for LSU and Kelly to have around.

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CBS Sports pegs Demarius McGhee as the next in line after Derek Stingley Jr

This freshman could have a huge impact in 2022.

When top-level players leave for the NFL, it often leaves a huge void unless someone is ready to step up. At the cornerback position for the LSU Tigers, they have a lot of voids to fill with Derek Stingley Jr, Eli Ricks, Cordale Flott, and Dwight McGlothern all exiting stage left prior to the 2022 campaign.

LSU has to fill the role left by former All-American cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. Following the 2019 national title run, the five-star signee never looked the same for the Tigers defense.

The new staff under Brian Kelly understood the need to replace multiple starters on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the secondary. The team added Greg Brooks Jr from Arkansas and Mekhi Garner from UL-Lafayette through the transfer portal. However, CBS Sports has a different player in mind to replace Stingley Jr in 2022.

They opted for a cornerback that is already on the roster and received a huge chunk of playing time in the Texas Bowl against Kansas State, Damarius McGhee.

What CBS Sports Says…

Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Replacing Derek Stingley Jr

Replacement — Damarius McGhee: Though Stingley’s 2021 campaign was cut short by injury, his star power and pro projections are still worth mentioning, especially given the extensive personnel needs for Brian Kelly’s 2022 roster in Baton Rouge. McGhee was a four star-prospect in the 2021 recruiting class and earned the start at cornerback in the Texas Bowl against Kansas State, but he’s also one of just a few scholarship defensive backs left following some remarkable roster turnover in the wake of the coaching change. There has been some good news in beefing up the numbers with LSU landing a commitment from former Arkansas defensive back Greg Brooks Jr. Brooks is more of a nickel-safety option, but he’s a three-year starter in the SEC and at least another body for an LSU secondary in need of numbers.

The former four-star cornerback signed in the 2021 recruiting cycle out of Florida. McGhee was a former Tennessee commit that flipped to the Tigers. He was a two-way playmaker in high school which shows you that he has ball skills. Whether or not that translates remains to be seen. However, it could be a big year for McGhee if he can win one of the cornerback spots in the spring and fall camps. He has tremendous upside, but can he take hold of the opportunity before him is another question.

LSU CB Dwight McGlothern is staying in the SEC West

Former LSU cornerback Dwight McGlothern announces his transfer destination.

It appears that the Arkansas Razorbacks and LSU Tigers are just trading defensive backs at this point. After the Purple and Gold landing Greg Brooks Jr and Joe Foucha, the Razorbacks countered with Dwight McGlothern. He made his announcement on Twitter on Sunday evening.

McGlothern announced he would enter the transfer portal on Jan. 11 and was on his way to a new school just five days later. He stepped up for the Tigers defense after losing both Eli Ricks and Derek Stingley Jr early on in the season. He would finish with 32 tackles, two TFLs, one interception that was returned for a touchdown, and a forced fumble.

He will join teammate Landon Jackson, who announced earlier this offseason that he would be transferring to Fayetteville. They also added former five-star linebacker Drew Sanders from Alabama as well.

Head coach Sam Pittman is loading up on the defensive side of the ball as they look to the 2022 season. Arkansas built momentum this year and could be looking for another jump next year.

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Eye for an Eye of the Tiger: Second LSU Defender Opts for Arkansas

Defensive lineman Landon Jackson picked Arkansas last month, and now defensive back Dwight McGlothern has followed suit.

Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks have left Fayetteville for Baton Rouge, clearing the way for two former Tigers to become Razorbacks. Defensive lineman Landon Jackson picked Arkansas last month, and now defensive back Dwight McGlothern has followed suit. The former 4-star high school recruit out of Spring, Texas, is expected to immediately compete for playing time.

This is the second SEC transfer Arkansas’s defense added on Sunday. Former Alabama linebacker Drew Sanders chose the Hogs over Oklahoma. Sanders entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.

Depth Chart released for the LSU-Kansas State Texas Bowl game

A look at the depleted two-deep roster for LSU.

Ahead of Tuesday’s bowl game against the Kansas State Wildcats, the LSU Tigers have released their two-deep depth chart for the game. As expected it shows a pretty depleted roster.

The biggest name not seen on the depth chart is starting cornerback Dwight McGlothern. One can expect that he might be moving on from the program. We haven’t heard any injury news on him to think that it might be a health issue.

At quarterback, they have Garrett Nussmeier as the starter with Tavion Faulk as the backup. The thought is that it would be Matt O’Dowd since he was the backup to Max Johnson for the season finale against Texas A&M but all that has changed.

I would still believe that Jontre Kirklin is more likely to play as the wildcat quarterback in this game. If they weren’t granted the waiver for Nussmeier’s redshirt, it will be up to him to make the decision on if he wanted to give up the redshirt year. LSU might also put them as the starter as to not give Kansas State any insight as to how they are planning on attacking the defense.

Darren Evans is expecting to be the starter at cornerback with no McGlothern. The safety tandem of Jay Ward and Todd Harris Jr are listed as the starters. Freshman Sage Ryan is listed as the backup at nickel to Pig Cage.

At linebacker, they won’t have Micah Baskerville and Damone Clark opted out so it will be former Clemson transfer Mike Jones Jr and Greg Penn II.

A full look at the two-deep:

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These players are key for an LSU Tigers victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks

These players are key to win.

It will be quite the game on Saturday for the LSU Tigers. We will find out which of the two quarterbacks will take hold of the starting position. It also will give fans an idea if they should make postseason plans.

The Tigers need two wins in the final three weeks to become bowl eligible with Arkansas, UL-Monroe, and Texas A&M on left on the schedule. The benefit is that all three games will take place in Death Valley.

As LSU prepares to take the field at Tiger Stadium on Saturday against the Hogs, we highlight five players that will be key for a win. Their postseason chances become infinitely more. difficult if they can’t knock off Arkansas.