FAYETTEVILLE — Sam, Mike and Will, meet Jack.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are attempting to solve their thin linebacker situation by creating a linebackerlike position. Razorbacks defensive coordinator Willy Robinson calls the hybrid position “Jack,” following football convention of giving names to positions.

Middle linebacker is almost universally called “Mike,” while strongside and weakside linebackers are usually called “Sam” and “Will.”

In Arkansas’ defensive revision, Jack will mostly replace Sam, which was one of the thinnest positions on the team and got thinner when strongside linebacker Freddy Burton was suspended for two games for off-field issues.

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“We needed to name it something different from our Sam linebacker, because we still have some of our Sam stuff in our package,” Robinson said. “We use that Jack term in some of our other packages, and shoot, it’s a common name — Jack.”

With the season opener less than three weeks away, senior Walner Leandre is working as the Jack starter. Leandre has played both safety and linebacker in high school and junior college so his skills dovetail nicely with the Jack, which is a combination of the two.

“It’s like a linebacker-slash-safety because I’m in the box most of the time,” Leandre said. “I’m doing everything a linebacker and safety will do.

“ You have to learn a lot because you have to know your checks and where to line up. It’s my responsibility to line up the D-line most of the time.”

The Jack could also provide the Razorbacks with versatility in SEC games. In a traditional 4-3, teams will often have to remove a run-stopping linebacker to combat passing formations.

Leandre and the other Jack contenders — Dallas Washington, Bret Harris, Khiry Battle and Jerico Nelson — are safeties with coverage experience.

“You’ve got to have a guy that can play the game not only as a linebacker, but as a safety type, a hybrid safety is what I keep calling it,” Robinson said.

The Jack seemed a perfect solution for the Razorbacks’ depth problems that spring practices revealed. They were thin at linebacker but had a bevy of safeties. Voila.

“I think we kind of forced our hand,” Robinson said. “It’s still a 4-3 package. It’s no more or no less. We do the same things with that body that we did in the spring with an outside linebacker.

“ We just ended up putting a guy in there because with the depth situation, we felt those guys fit well there.”

Leandre said the position is a challenge to learn, especially for true freshmen Battle and Nelson. The position may qualify as the third linebacker in the 4-3, but the players study and meet with the safeties.

The position requires physical play for taking on blocks and forcing run plays. Leandre, 6-2, 213 pounds, is the biggest of the Jack players. Nelson, 5-9, 195, is the smallest but has earned praise from Robinson this summer.

“You’ve got to bring it when you’re taking on them blocks, because it’s linemen and stuff,” Leandre said. “You can’t be too small and play this position. You know, I’m kind of middle ways to being a linebacker, so I’ve got some size.

“ It’s something different, but I like it. It gives me a better chance to make more plays up front.”

Robinson said the Jack position is still a work in progress, especially with the short preparation time and number of candidates for the job.

“You’re seeing us each day move some guy around just to see if we can still find that guy, and I think we’re getting closer,” Robinson said. “I think the fact that they can play a lot of different positions is only going to help us in the long run.”

With safeties playing the Jack, the Razorbacks still have work to do on the other two linebacker positions. Redshirt freshman Jerry Franklin has been working at first-team middle linebacker with Wendel Davis recovering from knee surgery, while senior Elston Forte plays weakside.

The Razorbacks don’t have overwhelming depth at the pure linebacker positions, but are using summer practices to develop some. Two promising candidates for playing time are incoming freshmen Tenarius Wright and Jelani Smith.

“At our two inside linebacker positions, it’s kind of a wait and see,” Robinson said. “We do have a temporary setback with Burton not being there, with Wendel not being there. With them not being there, we are developing more depth.

“ Those guys who are practicing and are developing depth they have to understand they’re not just there to be a backup but they’re striving to be a starter.”

Robinson said he’s not worried about the linebacker corps this year. He said he has faith in the players and linebackers coach Reggie Johnson.

“My job is to prepare the guys I have,” Johnson said. “I can’t just make them appear. I think I have a solid group of guys. They love to work hard, they enjoy competing.

“ Our job is to grind here over the next few weeks and get us ready for the opening game.”