FAYETTEVILLE — Much has been made of the defensive switch to the 3-4 alignment.
Most admit it was the right thing to do at the right moment. Giving up 39 rushing touchdowns last season produced a change has to be good mentality anywhere you looked.
But there have been warnings from those who have been part of such transitions in the past, both at the college and pro level. It takes time. Senior Bowl executive Phil Savage, a former NFL coach, said the transition takes well over one season to execute.
That may be true, but there are at least some Arkansas players that don't buy that, mainly because they've been in the 3-4 most of their football careers. They know it, understand it and are ready to take it to games.
Two of the defensive players in the interview room Wednesday were all smiles about their transition to the new defense. They said it's the same thing they have always played, just with some slight changes in terms.
Maybe that's why T. J. Smith graded out the most consistently in the spring, the reason defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said he's the first-teamer at the end spot that was expected to have the most competition.
Everyone understood that McTelvin Agim had locked up one end spot in the spring. Bijhon Jackson has been with the ones since early in spring drills at nose tackle.
“It's that other end spot that might be by committee,” Rhoads said. “T.J. Smith, Armon Watts, Briston Guidry, Jonathan Marshall and others might rotate in that spot. But when we graded all of the spring tape, T.J. Was the most consistent.”
Smith hadn't heard that news until Wednesday after practice when a reporter waited out a throng for a tiny one-on-one.
“That's news to me,” Smith said. “I wasn't sure why I started with the ones. I thought I was pretty consistent in the spring.
“What happened, we are playing something that I knew. It's exactly what we ran at Colquitt County. They use different words for some of it, but it's the same. So I know it. I'm comfortable with it and I really like it.”
Smith was an under-the-radar find for the Razorbacks, although there were offers from Missouri, Vanderbilt, North Carolina and Wake Forest.
Perhaps his transfer to Colquitt County in Moultrie, Ga., for his senior year made him a bit of a mystery. He was committed to Vandy, but when the Hogs offered, he flipped.
One thing is for sure: Smith arrived as a solid technician. Colquitt County is considered one of the top programs in Georgia. He helped Colquitt to a 15-0 Class 6A state championship with 46 tackles, 15 quarterback hurries, 4 sacks and 15 tackles for losses.
The knock on the third-year sophomore was that he might be a little undersized. He was in the 260-pound range when he signed and arrived on campus in the low 270s. That has changed in the last year.
New defensive line coach John Scott asked him to add some weight to become one of the anchor points at defensive end in the 3-4. He was at 283 pounds by the time spring drills arrived. He reported last week at 298.
“You lose in camp, but I hope to play at 295,” Smith said. “I'm holding my weight so far and I feel like I can move at this weight. It's good weight. It's in my lower body and my back, all muscle.”
Ben Herbert's strength and conditioning program focuses on nutrition and hydration. Smith paid particular attention to fats over the summer. So did most of the defensive line. Most are bigger, something needed for linemen in the 3-4. They need to be anchor points to keep blockers off of linebackers.
“I cut out the cheeseburgers and I quit eating tacos," Smith said. "I'm doing my own cooking. It's a lot of chicken and rice. It's lean, too. Nothing fried. You see guys eating the cheeseburgers and tacos. That won't work.”
Smith thinks the Hogs will hit the ground running for the opener with the switch to the 3-4.
“I don't see that we are having any trouble with it,” he said. “I love it. Of course, I know it. But we've got a lot of guys who have run this.
“The main thing, the guys trust it. They trust Coach Rhoads. They trust his system. We've made a lot of progress on defense since last August, our last camp. This camp is so much better. Coach Rhoads has brought us so much energy.
“We just have to keep doing what we are being asked to do. The biggest thing is to trust the technique.”
That has never been a problem with Smith. He prides himself on his technique, ability to play low and use leverage.
“I have just always wanted to be coachable,” he said. “So if it's something my coaches showed me, I tried to perfect it. I want to be a guy who learns.
“For example, our coach last year (Rory Segrest), told me I lacked a pass rush. I wasn't good at that, so I guess I didn't get in the rotation as much. So that's what I've worked on over the last year. I think I've improved my pass rush technique. It's showing up now.”
Smith said he hadn't heard the phrase “by committee” in reference to the rotation at his position, but it makes sense.
“Why not?” He said. “We've got depth. That's what we lacked last year. We didn't play a big enough rotation. Now, we have the depth to do it.
“Across the board, we've got it. I see depth at all three spots in our front. We can go a lot further if we will roll guys in during the game. I know guys like Guidry and Marshall are going to rotate with me. It would be crazy not to play all of us. We will stay fresh.
“But I have to be honest, in my mind coming in for this camp, I thought this position was going to be mine. That's how you have to be. I thought I'd be with the ones and I thought I'd keep it.
“I know what I have to do, though. It's compete, compete, compete. It's not going to be easy. Those guys are good and they are coming every day.”
Smith sees depth behind him at linebacker, too. Newcomers like Gabe Richardson, Hayden Henry and Derrick Munson at outside linebacker are making a push for playing time. Veterans Dwayne Eugene, Karl Roesler and Randy Ramsey have played consistently well, too.
“I think we've got crazy talent at outside linebacker,” Smith said. “I think we'll see that this scheme allows them to play more aggressive football. We are playing more aggressive up front, too. That's the nature of this scheme.
“I know that because I've played it. I'm more up the field than I was last year and that makes it a lot more fun. What I see is that we have the depth to keep our linebackers fresh. I see positions, like mine, where you might have a 1A and a 1B and sometimes a 1C. That's a good situation. You have to be like that in this league.
“Competition is good. Depth is good. We've increased in both areas. We are having fun.”
There was some fun Tuesday night after practice. Instead of meetings, head coach Bret Bielema asked position coaches to take players out to eat. They fanned out across Fayetteville to different restaurants. Scott took the defensive line to a new J.J.'s brew pub.
Oh, and Smith fell off his diet. So did Jackson, working to become a leaner 330.
“I sure did,” he said. “I treated myself to one cheeseburger. Some others got off their diet. Bijhon ordered a large pizza. But I was stunned because he only ate one slice. I don't know how he did it, but he showed me something.”
Perhaps the defensive line, much maligned last year, is about to show something big this fall. It may be by committee at one of the defensive end spots, but T.J. Smith seems to be the chairman of the committee.