FAYETTEVILLE — Four questions for four writers previewing Arkansas' secondary for the 2017 season.
How confident are you that Santos Ramirez, De’Andre Coley and Josh Liddell will be significantly improved in 2017 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being not confident and 10 being very confident?
Clay Henry: There was little doubt that Santos Ramirez made a major move in the spring. His tackling was improved. The clear indicator that he's improved came when teammates voted Ramirez one of four captains. I think a second spring under Paul Rhoads helped all of the safeties. They must improve if the defense is to make any significant jumps this season. There were 39 touchdowns scored by the run against the Razorbacks last year. The angles and tackling of the safeties was part of the issue. It appeared they were improved in the spring, but the scrimmages I saw were against the Arkansas offense and not the spread. Can Ramirez, Coley and Liddell function in the open field against the spread? It's a big question. I think they are better, but they have to be much better. That's something to watch for early in the season.
Tom Murphy: I'm gonna say 7. The operative word here is obviously "significantly," as I'm 100 percent certain they will be at least moderately improved. For starters, their position coach Paul Rhoads is now the defensive coordinator and we heard all spring about Rhoads "bringing the fun back" into the game. So they will be better prepared mentally to go ball for Rhoads.
Bob Holt: I'm going to say a 6, meaning they'll definitely be improved, but I don't see any of them reaching an All-SEC level. They all have extensive playing experience now and learned a lot working under Paul Rhoads last season when he was the secondary coach and should continue to develop with him as their defensive coordinator now.
Jimmy Carter: I’ll go right in the middle at a 5. They should be better by virtue of having another year of experience, but each has multiple years of SEC action under their belts and haven’t consistently shown the kind of ability you’d want to see. Arkansas hasn’t had an All-SEC safety since 2010 and I don’t know that this trio has what it takes to come close to changing that.
Does a young safety crack the rotation and earn meaningful playing time this fall?
Henry: That could happen, especially if there are some injuries to the top three. Something to remember, the fourth best safety on the team is Kevin Richardson. Obviously, he's also a reserve corner and nickel back, but he's best equipped to move to safety in an emergency. There is great fascination with incoming freshman Montaric Brown. He's a little bit on the light side, but that may get fixed in his first summer with Ben Herbert.
Murphy: With the lack of depth at the spot behind Santos Ramirez, Josh Liddell and De'Andre Coley, the obvious answer is yes. I'd be surprised if Ashdown blue chipper Montaric Brown wasn't given an opportunity to crack the two deep. Also, redshirts Deon Edwards and Micahh Smith will have an opening to hit the field on both defense and special teams in 2017.
Holt: I think a young safety only gets significant playing time if Coley, Liddell or Ramirez sustain an injury. And if one of them needs to miss playing time, then the best option might be putting Kevin Richardson at a safety spot. Ideally for Arkansas, redshirt freshmen safeties Micahh Smith and Deon Edwards can gain some experience when games aren't on the line. Then if they show they're ready to play larger roles, they'll get some chances to do that.
Carter: No. Even with Ramirez, Coley and Liddell’s issues, they have a wealth of experience and know exactly what Paul Rhoads wants. Montaric Brown is highly rated, but will need to add weight and strength while adjusting to college football. None of the backups on campus have shown signs of playing their way into the rotation to this point.
True or false: Cornerback is the strength of the defense.
Henry: There is some confidence in the corners and Ryan Pulley might be the best player on the team, defense or offense. He's got the ability to make plays. He's an NFL prospect. The idea that you have a lock down corner allows a defensive coordinator to set his defense and make some specific calls based on the notion that at least one area of the field is protected. However, the idea that cornerback could be the strength of the defense might be based on the vulnerable look of the defensive line, linebacker and safety positions.
Murphy: Ehhhhhhh, true. Ryan Pulley had kind of an under-the-radar fantastic season in 2016 and could emerge as an SEC star this fall. Henre' Toliver and Kevin Richardson have been doing this a long time, so there is talent at the two spots as well as nickel. Between the return of Britto Tutt and the potential impact of a Chevin Calloway, Korey Hernandez and Jarques McClellion, the Hogs should have key players on the corners.
Holt: I don't think I ever imagined saying this, but it's probably true cornerback is the defense's strength considering the youth among the defensive line and linebackers, along with some of those players learning new positions with Arkansas' switch to the 3-4. Ryan Pulley may be Arkansas' top defensive player and he's got the talent to earn All-SEC recognition. Richardson's return from an injury is huge for the secondary and Toliver has a lot of valuable experience.
Carter: Absolutely true. Arkansas’ starting corners — Ryan Pulley and Henre’ Toliver outside and Kevin Richardson at nickel — were very impressive in spring ball. Pulley looks primed to be All-SEC and Toliver made his share of plays across from him. Richardson is so smart and always in the right place. Those three have the potential to be a really good group.
Who wins the fourth corner job behind Pulley, Toliver and Richardson?
Henry: It's hard to predict with true freshmen, but I'd suspect it will come from the nice recruiting haul from the 2017 class. Chevin Calloway, Kamren Curl, Jordan Curtis, Korey Hernandez and Jarques McClellion have ability. To play corner in the SEC requires both ability, technique and confidence. How long it takes for all of those areas to click with one of these prospects is anyone's guess. It may be as simple as which one stays healthy this summer and in August camp. A turned ankle or a hamstring tweak can be all it takes to send a freshman to the redshirt list. If I had to pick one, I'd probably start with Curl.
Murphy: Britto Tutt has the experience edge, so I'm guessing he's No. 4 early in camp, with Chevin Calloway and Korey Hernandez and maybe even the plucky Byron Keaton nipping at his heels.
Holt: I think Britto Tutt is the most logical guy. During fall camp last year he looked to be on pace to get significant playing time after transferring from a junior college, then he went down with a season-ending knee injury. He looked solid in the spring while being somewhat limited in practice, but should be full speed for fall camp. If he's 100 percent recovered, I think he'll play a fair amount this season.
Carter: I think highly touted true freshman Chevin Calloway may get on the field early. There are four other potential true freshmen corners who will get a chance to earn playing time, but they may be behind Britto Tutt and Nate Dalton, especially Tutt. He’s still less than a year removed from tearing his ACL, but was in line to play last year and looked more like his old self later in spring ball.