FAYETTEVILLE -- Identifying the personnel playing the safety spots for the University of Arkansas is relatively easy.
But who is playing where, how many safeties might be on the field at once, and how new defensive coordinator Barry Odom names and deploys the various spots is largely a secret.
The segments of practice open to the media through 10 days in camp have not come during team periods.
Under Sam Pittman, safeties are not distinguished from cornerbacks on the roster -- a growing trend in college football -- and simply designates "DB" for everyone in the defensive backfield, whether they play cornerback, nickel, dime, boundary safety, field safety, middle safety, strong safety or free safety.
"I've always done that," Odom said. "I think it's important that I don't ever want to label a guy just a corner or just a safety because there are so many sub packages that we have defensively. We're going to line them up in a number of different roles."
The Razorbacks lost veteran safety Kam Curl, an early entry into the NFL Draft who was selected in the sixth round by Washington, but return free safety Joe Foucha.
A junior who started all 12 games, Foucha ranked third on the team with 87 tackles, had 4 pass breakups, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, a quarterback hurry and a fumble recovery.
Junior Myles Mason, senior Micahh Smith, redshirt freshman Jalen Catalon, true freshman Myles Slusher and others also have taken reps in the "safety" spots.
The positions in between the two cornerbacks are going to vary in number, name and assignment. Also, some guys who might be thought of as cornerbacks could line up inside and play "nickel" or "dime" roles, and they could cover or blitz. For instance, 2019 starting cornerback Jarques McClellion is taking reps at corner, nickel and other spots.
"Coach wants us to know all the positions because you never know what's going to happen, especially now with this covid situation," Catalon said after Friday's scrimmage. "A guy might get knocked down with covid and you've got to play his position, or next week you might have to play his position.
"I feel like everyone's playing every position. You can play middle safety. You might play wider safety one day. You might end up playing strong safety one day. You might end up playing nickel, or a nickel winds up playing corner. It just all depends."
Pittman said Tuesday that Slusher, Foucha and Mason all have taken reps at nickel back, the spot Greg Brooks Jr. started in for all 12 games as a true freshman. It's an indication there will very likely be more mixing and matching in 2020.
"It's a hybrid, you know," Pittman said of the nickel role. "It's not really a linebacker. It's not really a safety. It's just a guy that's a big, physical guy that has to be a linebacker in the run, and a corner or safety in the passing game. So those guys are very, very valuable to us and we feel pretty confident on where we're headed with that position."
The safety positions also will be noted for their versatility.
"The safety spot ... Catalon, obviously, is doing a real good job back there," Pittman said. "We're kind of rotating a little bit in field, boundary safeties, nickels, things of that nature. We're just trying to make sure that we find the right guys. You have to multiple teach in that area, because of the fact of injuries and honestly because of vovid."
Odom has made it clear he is prepared to run odd and even fronts, with three, four or five players essentially lined up in the box and on the line of scrimmage.
That gives the Razorbacks flexibility in how many linebackers are utilized and how many DBs are in the game.
The unusually long period of spring meeting time, brought about by the covid-19 pandemic, allowed Odom to teach different packages, different coverages and the rotation assignments in the defensive backfield that spring out of the formations they're defending and the play calls on the field.
Understanding and communicating the various packages and the rotations in real game time is the challenge Odom and a relatively young group of safeties face.
Odom was asked about the progress of the younger safeties Wednesday.
"We've had some days that are really good and some days they've had ups and downs," he said. "They're consistent in they are working extremely hard. The guys at the safety position, we've got a number of guys in there because we've got to prepare that way.
"And also at the corner spot, Busta [Montaric Brown] has had a really good camp so far. Jarques continues to improve. Collectively, that group has a chance ... I think that we have enough skill there we can mix in a lot of different coverages that will help us out. I've been in it long enough, the better the pass rush is the better your pass defense is. So we're spending a lot of time with that trying to help us out on the back end."
More News
Returning starter Joe Foucha (12 starts in 2019)
Losses Kam Curl (11), Brenden Young, Matt Berry
Who’s back Myles Mason (1), Micahh Smith, Jalen Catalon
Who’s new Myles Slusher, Jacorrei Turner
Walk-ons Simeon Blair, Martaveous Brown, Nathan Parodi
Analysis The coaching staff described the safety spots as a growing position of strength this spring, but much of the personnel is young. If Catalon is healthy and as good as advertised, and Slusher has a splashy debut like some think, the Razorbacks could have more depth than expected. The safeties in coordinator Barry Odom’s schemes will have to be versatile enough to learn multiple positions and, of course, be strong run stuffers and quality cover guys.