FAYETTEVILLE — It has definitely sunk in for Grant Morgan that he is gearing up for his final season at Arkansas.
The gritty, determined and hard-nosed linebacker from River Valley football power Greenwood High School hopes each day someone will inform him that he has four more years to suit up for the Razorbacks. That, obviously, won’t happen, so he is planning to make the most of his senior year.
One thing he is adamant about is leading to the best of his ability. He will do so as a team captain in 2020.
“(I want to) just be the best teammate I can be,” Morgan said Tuesday via Zoom. “Showing these freshmen a good way to lead and a good way to learn and good way just to be somebody they can look to. I come every single day and just get ready to work, get a positive attitude and just be the guy I am.
“Have fun and enjoy it, because you know these days are numbered. It has just been fun to see these guys grow up. Other than that it's just about playing ball at the end of the day, and that's just fun.”
Scratching together wins against a daunting, SEC-only schedule would make Morgan’s fall all the more enjoyable. Those have been hard to come by in recent seasons, but that has driven Morgan and his teammates.
He has seen a number of fellow linebackers grow since preseason practices began. That is important because the Razorbacks defense’s spirit stems from those at the second level, he said.
“We kind of have the juice. We have the energy,” Morgan added. “We have the impact on what our defense can be. It just flows from within us. Everyone feeds off each other. It just goes as we go. I think that's how a good defense has to be. You win up front. You can win or lose in the back.
“But I know your leaders and your captains and everybody speaking from a confidence level needs to be from within the middle with the linebackers.”
Morgan believes the linebackers unit has taken a step forward. With All-SEC performer De’Jon Harris now on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad, the Razorbacks will likely lean heavily on junior Bumper Pool, Morgan and Hayden Henry for production.
Oklahoma transfer Levi Draper also figures to be in the mix for a key role, and Andrew Parker and Deon Edwards, two players who have not previously played significant snaps, have made strides in fall camp and could see an increase in playing time.
“I’m really proud of them. They’re physical kids,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said of Edwards and Parker on Sept. 10. “Those guys kind of stood out a little bit tonight. They’re coming downhill. They’re just seeing the game better.
“They want to be really good, and that's a big part of anybody becoming a good player.”
Morgan added that Edwards and Parker have really focused on their craft of late and their pursuit of the football has been impressive. He is confident Draper can be a factor, too.
Pittman said earlier in the preseason that Draper was processing when on the field rather than playing instinctively. He has progressed and begun to figure things out. He is a player who consistently asks for feedback, Morgan noted.
“He’s not a young guy. He's an older guy,” Morgan said. “He's one of those guys who's really come along and he's really just been able to learn (the defense). He's (improved) over the 4-5 months that I've seen him go.
“It’s really good to see him just be able to bring what he's learned from Oklahoma and use it here as well."
Entering a season of unknowns because of covid-19, depth may be more important than ever. But a common message from defensive coordinator Barry Odom even before the pandemic was, “It is going to take everybody.”
“If you’re a second-team guy, you’re a play away from being a starter,” Odom said last week. “And now, the same thing with the third-team guy. Whatever you are on the depth chart, you’ve got to prepare like you’re the starter. If you do that, then when your name and your opportunity is called, you’re ready.
“You’re prepared, and we won’t miss a beat.”