FAYETTEVILLE — When Greg Brooks (5-11, 185) arrived on Arkansas' campus in January 2019, there was not a lot of depth in the secondary.
In fact, he started all 12 games as a true freshman and played 515 snaps.
There seems to be plenty of quality bodies now for the Razorbacks, who completed their seventh spring practice Tuesday, the last one before spring break.
“I feel like we need depth because we play six DBs and if anything happens, they can step up each and every time,” Brooks said Tuesday. “I feel like having more depth is better for us.
“From my freshman year, there was no depth at all and now we have depth at each and every position. It is just getting everybody on board with their assignments, and I feel like we are getting better with that.”
Odom has plans for the defense to be more aggressive this season than in 2020, according to Brooks, who had two interceptions last season.
“It’s just a lot of stuff from last year that we didn’t run as much,” he added. “Coach trusts us more man-to-man this year, so he feels like we just need to come with it with the blitz this year. I feel like it’s going to help us add another element to our game come the fall.”
Arkansas returns Brooks, Montaric Brown, LaDarrius Bishop, Khari Johnson, Jacorrei Turner, Nick Turner, Hudson Clark, Devin Bush and Nathan Parodi as corners or nickels, and Jalen Catalon, Joe Foucha, Myles Slusher, Malik Chavis and Simeon Blair at safety.
The Razorbacks also added Penn State graduate transfer Trent Gordon, Marion (Ind.) University grad transfer Darrell Wilson, and freshmen Jayden Johnson and Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan.
“Jacorrei is playing nickel, too, but Jayden is playing more field safety and boundary safety,” Brooks said. “Jayden doesn’t play nickel at all. It’s really been Nick Turner, Trent Gordon and Jermaine Hamilton. Those have been the three guys working each and every day.”
Brooks said Tuesday’s focus was on tackling and correcting miscues from Saturday’s scrimmage.
“Really just tackling,” Brooks said. “Overall, I think we had a good day. Really just tackling and a few missed assignments.”
Brooks was happy with his team’s stops on third down Tuesday.
“The whole defense had a good day,” Brooks said. “We were 7 of 8 on third down. The whole defense had a great day.”
Brooks lauded Parodi and Chavis as players who shined in Tuesday’s workout.
“Nathan Parodi has (had) the best spring," he added. "Best DB, having the best spring. Malik got a pick today – another one today.”
Chavis stands out in the secondary at 6-3.
“Malik, he looks like a big ol’ goalpost standing back there with how tall he is," Brooks said. "I think (moving to safety) has been good for him. He’s getting better each and every day, and as you can tell his ball skills (are solid).”
Brooks also praised Clark, Johnson and Devin Bush for their effort or attitude this spring.
“Our group is doing really well,” Brooks said. “Collectively as a group, we’ve been working and we’re just only going to get better.”
Brooks believes working against Arkansas star receiver Treylon Burks elevates his play.
“I feel he’s the best wide receiver in the country,” Brooks said. “And he’s helping me get better. Like, we get each other better. We get better each and every day going against each other. Like, man-to-man, 1-on-1s and all that, that’s the only person I really want to go with knowing that’s a good matchup that we get better.”
Brooks is using the spring to focus on pre-snap preparation.
“Just taking more knowledge of the game, knowing which play is coming before it’s even snapped,” Brooks said. “That’s what I really worked on this spring. I feel like I got a lot better at that.
“And for the DBs, it’s really just trusting each other and knowing everybody’s position. If we know everybody’s position, we’re going to be hard to stop.”
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman had a simple message for his team after practice Tuesday with spring break looming.
“Just everybody come back,” Brooks said. “Be safe. Everybody come back, and once we get back, it’s back to it.”