DL Analysis: Unit putting on pressure

Arkansas assistant coach Deke Adams speaks to his players Wednesday, March 16, 2022, during practice in Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — Perhaps the most common first impression at the snap of the ball during the Arkansas Razorbacks’ spring training has been the “get off” of the defensive front.

The University of Arkansas defense has been creating pressure on top quarterbacks KJ Jefferson and Malik Hornsby during a solid percentage of the team reps through eight spring practices.

Utilizing mostly three-man fronts, the Razorbacks have struck quickly and fiercely, often penetrating into the backfield on run and pass plays, sometimes with linebackers and defensive backs joining the push.

Third-year Coach Sam Pittman, who has often singled out the work of new defensive line coach Deke Adams this spring, noted that quick punch last week.

“The difference I see in our line is the explosion off the ball and that we are moving the line of scrimmage backward a lot of the time in our pass rush games,” Pittman said. “We’re attacking the tackles more on the edge and making them move their feet. I think Deke has done a really good job and the kids have gotten close to his teaching and things he’s done.”

The pressure in the backfield hasn’t risen to the level of the LSU blitzing plan against the Razorbacks last fall, but it’s close. Pittman said the Hogs’ offensive line, with four returning starters, needs to get more work on twists and stunts through spring ball and into training camp this summer.

“I think we’ve gotten much better on the D-line with intensity and hand placement,” Pittman said, again citing the work of Adams, a 25-year coaching veteran with stops at Ouachita Baptist (2002-05) and SEC schools South Carolina (2013-15) and Mississippi State (2019) in his background.

“Starters, we’re just more technique now,” said junior tackle Taurean Carter. “We’re getting more stuff down like that. We’re experiencing stuff we never have in the past so it’s a little different. But I feel like over time, that’s what practice is for, we’re getting down what he’s teaching us.”

The good work has come from a unit that lost its top two tacklers in John Ridgeway (39 tackles) and end Tre Williams (28) and its sack leader in Williams (6.5).

Senior legacy end Zach Williams has the top returning sack total (2) and he joins the unit’s returning tackle leader Eric Gregory (27, 1 sack) and Isaiah Nichols (21, 1.5) as the would-be starters a three-man front.

When the Razorbacks went to a four-man look for parts of practices this week, Taurean Carter (24, 1) joined that trio as a tackle beside Nichols.

Williams, who said he’s at 255 pounds but wants to get to 265 prior to the season, thinks the pass rush is much improved from last season.

“I feel like we’ve gotten a lot better … from all the different coaches we had, we learned different techniques and stuff like that,” Williams said. “Coach Deke Adams, he brings something new to the table. And I feel like he really knows what he’s talking about, like with different aspects of how to rush not just, like, ‘You need to switch your stuff up.’

“You just need three different moves to rush and he teaches us that so, you know, I feel like he’s brought us together more as a team like as a defensive line.”

For players like Williams, Carter and Marcus Miller entering their fourth year in the program, Adams represents their fourth different position coach, with Jermial Ashley, Derrick LeBlanc and the duo of Steve Caldwell and Kenny Ingram preceding Adams.

Nichols, a Springdale product and the unit’s lone fifth-year senior, has had a new position coach each year on campus, with John Scott Jr. handling the tackles his redshirt freshman season.

Gregory, Nichols and Williams have plenty of college reps in their backgrounds, but filling in with strong depth projects to be an issue. The addition of Miller to practice last week gave the Razorbacks four scholarship tackles this spring, with redshirt freshman Cam Ball, a 6-5, 313-pounder on the rise.

“On the D-line, I think we’ll see some good things by Cam Ball,” Pittman said earlier this spring. “Certainly we didn’t see him last year. I like the way Eric Gregory is moving right now.

“Just talking about the D-line … I think we’ll see Eric Thomas, he looks good. He’s running well. I think there are guys there that will help us.”

LSU transfer Landon Jackson has been rehabilitating from injury this spring, and Georgia Tech transfer Jordan Domineck is scheduled to enroll this summer. Additionally, Maumelle High standout Nico Davillier will join end JJ Hollingsworth of Greenland, an early enrollee, as freshmen signees from the 2021-22 recruiting period.

Pittman said he expects Domineck and Jackson to add to the team’s pass-rushing prowess.

“We’re excited to get [Domineck],” Pittman said recently. “He was 6-3, right at 247 [pounds] when he came on campus. He can run.

“He was under recruited out of high school because he weighed about 210 coming out of high school. But he’s really powerful with his hands. He can run. He plays really hard. I thought when I watched his tape that he fit in with us because he’ll chase the ball and play extremely hard.”

The Arkansas coaching staff will be on the lookout for proven pass-rushing talent to add to the roster following spring drills.

“I’d like to sign a couple more D-lineman and a wide receiver, and we’ll see what happens,” Pittman said recently.

DEFENSIVE LINE AT A GLANCE

Losses DT John Ridgeway (11 starts in 2021), DEs Tre Williams (11), Markell Utsey (11), Dorian Gerald (1), Mataio Soli

Who’s back DTs Isaiah Nichols (4), Taurean Carter, Cam Ball, Marcus Miller; DEs Eric Gregory (2) Zach Williams, Jashaud Stewart (1), Eric Thomas Jr.

Who’s new DEs Landon Jackson, JJ Hollingsworth

Walk ons Jon Hill, Roy Patterson

Analysis This unit has shown a strong improvement at attacking the line of scrimmage, even though the returning pass-rush statistics are not strong. Neither of the new transfer defensive linemen — Landon Jackson (injury rehab) and Jordan Domineck (summer enrollee) — have gotten in spring reps. The ability to develop talent should be on display in the play of veterans Gregory, Nichols, Miller, Stewart, Thomas and Williams, who have been in the system for at least 3 years and have had revolving assistant coaches. Added weight and refined technique will be needed for a group that has little premier pass-rushing talent returning. Freshman Nico Davillier will also join the group over the summer.