Razorbacks' Adams knows questions but offers hope not answers

As Arkansas prepares for the 2024 college football season, its defensive line remains a major question mark.

It may be the biggest one for a lot of media and fans. What is more concerning is how the front line and back end work together.

They both have to be pretty good. If that doesn't happen, the offense better be as good as people are hoping.

The Razorbacks have been searching for new answers up front ahead of their Aug. 30 opener against Alabama A&M. As we've said, this season is going to require some patience from the Razorbacks' fans.

Over the first 12 practices of fall camp, a handful of players have stepped into the spotlight.

Defensive end Justus Boone, a transfer from Florida, has impressed coaches after missing last season with an ACL injury. Quincy Rhodes, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, has also shown promise, while Cam Ball returns as the anchor after starting every game in 2023 despite recovering from elbow surgery.

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive lineman Justus Boone during preseason camp practices on the outdoor fields in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

Danny Saili and Ian Geffrard round out a starting group that defensive line coach Deke Adams said is still developing.

“You gotta win one-on-ones,” Adams said. “I don’t care who you are, if I put you on the field and you’re in a one-on-one situation, I expect you to win and that’s how you separate yourself.

“Rarely do you set things up where guys just totally come free and all that, so when you’re in a situation where you’re in a one-on-one situation, you gotta be able to win that rep.”

Adams said the unit’s physicality, speed and explosiveness are encouraging, but many players lack experience in SEC competition.

“We have it in our room,” Adams said. “They’re continuing to grow.”

The Hogs finished 34th nationally in rushing defense last season, but their pass defense ranked 110th, allowing nearly 247 yards per game. Considering the popularity of the pass game these days those are important numbers to remember.

The defensive line struggled to pressure opposing quarterbacks, recording just 26 sacks, which was 64th in the nation and 11th out of 16 teams in the SEC.

Improving on last year’s production is just as important as replacing it.

“Ideally you’d like to have a guy that can do both, and we have guys that can do both,” Adams said. “There’ll be certain situations where we’ll mix and match to get the best fit on the field for that situation.

“Quincy Rhodes is the only 6-7, 6-8, 280-pound kid at D-end that we have compared to Landon Jackson from last year. There are other guys that can do it, but they’re not that of that same stature, but we’ll be fine.

“We’re gonna get after the quarterback, and we’ll be able to play the run well, so we feel good about where we’re at with that.”

All of that is fine and well to say and Adams probably knows they will have to prove it on the field in SEC games.

Ball, one of the group’s veteran leaders, expects more production from both the interior and the ends this season.

“I expect a lot of pressure and sacks coming from not only the ends, but the interior as well,” Ball said. “We got a lot of shifty guys, we did a really good job of getting pass rushers out the portal like Boone, like [Ken Talley], like Phillip Lee.

“Then we got some returners, some young guys who are hungry and ready. We got a lot of talent, a lot of young talent and a talented group. We’re going to hit on all cylinders.”

Boone said the group’s chemistry is a strength.

“We just took a lot of pride in transitioning and getting to the quarterback and just being able to play off each other,” he said Thursday. “That’s one of the best things that’s going to be beneficial to us, that we have a really great connection.

“We’ve all rushed with each other for spring and fall, so we’re able to adapt off each other and make those plays.”

Adding to the challenge is uncertainty regarding depth. While the starting group has emerged, questions remain about the players behind them.

Attrition and injuries are part of any season, and Arkansas’s backups are largely untested at the SEC level. Ball, for example, has missed time in camp as he recovers from surgery, but is expected to be available for the opener.

Arkansas has looked to the transfer portal for help. In addition to Boone, the Razorbacks added David Oke from Abilene Christian and Phillip Lee, among a total of 15 new transfers to offset the loss of 24 players to the portal since last season.

Hogs coach Sam Pittman said Adams has done an excellent job rebuilding the defensive line. Nobody really expected anything different.

“I like that we signed a lot of bigs on the O-line and D-line,” Pittman said. “I think Deke Adams is doing one hell of a job.”

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive line coach Deke Adams with coach Sam Pittman before practice on indoor field in Fayetteville, Ark., on Thursday. | Andy Hodges-Hogs On SI Images

Despite the influx of new faces, preseason SEC position rankings have not been kind to the Razorbacks’ defensive line. Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee are widely projected to have the league’s best fronts, while Arkansas is rarely mentioned among the top units.

The only way the Hogs get mentioned defensively usually involves a couple of question marks.

The Razorbacks will need their new-look defensive line to come together quickly.

After the opener, Arkansas faces Oklahoma State, Auburn and Texas A&M before the end of September, a stretch that could define its season.

As fall camp winds down, the Razorbacks’ defensive line remains a work in progress.

With a mix of veterans, transfers and young players, Arkansas is hoping development and chemistry will compensate for inexperience and a lack of proven depth.

Everybody knows the questions. Like I've said since spring, this one's going to require a little patience.

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