All Hogs

Razorbacks bring in multiple defensive transfers for impact, depth

Pittman knew he had job to do this spring by providing depth at each level of Hogs' defense
Jacob Davis|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman during spring practice drills inside Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman during spring practice drills inside Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has attacked the transfer portal with authority on the defensive side through the early stages of the spring window.

The Razorbacks are a tad undermanned on defense and are looking to combat the issue by bringing multiple transfers in for visits this week. Pittman expressed concern for his lack of numbers when addressing reporters March 6.

"I’m really high on the people that we have offensively," Pittman said. "And defensively, I am as well, we just got to figure out the totality of the depth on defense."

Here's a detailed look at each of the Razorbacks' four visitors who could bring a wealth of collegiate experience to the program.

DB Julian Neal, Stanford

One of the most sought after visitors of the weekend is Neal, who initially committed to Stanford during the winter portal period after one year at Fresno State. The Cardinal's general manager and former quarterback Andrew Luck opted to fire coach Troy Taylor for his alleged mistreatment of certain staffers.

The 6-foot-2, 205 pound defensive back had a breakout junior season with the Bulldogs last fall by recording 35 tackles, five tackles for loss, six pass break-ups, two interceptions and one sack. Neal is the No. 4 overall player currently available in the transfer portal.

DB Shakur Small, Maine

The 6-foot, 205 pound cornerback has been one of the top FCS defenders in the country throughout his career after signing with Maine during the 2020 recruiting cycle. Smalls has appeared in 38 games over the past five seasons and has posted 164 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 20 pass break-ups, four interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Arkansas is under the direction of first-year defensive back coach Nick Perry who takes over a unit that has been one of the worst among FBS teams in two of the previous three seasons. The Razorbacks have struggled mightily against the pass in 2024 as the secondary plummeted to No. 108 while giving up a shade over 242 yards per game.

As a whole, the Razorbacks' defense finished No. 73 nationally, allowing 376 yards and 25 points per game which was good for No. 66 among FBS teams. Perry takes over after spending several years in the NFL, most recently with the Seattle Seahawks where he served as a quality control assistant.

EDGE Phillip Lee, Troy

The 6-foot-4, 240 pound defensive end can also line up as an edge rusher at linebacker and has proven himself as a productive defender in the Sun Belt over his three-year career. Lee has appeared in 34 games for the Trojans while recording 53 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks with most of his production coming last season.

Despite an impressive 2024 season, Lee is only ranked as the No. 400 overall transfer currently in the portal and No. 43 defensive end, according to 247sports rankings. Other programs who have reached out to him are UCLA, Nebraska, Purdue, Florida State and Georgia Tech.

Arkansas' expectation this spring is for the defense to bring multiple looks instead of a single scheme this season. Adding someone versatile as Lee gives defensive coordinator Travis Williams an extra option whether to defend the run or pressure quarterbacks.

"I think it’s year-to-year. So you go in and you say, ‘Okay, as a defensive coordinator, we’re this,'" Williams said April 10. "We’re four-down, we’re going to be attacking, we want to rush the passer. And then you’ve got to, okay, like last year, three-high, that’s not in my background, right?"

Certain teams require certain looks which is why Arkansas had so much success against pass oriented offenses compared to finesse units that spread the field.

"We played Tennessee and then boom, it pops up," Williams said. "You go out and you play Texas and it pops. Whatever we gotta do to win the game. Travis Williams could be stubborn and say, ‘We this and this.’ Okay, well, can we stop this particular offense with this particular scheme? So it’s just trying to be as multiple as possible and giving our guys a chance to be successful on the field."

LB Trent Whalen, Kent State

Whalen entered the transfer portal a few weeks ago after committing to Kent State during the winter transfer window in December. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker has recorded 123 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass break-ups and one recorded fumble during his time at FCS Southern Utah. 

He is back on the market for his final season of eligibility after Golden Flames coach Kenni Burns was fired earlier this week following several allegations which led to an internal investigation of Kent State's program.

The potential addition of Whalen would give the Razorbacks extra depth in a linebacker room full of potential with the return of senior Xavian Sorey, senior Stephen Dix, sophomore Bradley Shaw and true freshman Tavian Wallace. Defensive coordinator Travis Williams currently has seven players at the position currently on scholarship this spring.

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Jacob Davis
JACOB DAVIS

Jacob Davis is a reporter for Arkansas Razorbacks on SI, with a decade of experience covering high school and transfer portal recruiting. He has previously worked at Rivals, Saturday Down South, SB Nation and hosted podcasts with Bleav Podcast Network where his show was a finalist for podcast of the year. Native of El Dorado, he currently resides in Central Arkansas with his wife and daughter.

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