Aggies Week 5: Who to Watch on Defense for Texas A&M vs. Arkansas Razorbacks
Though easy to overlook at times, any team's defense plays a crucial role in the outcome of a game.
SEC matchups are no exception, with Georgia having shown the value of a dominant defense, and such will be the case when the Texas A&M Aggies take on the Arkansas Razorbacks for their annual Southwest Classic showdown.
The Razorbacks are set to return a star-studded offense, which will look to break off some big plays against the Aggies' defense, but it isn't just Arkansas' high-powered playmakers on that side of the ball that will make the matchup a tough one.
Arkansas also has quite a few returning defensive stars, all of which will be looking to disrupt any kind of momentum that Aggies offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino hopes to build. Of those Arkansas players, here are three of them who might have themselves a game against Texas A&M in Week 5:
Texas A&M Aggies running back De'Von Achane is tackled during the Aggies' Week 4 matchup against Arkansas on Sept. 24, 2022. Texas A&M went on to win 23-21 for their first of two conference victories.
Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Free Safety Hudson Clark
Clark is a veteran safety who not only defends the pass extremely well, but also knows how to bring down explosive players. The rising senior has faced his fair share of elite receivers, meaning he likely won't be caught off guard trying to defend Ainias Smith, Moose Muhammad III or Evan Stewart. It'll fall more on the shoulders of Aggies' quarterback Conner Weigman to throw his guys open, but even if Clark is to get beat, Texas A&M can't forget about his impact after the catch. Standing 6-2, the senior is quick, shifty, and led his team in tackles last season for a reason.
Cornerback Dwight McGlothern
Last season, McGlothern proved himself to be a pest to opposing quarterbacks. He wasn't the one putting them on the ground, but he did take away quite a few potential touchdowns, finishing second in the SEC in interceptions. The rising senior is relatively new to the Razorbacks' system, having transferred in after spending two seasons with LSU, but now that he's more adjusted, his defensive presence is only set to increase. If Weigman isn't careful, he could be seeing his passes enter the wrong set of hands more than once throughout the Aggies' neutral-site matchup.
Linebacker Chris Paul Jr.
McGlothern might not be the guy putting opposing quarterbacks on the ground, but Paul Jr. will be. Last season, the sophomore tallied four sacks, but learned and practiced with two of the SEC's top three sack leaders, both of whom played their last season for Arkansas a year ago. Now that Paul Jr. is set to return as the Razorbacks' premier edge rusher, he will look to come out of the gate hot and get to the quarterbacks. While Weigman is busy looking for McGlothern and Clark in the secondary, the rising junior could sneak up on him, adding just one more thing for Weigman and the Aggies to worry about while they look to get things going on offense.
