Arkansas Football Roster Breakdown: Defense
Roster continuity in college football, for all intents and purposes, is a relic of the past. That doesn’t mean Arkansas fans shouldn’t be acquainted with the jimmies and joes who dawn the cardinal and white on defense every Saturday.
Following a 7-6 (3-5 SEC) 2024-25 season, coach Sam Pittman and defensive coordinator Travis Williams look to build upon a unit that finished 66th nationally in scoring defense (25.0 PPG) and 73rd nationally in total defense (376.1 YPG).
RELATED – Arkansas Football Roster Breakdown: Offense
Ahead of fall camp in August, HawgBeat has a complete defensive roster breakdown to catch fans up to speed on new and returning scholarship players with stats, video and any other relevant information.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
The Starters:
6-foot-5, 323-pound redshirt senior Cam Ball headlines a group that has depth concerns, but also has enough new faces to leave room for surprises. Ball is due for a true breakout SEC season after totaling 47 tackles, four tackles for loss (TFL) and 1.5 sacks a year ago.
Joining him in the interior is likely 6-foot-3, 319-pound senior Danny Saili, who is in much better shape than when he first arrived in Fayetteville. Saili started his career at Hutchinson C.C., then spent the 2024 spring at BYU before joining the Razorbacks for the 2024 season. Last year, he made four total tackles in seven games played.
The Backups:
Arkansas returns 6-foot-5, 387-pound redshirt sophomore Ian Geffrard, who appeared in 12 games last season with 13 total tackles and 1.5 TFL. He’s the definition of a run-stuffer and should have a bigger role in 2025.
Former Abilene Christian transfer defensive tackle David Oke, standing at 6-foot-2, 314-pounds, has only played football since his sophomore year of high school. That leaves him with room to grow now that he’s in an SEC program, especially after registering 64 total tackles, 9.5 TFL, a sack and a forced fumble a year ago.
The Others:
Two freshmen the Hogs are high on are Kevin Oatis (6-foot-3, 289-pounds) and Reginald Vaughn (6-foot-2, 303-pounds). Oatis, a former four-star prospect, is probably a year away from seriously contributing. He’s a bit undersized and raw at the moment. Vaughn, however, has put on some serious weight since making it to campus and may factor into things with a good fall camp showing.
DEFENSIVE END
The Starters:
If there was a serious concern on the defensive side of the ball, it’d be at defensive end. Gone is stud Landon Jackson, but on the roster is protege Quincy Rhodes Jr., who stands at 6-foot-6, 275-pounds. The North Little Rock native played in 12 games (one start) as a sophomore and tallied 15 total tackles, two TFL, a sack and five quarterback hurries. Arkansas needs Rhodes to be a reliably consistent piece of the puzzle on the edge.
There are many options the Razorbacks could roll with on the other side of the defensive line, but SEC veteran Justus Boone gets the call for now. The former Florida transfer was excellent as a youngster in 2022 with the Gators. Then, he totaled 24 tackles, a TFL and a sack in 13 games, but he missed all of 2023 with a season-ending injury.
Boone wasn’t quite the same in 2024, but the now-redshirt senior has vital experience and leadership.
The Backups:
One of the more underrated pickups of the offseason was former Troy transfer edge Phillip Lee. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound redshirt senior played all 12 games (10 starts) for the Trojans last season with 31 total tackles, 11 TFL, five sacks and a forced fumble. Lee presents a different look as a speed-rusher and will help Arkansas’ efforts of getting to the quarterback.
Former Michigan State transfer Ken Talley (6-foot-3, 255-pounds) will get a shot in the two-deep as a redshirt junior. However, once four-star prospects Charlie Collins and Kavion Henderson are the main duo to watch. Collins, a sophomore with 6-foot-5, 255-pound size, has a chance to start after appearing in all 13 games last season.
The Others:
The bottom of the depth chart at this position is mostly underclassmen, namely freshmen Trent Sellers and Caleb Bell and redshirt sophomore Kaleb James. However, there is an older player in former UT Permian Basin transfer Frank Mulipola.
Mulipola, a 6-foot-4, 274-pound redshirt senior, finished with 51 total tackles, 8.5 TFL and six sacks in 2024 at the Division II program.
LINEBACKER
The Starters:
The linebacker unit was a strongsuit for Williams in 2024 and that should be the case again this fall. Redshirt senior Xavian Sorey Jr. (6-foot-3, 225-pounds) returns after leading the Razorbacks in total tackles (99). He also tallied 9.5 TFL, two sacks and an interception.
Fellow returner and 6-foot-1, 246-pound redshirt senior Stephen Dix Jr. started 10 games for the Hogs last year. He racked up 72 tackles, two sacks, three quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. These two complete what might be one of the best starting middle-of-the-defense duos in the SEC.
The Backups:
The talent doesn’t end at the top of the linebacker unit, as two high-potential players will be in backup roles. Those are 6-foot-1, 237-pound sophomore Bradley Shaw and 6-foot-1, 239-pound freshman Tavion Wallace. Shaw made 12 tackles in 12 games last season and Wallace was a Top-250 prospect in the class of 2025.
6-foot-2, 235-pound redshirt freshman Justin Logan could take a jump as a former four-star prospect as well.
The Others:
Arkansas isn’t hurting for depth options here, as it picked up two needed transfer commitments this offseason.
Redshirt senior Trent Whalen (Southern Utah, 6-foot-3, 238-pounds) and junior Andrew Harris (UCF, 6-foot-3, 220-pounds) pair with returning redshirt freshman Wyatt Simmons (6-foot-1, 225-pounds) and freshman JJ Shelton (6-foot-1, 197-pounds).
Whalen totaled 46 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 0.5 sacks for Southern Utah, then transferred to Kent. State in the spring before ending up with the Razorbacks. Harris went full-circle when he transferred to Arkansas, as he was was recruited by the staff out of high school.
Simmons has high potential as someone who once earned Drew Sanders comparisons and Shelton is a dark-horse candidate for early playing time.
CORNERBACK
The Starters:
Fall camp will go a long way in determining the starters, but Selman Bridges, Kani Walker and Keshawn Davila have a head start over the rest.
Bridges, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound sophomore, played in seven games last season. The former four-star will be given every chance to live up to his billing.
Walker joined the Hogs out of Oklahoma, where the 6-foot-2, 204-pound redshirt senior totaled 24 tackles, two TFL, six pass breakups and an interception.
Finally, Davila was rated as the No. 1 overall JUCO cornerback by On3 when he committed to Arkansas. He’s lengthy, but a bit undersized at 6-foot-1, 165-pounds. He’ll need his bulldog attitude to help make up for a smaller frame.
The Backups:
Backing up the primary starters with a chance of cracking the first-team will likely be Jordan Young, Julian Neal and Jaheim Singletary.
Young was on campus at Arkansas during spring ball, but he missed practice with a shoulder injury. At Cincinnati, the 6-foot-0, 198-pound redshirt senior notched 35 total tackles, a TFL and five pass breakups.
Neal was a spring portal addition for Arkansas. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound redshirt senior began his career at Fresno State, transferred to Stanford for spring ball, then ended up with the Razorbacks. In 2024, he totaled 35 tackles, five TFL, a sack, six pass breakups and two interceptions.
Singletary has never fulfilled his five-star status out of high school, but there’s still time for the 6-foot-2, 201-pound redshirt junior. Last season, he recorded 25 total tackles, two pass breakups and an interception for Arkansas.
The Others:
Rounding out the cornerback position will be redshirt freshman Jaden Allen and freshman Nigel Pringle, though the former should probably be higher on this list.
SAFETY
The Starters:
Returning safeties Larry Worth III and Miguel Mitchell have the edge at this position, though keep an eye on former Auburn transfer Caleb Wooden to steal a spot, as well.
Worth has elite measurables at 6-foot-4, 226-pounds, and plenty of SEC experience after registering 54 total tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks and two pass breakups in 2024. He has NFL potential, but needs to become more consistent from game-to-game.
Mitchell missed the first half of Arkansas’ season a year ago, but still managed 20 total tackles, 0.5 TFL and an interception. He’ll have to fight a bit more than Worth to earn the starting spot, but with previous experience in Williams’ unit, he has the lead.
The Backups:
Wooden joined the Hogs from Auburn, where the 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior played in 10 games with six starts. In that span, he totaled 17 tackles, one TFL, two pass breakups and an interception for the Tigers. His addition adds solid depth to the back-end of the secondary.
Former Eastern Michigan transfer Quentavius Scandrett, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound senior, participated in spring drills at Arkansas. The Georgia native was responsible for 55 total tackles, three pass breakups and an interception in 2024. He gives the Razorbacks another veteran option at safety.
The Others:
Redshirt senior Shakur Smalls, sophomore Ahkhari Johnson and freshman Taijh Overton are the final three to know at safety.
Smalls was a transfer addition from FCS program Maine, where he tallied 43 total tackles, two TFL, six pass breakups and an interception. It’s yet to be determined if that production can translate to the SEC.
Johnson has shown flashes in practice, but he’ll have to take advantange in fall camp if he wants to make a jump up the depth chart. Overton, like many other freshmen, will probably be a redshirt candidate.
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