Three looming questions about Arkansas football in 2025: Defensive Line
The offseason is in full swing, and there’s a little less than a month before the Arkansas Razorbacks will start fall camp ahead of the 2025 season opener against Alabama A&M on Aug. 30.
Many roles will have to be filled along the defensive front with the departure of end Landon Jackson, who was selected 72nd overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, plus Eric Gregory and Kelvie Rose inside, along with Anton Juncaj and Nico Davillier on the outside.
HawgBeat is continuing our series asking three looming questions about each position group ahead of next season. Up next in the series is the defensive line.
With the new faces come more question marks, so here’s three that are looming about the Razorbacks’ defensive line in 2025…
Will Quincy Rhodes Jr. make expected jump?
The North Little Rock product has played in 21 games with one start since arriving on campus in 2023. Most of Rhodes’ playing time his freshman season came on special teams and he logged one solo tackle in nine games that year.
He was utilized much more last fall, appearing in all but one contest and earned his first start in the Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech – in which he finished with two tackles and a pass breakup – after the Hogs’ roster was depleted by early entries in the transfer portal and 2025 NFL Draft.
Rhodes has already answered some questions following an impressive spring, Arkansas just needs him to take the next step from key reserve to setting the tone from the outside like he did as the second-best prospect in Arkansas coming of of high school.
How effective are new transfers?
Newcomers David Oke (Abilene Christian), Justus Boone (Florida) and Ken Talley (Michigan State) each should get their opportunity to make an impact.
Oke is the most proven of the incoming trio. He missed the first two weeks of spring practice while nursing a hamstring injury, but the Hogs’ staff hopes he makes a similar impact that John Ridgeway did coming in from the FCS ranks in 2021.
Oke logged 64 tackles, including 21 solo and 9.5 for loss, broke up a pass, plus forced a fumble and recovered one for Abilene Christian in 2024 while starting 13 games.
The Hogs also added Texas-Permian Basin redshirt senior Frank Mulipola during the spring transfer window.
Who steps up in Landon Jackson and Eric Gregory’s absence?
The top returner in the defensive trenches is fifth-year senior tackle Cam Ball, who has been both productive and highly-loyal to the Hogs since signing with the program in the 2021 class.
Ball has played in 39 games with 20 starts and notched 100 tackles during that span, headlined by a 2024 campaign in which he compiled 32 tackles, 4 for loss and 1.5 sacks, plus recovered a fumble.
Mills alumnus Charlie Collins enters his second season as a Hog with high expectations after appearing in all 13 games last season. Collins was a four-star and the top-rated prospect in Arkansas for 2024. Incoming freshman Kevin Oatis could also earn his way into the two-deep.
Along with the aforementioned incoming transfers, plus Rhodes on the outside, the staff expects defensive tackles Ian Geffrard and Danny Saili to provide quality depth.
RELATED: Three looming questions about Arkansas football in 2025: Running Backs
Arkansas defensive linemen in 2025
- Justus Boone, R Sr., 6-foot-4, 266 pounds (Florida)
- Phillip Lee, R Sr., 6-foot-4, 240 pounds (Troy)
- Cameron Ball, R Sr., 6-foot-5, 326 pounds
- Kavion Henderson, R Fr., 6-foot-2, 257 lbs.
- Charlie Collins, So., 6-foot-5, 255 lbs.
- Ken Talley, R Jr., 6-foot-3, 257 lbs. (Michigan State)
- Trent Sellers, Fr., 6-foot-4, 245 lbs.
- Frank Mulipola, R Sr., 6-foot-4, 275 lbs. (Texas-Permian Basin)
- Donovan Whitten, R So., 6-foot-3, 252 lbs.
- Danny Saili, Sr., 6-foot-3, 325 lbs. (BYU)
- Caleb Bell, Fr., 6-foot-3, 325 lbs.
- Kevin Oatis, Fr., 6-foot-3, 288 lbs.
- David Oke, Sr., 6-foot-2, 312 lbs. (Abilene Christian)
- Keiundre Johnson, Fr., 6-foot-3, 263 lbs.
- Reginald Vaughn, Fr., 6-foot-2, 286 lbs.
- Ian Geffrard, R So., 6-foot-5, 389 lbs.
- Quincy Rhodes Jr., Jr., 6-foot-6, 276 lbs.
- Kaleb James, R So., 6-foot-4, 265 lbs.
