Three looming questions about Arkansas football in 2025: Linebackers
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.
HawgBeat is continuing our series asking three looming questions about each position group ahead of next season. Up next in the series is the linebacker room.
The Hogs’ linebackers are actually a strength of the defense this year, and they have a crop of young bucks that have the opportunity to make an impact this season. They also return second-year Georgia transfer Xavian Sorey Jr., who led the team in tackles with 99 last season and was tied for the team high of tackles for loss.
Arkansas defensive coordinator Travis Williams has had a string of solid linebacker recruiting classes, and he has another one in the fold for the 2026 class in J.J. Bush from Theodore (Ala.) linebacker. This year’s team features second-year linebacker Bradley Shaw, as well as true freshman Tavion Wallace, both former four-stars who Williams recruited heavily.
Here’s three questions that are looming about the Razorbacks’ linebackers in 2025…
How much impact will young linebackers have?
Williams has been successful on the recruiting trail in the past few cycles, both in the transfer portal and the high school ranks. He brought in Shaw in the class of 2024 and Wallace in 2025 as the headliners, but he’s also got guys in the fold like redshirt freshman Wyatt Simmons, Justin Logan and J.J. Shelton as well.
Arkansas’ starters in 2025 probably look something like Sorey, Stephen Dix Jr. and Bradley Shaw, but the Hogs will also need those young guys to stand out if they hope to have a complete unit in 2025.
“Brad Shaw is a really good player that can run, so he’ll play a ton of football for us,” Pittman said on April 15. “How much will depend, really on where we feel about are we going to be in that odd front with a big standing on the outside, or are we going to be in that odd front with Brad Shaw playing that edge.”
While he’s just a true freshman, Wallace turned heads in spring practice with his size as well as his play.
“I really like Wallace, he’s done some really good things,” Pittman said. “I think he’ll help us in a lot of ways, but I know he’ll help us on special teams, and that’s how a lot of guys get their start. They get on the field, they make plays and next thing you know, they’re playing on defense.”
Shelton made some plays at times, too, and was pretty good in coverage. Simmons didn’t practice much over the spring, but it’s possible he’s able to be a factor in the rotation as the season goes on.
Will Xavian Sorey Jr. step into leadership role in final season at Arkansas?
Last season, Sorey jumped to the top of the linebacker room and started all 13 of the Razorbacks’ games. He finished the year with a team-best 99 tackles and tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with 9.5.
Heading into his final season, the Hogs need him to be the best version of himself. Sorey is the most seasoned player in the linebacker room and will be called upon to lead a room that is on the younger side.
“I think when I got here and I was a new guy, I was more so wanting to learn a lot,” Sorey said on March 10. “I still want to learn this year, but it’s more so building on that, what I’ve learned already. So being with Coach T-Will and the strength and training staff and stuff, it’s a lot to work on still.”
Is there a surprise contributor in the linebacker room?
We all know the names from last season that are expected to play big roles for the Hogs in 2025, but is there a name or two out there that could step up?
Guys like Sorey, Shaw, Dix and even Wallace have been talked about at nauseam, but there’s a couple of guys that might enter the mix and be regular contributors. The first is Andrew Harris Jr., a transfer from UCF.
Harris came to Arkansas during the spring portal period after spring practice had concluded. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because Williams had been recruiting him and his brother out of high school. He was a four-star prospect and opted to stay with the Knights instead of flip to Arkansas.
Last year, Harris primarily played on special teams and posted nine tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. That’s not out of the ordinary, it’s not common a true freshman can break through at linebacker. But Harris possesses pretty good speed and after a year in college, it’s possible he could make the jump.
Another name that might be new to Hog fans is Trent Whalen, a transfer from the FCS ranks at Southern Utah. He’s a redshirt senior and had transferred to Kent State before the Golden Flashes’ head coach was fired. Last season, Whalen totaled 46 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Again, don’t expect Whalen to come in and produce fireworks and work his way into the starting rotation, but a veteran presence on the field who has been around might be able to make an impact on the field for the Hogs in 2025.
RELATED: Three looming questions about Arkansas football in 2025: Running Backs
Arkansas linebackers in 2025
- Bradley Shaw, So., 6-foot-1, 235 lbs.
- Xavian Sorey Jr., R Sr., 6-foot-3, 231 lbs.
- Stephen Dix Jr., R Sr., 6-foot-1, 240 lbs.
- J.J. Shelton, Fr., 6-foot-1, 202 lbs.
- Andrew Harris, Jr., 6-foot-3, 223 lbs.
- Tavion Wallace, Fr., 6-foot-1, 228 lbs.
- Trent Whalen, R Sr., 6-foot-3, 236 lbs.
- Justin Logan, R Fr., 6-foot-2, 232 lbs.
- Cade Fields, R Jr., 6-foot-1, 210 lbs.
- Wyatt Simmons, R Fr., 6-foot-1, 230 lbs.
- Preston Davis, R Fr., 5-foot-11, 218 lbs.
- Joseph Whitt, R Fr., 6-foot-0, 206 lbs.
- Mason Schueck, R Jr., 6-foot-2, 223 lbs.
