Hogs embracing challenge of making rapid improvement in secondary

Jul 20, 2023

After ranking last out of 131 FBS programs at 294.7 passing yards per game allowed a season ago, change was a necessity in the Arkansas secondary. With a revamped coaching staff and influx of talent injected into the defensive backfield, the Razorbacks are aiming to improve significantly in 2023.

Head coach Sam Pittman has added co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson and secondary coach Deron Wilson into the fold. Together, the duo has worked to change the narrative on the back end.

"Myself, Coach Woodson and the guys, we embrace the challenge," Wilson said. "We embrace the challenge in becoming better. We’re always hard on them. Don’t let up on them. The standard is the standard. What that expectation is, don’t lower it. We don’t talk in the 110%. We’re talking 100%. We want your best to be your best. Not 95%. We want it to be at 100% every single day."

According to Wilson, the first step when it comes to orchestrating a much-needed turnaround in the secondary is to improve communication across the board. As the last line of defense, it is critical for the defensive backs to remain in sync with one another.

"One way we plan to improve it is with the camaraderie and we meet all together," Wilson said. "One issue that you see around the country, not specifically last year here but around the country, is if you have issues within the pass game, busted coverages, it’s because of communication. That’s the reason we do the things that we do, myself and Coach Woodson, having guys together and they’re hearing both voices. Now, communication is not an issue."

On the surface, having multiple coaches in the secondary could lend itself to differing messages, but Woodson and Wilson have remained in lockstep as a solitary voice and emphasized the importance of everyone in the room staying on the same page as a unit.

"They’re very together. They’re never not on the same page, they always on the same page," said starting corner Dwight McGlothern. "They over-communicate, that’s basically how I could say it. And it’s a good thing, they make us over-communicate and hold us accountable. Anything we do, we go out there on the field together as a DB unit, together. Not one person go one at a time, we all go all at once. Anything we do, we go together. So, it’s that mindset."

Of course, another part of the equation was recruiting an uptick of talent and depth into the room that can make an immediate impact and add to the culture being established.

"The first thing we looked for is fit," Wilson said of the recruiting approach in the offseason. "Would they fit our room? Could they fit in with the guys? Could they meet the standard of, ‘Hey, the expectation is 100% every single day’? The next thing when we were looking, like okay, we do need some older guys, or if we had a young guy that was a really good high school player or older guy that made plays in college, that’s the two things we were looking for."

Several transfers are expected to make an impact in the secondary for the Razorbacks. Names like Lorando Johnson, Alfahiym Walcott, Jaheim Singletary, Kee'yon Stewart and AJ Brathwaite have all been among the notable playmakers through the early portions of fall camp.

"I just saw energy," McGlothern said of his early impressions of the transfers. "I just saw some dudes willing to play and go out there and bust their butts. They want to get out there and they want to make their name. They want to go to the next level, and I feel like that’s what we need in our room."

Between the five, Arkansas now boasts loads of experience in the secondary to go along with a number of productive returners, something that the Hogs will hope pays dividends on Saturdays.

"Game experience is the best experience you can have when you’re talking about 80,000 people, 60,000 people, however many it is, it’s a little different when you’re a true freshman and you’ve made some mistakes," Wilson said. "You can be a good player, but you still make mistakes. Now those mistakes, when you’re older, you’re like, ‘Oh, I remember that play from last year.’ So they definitely bring some veteran mentality and snaps being played to our defensive backfield."

The Arkansas Razorbacks will open the regular season against the Western Carolina Catamounts on Saturday, Sept. 2 inside War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed on ESPN+.