FAYETTEVILLE — Going into the Arkansas Razorbacks’ scrimmage Friday, it seemed some defensive despair loomed almost everywhere.
Not enough proven safeties. Not enough proven cornerbacks. Certainly not enough linebackers considering the middle position behind the line just siphoned the team’s best defensive end.
Tenarius Wright, better known as “Tank,” moved from defensive end to linebacker with returning starting linebacker Alonzo Highsmith injuring himself in the weight room for the entire spring the night before spring practice began.
Kevin Peoples, a former nine year defensive line coach at Arkansas State, joined Bobby Petrino’s Razorbacks two years ago as an administrator in charge of high school relations with the upfront understanding that he would like to coach if a situation presented itself.
The situation developed last December. Defensive Coordinator Paul Haynes was hired in time to coordinate the defense for the Cotton Bowl victory over Kansas State, and the defensive staff was restructured. Tackles Coach Bobby Allen moved to coach the secondary with Haynes while Peoples said goodbye to administration and hello to coaching the defensive-tackles.
Other than departed 2011 senior Zach Stadther, Peoples greeted the same crew in the spring that played so well against Kansas State last January.
“We have a nucleus of the guys coming back,” Peoples said. “We lose Zach Stadther and Zach was a very good player for us and played a lot of snaps for us. But we have most of the guys coming back. We should have some depth.”
Not just depth but quality depth, given the extensive experience of seniors Alfred Davis and D.D. Jones and juniors Byran Jones and Robert Thomas.
Even the veteran Stadther already has been replaced in experience. Lavunce Askew, redshirted last fall, steps in as a three-year letterman as Stadther did last year.
“Lavunce is in the mix,” Peoples said. “He is battling along with D.D. Jones, and Robert Thomas and Horace Arkadie at the 3-technique.”
Arkadie is the redshirted freshman who is so muscled up from the gangly-looking defensive end he was upon his 2011 arrival that he’s a tackle now mixing it up inside.
While literally growing into his position, Arkadie can grow into his experience while being tutored by a bunch who has been there.
Given the intensity with which the position must be played and the size of the men playing it, tackles usually require the most defensive substituting throughout a game.
“That’s the plan and that’s what you want,” Peoples said. “And it also creates competition. You have got to be ready for everything because it might seem you are listed fourth, but you are just a play away from being a one or a two.”
The players know the plan via Peoples’ seamless switch last December from administrator to coach.
“It helped a bunch,” Peoples said of the Cotton Bowl experience. “It was really getting a chance to work with the guys, for them to get used to me and me to get used to them. That’s been a huge help.”
Sports, Pages 21 on 03/31/2012