Arkansas is entering the fall confident that a reconstructed linebacker corps can help reverse a defense that finished last season among the SEC’s poorest units in yards and points allowed.
- Arkansas finished last season near the bottom of the SEC in major defensive stats, including last in total yards and points allowed per game.
- The Razorbacks retained starters Bradley Shaw and Wyatt Simmons and added transfers Ja’Quavion Smith (Howard), Ben Bogle (West Virginia) and Phoenix Jackson and Jeremy Evans (Baylor).
- Coaches and players say the room is deeper and offers the ability to run two- and three-linebacker looks, with Shaw and Smith leading the depth chart after spring practice.
- Open questions include how quickly transfers will adapt to SEC competition and whether the new depth will reduce big plays and points allowed.
Where the Razorbacks fell short
The Razorbacks ranked in the bottom half of the Southeastern Conference across major defensive statistics last season and finished last in total yards per game and points allowed per game, according to reporting from WholeHogSports. That slide has made improving the front seven — and the linebacker group in particular — a priority in 2026.
Roster changes and the new-look room
Arkansas returns starters Bradley Shaw and Wyatt Simmons, with Shaw designated as the defensive player wearing the green dot radio receiver to get play calls from the sideline. The staff also leaned on the transfer market to add experience and depth.
Notable arrivals include Ja’Quavion Smith from Howard, who WholeHogSports reports is the highest-graded returning college linebacker in the SEC per Pro Football Focus at 88.2, and Ben Bogle, a transfer from West Virginia graded at 73.4. The Razorbacks also added two linebackers from Baylor, Phoenix Jackson and Jeremy Evans, who bring pre-existing chemistry from playing together.
Competition and flexibility
The mix of veterans and transfers gives Arkansas options to present two- and three-linebacker fronts. WholeHogSports says Shaw and Smith have emerged atop the depth chart in spring and offseason workouts, and coaches believe the position has stronger depth and more tactical options than a year ago.
Experience and leadership
Shaw and Simmons are the only linebackers with SEC game experience; other contributors have college reps at different levels. Bogle had a standout season at West Virginia after starting at the FCS level, while Smith moved up from the FCS and drew attention in spring practice for his immediate impact.
Players cited in WholeHogSports emphasize growth in football IQ and leadership. Shaw credited Simmons with improved understanding of the game, and Smith described his own focus on becoming more vocal and leading the group.
Teammates’ impressions
Defensive lineman Charlie Collins praised Smith’s physicality and work ethic, recalling early workouts pushing a heavy sled together and saying Smith is a “dog” who will “fill that gap.” Running back Braylen Russell complimented Shaw and Smith as a tandem that attackers must account for.
Why depth matters for Arkansas
Depth at linebacker matters for several practical reasons: it allows Arkansas to rotate fresh defenders against possession-heavy offenses, to change looks between two- and three-linebacker sets without substituting personnel, and to better cover for injuries over a long SEC slate. WholeHogSports frames the additions as giving the Razorbacks more tactical flexibility than last season.
Open questions and what to watch this fall
Key uncertainties remain. The reporting indicates Shaw and Simmons are the only players with prior SEC snaps; how quickly transfers and newcomers — even high-graded ones like Smith and Bogle — translate individual performance into consistent play against SEC competition is untested in live, high-level games.
Watch points when the season starts:
- Which linebacker alignments Arkansas deploys most often: two- or three-man looks.
- How early-season matchups affect rotation patterns and whether the staff leans on depth to keep players fresh.
- Whether the new combinations reduce big plays allowed — the underlying problem that contributed to poor yards- and points-allowed rankings last year.
Timeline and context
- 2025 season: Arkansas finished in the bottom half of the SEC in major defensive categories and last in total yards and points allowed per game, prompting changes.
- Offseason 2026: Coaching staff retained Bradley Shaw and Wyatt Simmons and added transfers including Ja’Quavion Smith (Howard), Ben Bogle (West Virginia) and two linebackers from Baylor — Phoenix Jackson and Jeremy Evans.
- Spring and summer 2026: Shaw and Smith worked with the first team and appeared to lead the depth chart, with teammates noting improved communication and physical preparation.
Bottom line
Arkansas is explicitly betting that a deeper, more varied linebacker room — combining returning SEC experience and high-performing transfers — will produce better defensive outcomes than last season. The plan gives the Razorbacks more schematic choices and the capacity to absorb attrition, but whether the reconfigured group can translate offseason promise into fewer yards and points allowed will be measured once SEC play begins.
“I think all of us can all play. I think all of us can contribute to the game differently and bring different aspects to the game,” Bradley Shaw said of the nine-man linebacker room, per WholeHogSports.
