Petrino looks to defensive line as anchor after strong spring drills

By Terry Wood

Posted: July 28, 2009 at 6:46 a.m.

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FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks had its struggles on defense a year ago in Bobby Petrino's first season as head coach. The Hogs had a difficult time pressuring the quarterback as well as plugging the line of scrimmage against the run.

While he is not expecting miracles from second-year defensive coordinator Willy Robinson, Petrino did like the improvement he saw in the spring from the Hogs' first-line of defense. He even expects the defensive front to be a team strength.

"I'm very impressed with our front four," Petrino said. "I think we have the chance to be a good defensive line. I do feel like we are going to need one ortwo guys to come in and add depth and size on the defensive front."

Though Malcolm Sheppard (6-2, 280 from Bainbridge, Ga.) and defensive end Adrian Davis (6-4, 250 of Rosenberg, Texas) are the only two seniors on the Hogs' defensive line depth chart, eight of the nine players drew extensive playing time last season with back-up defensive end Tenarius Wright (6-1, 233 of Memphis, Tenn.) being the only redshirt freshman in the group.

Sheppard's quickness and tenacity make him a standout up front for the Razorbacks. He is the one player allowed to freelance a bit on the front.

"We loosened the reins on him and he can be very disruptive with his quickness," Petrino said. "No one gets off the ball like him. He's a real worker, but we need him to really do well in theweight room. He has a hard time maintaining his weight through the season and we need him to be strong for us all year long."

Patrick Jones (6-1, 309 junior from Hampton, Ga.) and Lavunce Askew (6-2, 273 sophomore from Camden) back Sheppard and have also been cross trained at the nose tackle spot. Askew has good feet for a big man and Jones is difficult to dislodge in the running game.

Zach Stadther (6-1, 289 sophomore from North Little Rock) worked himself into a surprise starting role last fall with his quickness and hustle and he held on to the job in the spring, despite being pushed by the stout Alfred Davis (6-1, 322 redshirt freshman from Col-lege Park, Ga.) for playing time.

"Stadther has a great motor and he's a fighter," Arkansas defensive line coach Bobby Allen said. "He's a guy that, first against the run is really hard to move. He's 320 pounds and he's very physical, plays low. So his ability to move him around in the run game is hard. And he's shown that."

"We need them healthy and stronger in the fall. Like every kid out here, they need to have a great summer in the weight room."

The Razorbacks signed a solid crop of defensive linemen. All will be given a shot but College of the Sequoias Community College transfer John Henderson will be a junior and the 6-foot, 309-pounder is expected to provide some instant depth in the middle.

Freshmen DeQuinta Jones (6-4, 305, Bastrop, La.), Robert Thomas (6-1, 300, Muskogee, Okla.), Kevin Lowery (6-3, 286, Gainesville, Fla.) and Colton Nash (6-6, 261, Sulphur Springs, Texas) will all be given an early shot to play. Whetherthey do or not depends as much on their mental maturity as their physical ability.

While Sheppard, voted a team captain as a junior, sets the tone for his teammates, Davis probably had the best spring among all linemen. He's heavier at 250 pounds and his responsibilities have become second nature to him.

"Adrian Davis had a great spring," Petrino said. "He's stronger and heavier. He really improved at playing the run and rushing the passer. I think he's more comfortable in his role and his natural athletic ability is showing up."

Wright is Davis' back-up. His move from linebacker to end has been deemed a success and he will stay up front, Petrino said.

"We knew when we recruited him that he would be able to help us at one of the two spots," Petrino said. "He has a big frame and we think he's going to grow into being a great end for us in the future. He also will have a chance to get on the field more quickly there."

Sophomore Jake Bequette (6-5, 271 of Little Rock) has just the kind of size, length and aggressiveness the Razorbacks want at defensive end. He alsohad a standout spring, but like many young players needs to learn to work through fatigue.

"Jake has a great future ahead of him but he has to learn to be just as effective late in a game as he is early," Petrino said. "We can help him with some depth at the position, but a lot of it is being mentally tough enough to fight through the fatigue and finish plays."

Junior Damario Ambrose (6-5, 268 of Mobile, Ala.) is just a shade behind Bequette and Davis at the end spot, giving the Hogs true depth at the position.

"Damario is another good player we know we can count on," Petrino said. "I think our defensive ends are going to be very good and give us a chance.

"I think sometimes last year we didn't show our speed on defense. Sometimes their 40 time doesn't relate to how fast they are playing on the field and that is experience. We are working on it and getting better at it. I think our defensive ends will be a part of that. The improvement of their ability to play fast is really going to help us. We have to do a better job of putting pressure on the quarterback with the four-man rush so we can stay in coverage more."

Sports, Pages 9, 10 on 07/28/2009

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