ARKANSAS SPRING FOOTBALL

Muscling in up front

Jackson bulks up role by trimming down

Arkansas defensive tackle Bijhon Jackson (78) goes through drills Tuesday, March 31, 2015, in Fayetteville.
Arkansas defensive tackle Bijhon Jackson (78) goes through drills Tuesday, March 31, 2015, in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Bijhon Jackson could sense the potential for a starting job at nose guard over the winter, so the sophomore went to work at seizing the opportunity to top Arkansas' depth chart, beginning with his waist line.

"It was really just breaking my body down so I could build it up in a stronger way, you know, with more muscle," Jackson said Tuesday as the Razorbacks resumed spring drills following a 12-day layoff. "I've got to get in a lot better shape, but it's been pretty good."

Jackson, who played high school football at El Dorado and was one of Arkansas' top signees in 2014, reported last summer at about 350 pounds and eventually got into solid shape, emerging behind Taiwan Johnson to earn more playing time later in the season.

A sleeker Jackson should be able to provide more quality snaps with greater stamina with his workload on the rise.

"He works hard and he's very explosive, very aggressive, and he's going to make some plays," Johnson said.

"I've seen Bijhon get a little quicker on his feet," defensive end JaMichael Winston said. "That's a good thing for us."

Defensive line coach Rory Segrest said Jackson is "most definitely" ready to assume a starting role, but he noted Tuesday that Jackson added a few pounds during spring break.

"He's playing with some speed and quickness. He did put on a little weight over the break, so that's something we addressed today," Segrest said.

"I'm probably about 330 right now," Jackson said. "I plan on getting back down to about 300 for playing weight during the season. Anywhere between 300 and 315 is where I want to be. Just burn a little bit more fat and get my muscle and I'll be where I want to be."

Coach Bret Bielema, going through a position-by-position analysis of the roster during the first week of spring, gave Jackson rave reviews.

"Bijhon Jackson stands out, a very sudden player that's made nice progress on his physical development," Bielema said.

Jackson's strong finish to the 2014 season resulted in the freshman posting nine tackles, including one for lost yardage, and a pass breakup.

"Bijhon, toward the end of the year, he and Taiwan were splitting reps, probably about 50-50 if you were looking at it," Segrest said. "He just really made a lot of progress. He did a lot better job of using his hands as we went along and just understanding the big picture of the game."

Strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert said Jackson trimmed down into the 318-pound range with his work ethic and commitment over the winter.

The prospect of winning a starting job serves as motivation.

"This is my dream program," he said. "I've always wanted to play for the Razorbacks, and to be starting for them just my sophomore year -- I mean, I know nothing is solid right now -- but I'm going to work to try to keep my starting spot and it means a lot to me."

Bielema said Jackson will be motivated to keep improving with talented newcomers like Jeremiah Ledbetter and Hjalte Froholdt joining veteran DeMarcus Hodge in vying for time at the position.

"You've got a big, strong, powerful guy behind you, I think some very nice things will happen there," Bielema said.

Defensive coordinator Robb Smith said a year of gaining familiarity with the system has served Jackson well.

"He's able to play faster and react faster," Smith said. "He worked extremely hard with Coach Herbs in the weight room and kind of trimmed himself down and redeveloped his body a little bit."

Jackson's emergence as a potential impact player allowed him to move back to the three technique defensive tackle spot that was handled by Darius Philon last season.

"He really played well towards the end of last season, so it was a complement to have me and him out there at the nose," Johnson said. "Now I feel like it's time for him to take over."

Sports on 04/01/2015

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