FAYETTEVILLE -- If Byron Keaton's play last Saturday is any indication of the improvements Arkansas has made in pass coverage, the Razorbacks might have themselves a quality collection of cornerbacks in 2016.
Keaton, a redshirt freshman from Camden, broke up three passes in the Hogs' final major preseason scrimmage, one of them bouncing to safety De'Andre Coley for an interception and long return against the second-team offense.
Cornerbacks glance
RETURNING STARTERS Jared Collins (13 games), Henre Toliver (10), DJ Dean (8),
LOSSES None
WHO’S BACK Kevin Richardson (5 starts), Ryan Pulley, Cornelius Floyd
WHO’S NEW Britto Tutt (out for season
WALK-ONS Byron Keaton, Ryder Lucas
ANALYSIS The Razorbacks fell into a pit early last season with the combination of a lack of a pass rush and struggles in man-to-man coverage, so teams showed patience and picked apart zone coverages. This year, a stronger pass rush has Arkansas confident it can play more aggressive coverage and more man schemes with starters Collins, Toliver and Richardson. Dean and Pulley will also factor in, while Floyd and Keaton round out the depth. The veterans in the secondary has allowed Robb Smith and Paul Rhoads to implement more nuances to the schemes, so opposing quarterbacks will have to work harder with their reads.
The Razorbacks could use a big boost from their cornerbacks after a poor showing in 2015. Arkansas ranked 116th in the country in allowing 275 passing yards per game and 103 in pass efficiency defense after allowing 25 touchdown passes versus 10 interceptions.
After defensive backs coach Clay Jennings' departure for Texas, Coach Bret Bielema replaced the ace recruiter with Paul Rhoads, a veteran defensive mind who was head coach at Iowa State for seven seasons and a defensive coordinator at Auburn for Camden native Tommy Tuberville.
Rhoads saw a group of defensive backs ready to make amends for the lapses of last season.
"I thought it was a group that was very eager to be coached when I arrived and upgrade what's been thought of their play here recently," Rhoads said. "I think they have all the capabilities to do exactly that."
Rhoads inherited a veteran bunch of cornerbacks, led by seniors Jared Collins and DJ Dean and juniors Henre Toliver and Kevin Richardson, who have combined for 59 career starts, 27 by Collins.
"I think our confidence has grown from last year, and we're more confident in our techniques," Collins said.
"I said this to the staff yesterday ... that at the end of the year, I would be very surprised if people didn't look back and say the secondary would be one of the most improved positions on our football team," Bielema said early in camp. "I think they're playing with a lot more confidence. They've got a lot more swagger. They're attacking the football."
The position seemed to be under attack last week, however, with three players suffering injuries.
Dean injured a hamstring, but is expected to be back this week or next. Collins broke his right hand while planting during a fall, but missed only a few plays that day and was back at practice the following day with a cast on his hand. Junior college transfer Britto Tutt, who had broken into the two-deep depth chart with sophomore Ryan Pulley, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee when he was rolled up on a deep pass into the end zone last Wednesday and is lost for the season.
"Injuries are part of this game," Rhoads said. "You hate to see a young man suffer the type of injury that Britto suffered because it's a year-ender. But you move on with your depth chart and you keep playing the game.
"We've been rolling a lot of guys at those corner sports and getting a lot of reps with those guys. ... We play a lot of nickel as you guys know, so that's three corners on the field most of the time."
Collins and Toliver, who had played much more nickel than corner the past two years, jumped into starting roles at the outset of camp with Dean coming off surgery for a turf toe injury.
Pulley has shown improvement and is emerging as one of the team's most aggressive corners. Defensive coordinator Robb Smith said the Razorbacks should be in position to run more press coverages than a year ago.
"Absolutely, and Paul's done a great job with those guys," Smith said. "Jared Collins has really improved in press. I think Ryan Pulley, that's kind of his ticket right there. That's where he really, really feels comfortable. Henre Toliver can be a guy that can walk up there and press and also play off.
"We've got some guys that give us some flexibility ... and we've got to play to their strengths."
Richardson has learned every position in the defensive backfield and knows the playbook cold. He could plug in wherever he's needed, though he's running at first-team nickel back.
"He is arguably the smartest player on the defense, if not smarter than half the coaches on the defense, in terms of what we're doing," Rhoads said. "You get that way by studying it."
Bielema said the knowledge shown by the defensive backs has allowed more creativity with schemes.
"Paul made the comment the other day about how intelligent our DBs are, and I would echo the thought and I think they're being very well-coached," Bielema said. "Robb's got a background in a couple of different schemes that he can kind of blend together, and it's fun to watch that group take effect."
Collins and his fellow corners said the defensive backs are intent on playing better with their eyes and improving their consistency.
"I think the coaches trust us more being in man-to-man situations," Collins said.
"I think this defensive backs crew is the best we've had in a long time, since we got all the experience and just about everybody on it has played a lot of snaps," Dean said. "I think this is the year we're going to have something special back there."
Sports on 08/23/2016