Geffrard poised for breakout in Razorbacks' defensive line rebuild

The first hint Ian Geffrard might be something special for Arkansas arrived not on a fall Saturday, but in the grind of spring practice.

Teammates couldn’t help but notice Geffrard last spring. At 6-foot-5, 382 pounds, the  defensive tackle from Mableton, Ga., wasn’t just a big body in the trenches. The way he was moving quickly is what caught even coaches off guard.

For a program searching for new stars after a tough SEC stretch, Geffrard’s emergence could not have come at a better time.

A consensus three-star prospect, Geffrard arrived as a developmental project, someone who would need to refine technique and conditioning to crack the rotation.

Two years later, he’s shaking up the depth chart.

“Me and coach Adams talk a lot about just being violent and knocking back,” Geffrard said in the spring. “Just textbook football really, and so it’s funny, but that’s what you have to do here.”

The numbers from 2024 don’t jump off the page: 13 tackles, no sacks, but plenty of disruption in the middle. That tells only part of the story. Geffrard’s transformation, both physically and in understanding the game, has Razorbacks coaches betting big on his upside.

“He stands out in a crowd, making him a difficult blocking assignment for Sam Pittman’s Hogs even in spring practices,” HogsonSI.com reported earlier this year.

Arkansas’ defensive line, long a source of concern for fans and analysts, may have found stability in Geffrard.

Alongside veterans like Cameron Ball and Quincy Rhodes Jr., he’s been taking extensive snaps, earning praise for his improved quickness and ability to shed blockers.

With spring reps piling up, the coaching staff is counting on Geffrard to anchor the interior this fall, especially as the Razorbacks face a daunting SEC schedule.

Geffrard credits much of his development to the relentless pace of Arkansas’ practices and the mentorship of defensive line coach Deke Adams.

“Coach Adams has a saying,” Geffrard said. “Just keep coming, keep hitting. That’s how you win in the SEC.”

That is hopefully translating to the field, where Geffrard’s size and violent hands have started to create headaches for opposing lines.

The stakes are high for the Razorbacks this season, with a defense looking to rebound after losing key contributors to the NFL and graduation.

Early depth charts project Geffrard as a starting tackle, tasked with plugging gaps and generating interior pressure. If his spring and off-season work translate to Saturdays, Arkansas could have a difference-maker in the middle for the first time in years.

Expectations for Arkansas football this year are cautiously optimistic. With new faces in key spots and a schedule that includes early tests against SEC powers, the pressure is on the defense to set the tone.

Geffrard’s continued development is central to those hopes. If he can consistently disrupt plays from the interior, he’ll free up linebackers and edge rushers to make the splash plays that have been missing from the Razorbacks’ defense in recent years.

Geffrard’s teammates already see the difference.

“He’s just so big but he moves like a guy 50 pounds lighter,” said one fellow lineman at a recent spring practice media session. “You can’t teach that.”

The praise isn’t just talk. Opposing offensive lines have struggled to move him off his spot, and coaches are quick to point out his improved stamina and burst after two relentless off-seasons in the Arkansas strength program.

The Razorbacks’ coaching staff is careful not to oversell Geffrard’s potential. Spring stars don’t always translate to fall production, but it’s clear the junior tackle has earned his shot.

“We need a big step from Ian,” said Pittman in March. “If he keeps working like this, he’ll be a problem for a lot of offenses in this league.”

For Geffrard, the opportunity is as big as his frame. Now he just has to be able to do it in games.

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