Razorbacks add defensive back to 2026 recruiting class

The 6-foot-4, 182 pound safety is currently ranked No. 627 overall, No. 53 at his position and the No. 25 player in Alabama, per 247sports.

Arkansas is in the process of improving its pass defense this fall with new defensive backs coach and former Alabama safety Nick Perry leading the room.

The Razorbacks' secondary plummeted to No. 108 while giving up a shade over 242 yards per game. As a whole, the defense finished No. 73 nationally, allowing 376 yards and 25 points per game which was good for No. 66 among FBS teams.

Perry is set to have at least 15 scholarship defensive backs available this season in a group that is virtually unrecognizable due to transfer portal transactions during the offseason.

Arkansas brings in one of the top defensive backs available in Stanford cornerback Julian Neal, Caleb Wooden (Auburn), Quentavius Scandrett (Eastern Michigan), Keshawn Davilla (No. 1 DB in JUCO), Shakur Smalls (Maine), Kani Walker (Oklahoma) and Jordan Young (Cincinnati).

The only holdovers from last year are sophomore Selman Bridges, senior Larry Worth, redshirt junior Jaheim Singletary, sophomore Ahkhari Johnson and redshirt junior Miguel Mitchell.

Two true freshman will take up spots in the secondary in 3-star's Taijh Overton from Mobile, Alabama and Nigel Pringle from Houston.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman believed his roster was poached of quite a bit of talent whether it be graduation or due to transfer activity as former freshman All-SEC defender Jaylon Braxton decided to leave for Ole Miss.

The Metcalf brothers, TJ and Tevis, both left for Michigan following the season after being productive pieces in the secondary last season.

"When you have to think about which one of those guys, if they’re not starting at corner, you look at a board and you’re going, ‘Man, do we need to be two deep.’ And that’s true," Pittman said. "But [not] if my third-best corner is my backup boundary safety.

"So, we brought in body types that were strictly corner and we brought in body types that were corner, boundary safety, [nickelback]. Where we were depleted was the secondary and we wanted to be right on whom chose us and who we chose."

While the issue of depth is likely solved at this point for the 2025 roster, the Razorbacks have put together a solid group of defenders in the secondary for the future.

Two-time MaxPreps All-American and 3-star defender Tay Lockett has been onboard since August 2023 along with Fayetteville 3-star Kyndrick Williams, highly regarded Oklahoma 3-star Adam Auston, 3-star Jalon Campbell and Foster.

Arkansas Razorbacks 2026 Commits

OL Bryce Gilmore
DE Colton Yarbrough
QB Jayvon Gilmore
WR Dequane Prevo
OL Tucker Young
TE Jaivion Martin
TE Kade Bush
DB Tay Lockett
WR Blair Irvin III
LB Daylen Green
DB Jalon Copeland
DL Ari Slocum
DB Kyndrick Williams
DB Adam Auston
DL Carnell Jackson
OL Ashley Walker
WR Robert Haynes
DL Cameron McGee
S Keivay Foster

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