How transfers from within SEC are helping Arkansas football's defense, rivalries
Arkansas football vs. LSU is always a big game for the Razorback faithful. In 2022, however, the Battle for the Golden Boot will be circled on the calendar for some.
Arkansas and LSU each had two players transfer to the other half of the Boot. Defensive backs Joe Foucha and Greg Brooks Jr. went from the Razorbacks to the Tigers; defensive end Landon Jackson and defensive back Dwight McGlothern went from Baton Rouge to Fayetteville.
More than a year after the rule that forced athletes to sit out a year after transferring schools went away, the novelty of the NCAA transfer portal is starting to wear off. But one of the more interesting aspects of the transfer market is intraconference transfers. Shortly after the NCAA did away with the rule requiring players to sit for a year, the SEC got rid of its rule requiring the same of athletes who transferred from one member institution to another.
Arkansas football's 2022 roster features four key players reaping the benefits of that year-old rule change: Jackson and McGlothern from LSU, Latavious Brini from Georgia and Drew Sanders from Alabama.
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Pittman got the LSU duo out of the portal to fill some crucial needs.
"We felt like some of our issues were rushing the passer as a defensive end and a man-to-man cover corner situation," Pittman said at SEC Media Days. "We felt like we did well with those two guys in the portal."
Jackson was limited in spring practice while recovering from an injury, but expectations are high for the sophomore out of Texarkana. Pittman said Jackson is now healthy and has shown impressive speed.
Pittman plans to use McGlothern in a man-to-man cover corner role. Linebacker Bumper Pool noted McGlothern has already played an important and unexpected part in the locker room.
"He talks about how we need to be more close outside the facility," Pool said. "When you have a transfer come in and talk about how important it is for everyone to be close, it's huge."
As the saying goes, the transfer portal door swings both ways. Arkansas lost experienced players in fifth-year Foucha and senior Brooks.
"I know many don't like to see (transfers) happen within the league; I'm not crazy about it either," first-year LSU coach Brian Kelly said. "These are two Louisiana kids that wanted to play at LSU, and they have been great additions."
There doesn't seem to be any bad blood between the players and their former teams. But as defensive back Jalen Catalon put it, he "went to war" with Brooks and Foucha in the secondary. Going from the same side of that war to opposing trenches changes things.
"Joe and I are very close," Pool said. "He's going back home, and same thing with Greg. I wish them nothing but success and can't wait to see what they do."
He'll see it firsthand in November.
Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks. You can email her at clong@swtimes.com or follow her on Twitter @christinalong00.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: How Arkansas football's defense is using its SEC transfers
