Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders might not know how good he is
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When Razorback linebacker Drew Sanders transferred in from Alabama over the offseason, he filled a big hole in the Hogs' defense.
The former Rivals 6.0 four-star from Denton, Texas, played a little bit for the Crimson Tide, but not enough to show his potential.
Through seven practice with the Hogs, Sanders' coaches and teammates are starting to see just how talented he is.
"You see it every day," Arkansas linebackers coach Michael Scherer said. "I think a lot of it came out in that spring game. In the spring game he was making a lot of plays just being himself, so it just came out there. He does it every day. It’s just getting him to trust that incrementally getting a little bit better, a little bit better is at the end what makes him very, very good."
Scherer said he knows how good Sanders is and how good he can be. His teammates have referred to him as an elite pass rusher.
The pass rushing skills will come in handy when he is given the opportunity, but with the move to inside linebacker, a lot of what Sanders will have to do this season will be away from the ball.
"You know, it’s amazing, people don’t recognize how hard it is to do what Drew’s doing right now," Scherer said. "Drew went from playing 4i defensive end, outside linebacker, sitting on the edge every play, to being in the middle of the action... But the reality of the situation is a lot of his player are going to be off the ball, OK. So, we’re working on him getting better at that."
Sanders said the transition from outside linebacker to inside linebacker has been a learning curve, but he is getting a better feel for it each day.
"There's little things that translate," Sanders said. "I still got a lot to learn and a lot to pick up on but just being able to be on my feet and move around a little bit, I think I'm getting a little bit more comfortable each day. But it is a big step from what I was doing for the past few years."
The athleticism is there for Sanders, but Scherer said his toughest thing with the junior linebacker is getting him to realize how good he actually is.
"A lot of my challenge with Drew is getting him to trust and believe how talented he is," Scherer said. "Once he does that and lets it loose and once he gets the reps there in the middle and he’s not thinking about what he’s got to do, he can do some special, special things."
Most of the frustration on Sanders' part comes from the fact that he can't make every single play on the field.
"With Drew, a lot of it is just getting him to trust that the things he needs to do fundamentally as a linebacker will take care of themselves," Scherer said. "He’ll make plays by just doing what he has to do. It’s getting him to not be frustrated at maybe the ball doesn’t come to him every time, so he stays disciplined in what he’s supposed to do."
Arkansas had three linebackers with at least 100 tackles last season, including Bumper Pool, who will be starting alongside Sanders this year. Those two will be trusted a lot this season to take care of things in the middle of the Razorback defense.
"As a coach in a game situation, the guys you put on the field you better trust with your life," Scherer said. "Your life’s on the line. We don’t do good, I’ve got to go home, and I don’t get paid."
Scherer will get his first look as his linebackers in a game-like situation today during Arkansas' closed scrimmage.