Arkansas will tinker with position changes this spring

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FAYETTEVILLE — The spring is typically a time football coaches can tinker with their roster and get a look at players at different positions.

Although it sounds like Arkansas doesn’t have any plans for major offense-to-defense switches or vice versa, head coach Sam Pittman hinted at a few minor position changes during a Zoom video conference with local media Monday afternoon.

Perhaps the most intriguing move involves linebacker Zach Zimos. The former four-star recruit has played only three defensive snaps in his two seasons with the Razorbacks and wasn’t a factor at linebacker last year, when walk-on true freshman Jackson Woodard got snaps before him.

In an effort to get him on the field, Pittman said they are going to try him out at a couple of spots that might better suit his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame, even though he’s still listed as a linebacker on the spring roster.

“We’re messing with Zimos a bit as a safety,” Pittman said. “Maybe that would help him as a nickel and get him out of the box.”

On the other side of the ball, it’s not uncommon for offensive linemen to cross train at multiple positions up front and that will likely continue, but Pittman indicated he’d like for Ty Clary to focus on guard moving forward.

One one several seniors who took advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Clary started five games at right guard and two at center last season.

Before last year, Clary was a two-year starter at center, but struggled with consistent snaps and was ultimately replaced by Ricky Stromberg upon Pittman’s arrival. However, he was still the backup center and moved there when Stromberg wasn’t available.

The hope is that fifth-year senior Shane Clenin can lockdown the backup role at center after serving as a reserve offensive guard in 2020.

“Our plan is to play Shane Clenin a little bit more at center and try to take a little bit of pressure off the combination of Ty Clary playing guard and center a little bit, and maybe let him develop a little bit better at guard for us,” Pittman said. “We’ve got to find a 2 center and obviously Ty can do it, but I’d really like to find a 2 center that can just sit there and be that guy.”

Pittman also mentioned that wide receiver Mike Woods would likely get more snaps in the slot this spring.

The only position change reflected on the spring roster involving a scholarship player is Koilan Jackson moving from wide receiver to tight end. The oft-injured Jackson has four career receptions for 51 during his four seasons at Arkansas, but he’ll be limited this spring as he recovers from a season-ending knee surgery.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 228 pounds on last year’s roster, which was 17 pounds heavier than he was in 2019, Jackson was the Razorbacks’ second-heaviest receiver behind only Treylon Burks (232 lbs.).

The switch was something he suggested to the coaching staff and Pittman said they were happy to oblige. Jackson is now playing the same position - and wearing the same jersey number (88) - as his father, Keith, who was a College Football Hall of Famer at Oklahoma and six-time Pro Bowler in the NFL.

“He probably won’t do much in the spring, so he’s getting bigger,” Pittman said. “We said, ‘If you want to be a tight end, you’re going to have to gain some weight.’ He wanted to do it (and) I was more than happy to move him over there, but we just haven’t seen enough to figure it out yet.”

It’s also worth noting that walk-on Cade Pearson has moved from quarterback to defensive back. He was a scholarship quarterback at North Texas before spending a year in junior college and transferring to Arkansas.

The first of 15 spring practices for the Razorbacks is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon and they’ll conclude with the annual spring game on April 17.