Arkansas fans everywhere are curious to see how the Hogs' new-look 3-4 defense will fare this fall, and it's no different for one of the Razorbacks' all-time great defenders.
Former Arkansas safety Ken Hamlin, who ranks third on the program's all-time tackles chart, has been on hand to check out this week's full-pads practices in Fayetteville.
He likes what he's seen thus far.
"I don't know about individually, but I do think certain positions are stepping up on defense," Hamlin said. "The secondary is the group I focus on, of course. I see some young guys going out and making plays, especially in the 1-on-1 drills.
"They're paying more attention to detail, that's the one thing I see with the secondary. At linebacker, of course we've got some guys banged up there, but those guys are trying to attack the ball. When they see run, they're coming after it. I've seen those groups standing out more than I see individual play."
One individual that Hamlin is keeping a close eye on is starting safety Santos Ramirez.
Ramirez, a 6-2, 205-pound junior, has shown the ability of delivering big hits and game-changing plays that remind Razorback fans of "The Hammer" Hamlin, who became an All-American at Arkansas before being selected in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft following his junior year.
"I talked to (Ramirez) about some things," Hamlin said. "It was more about just stepping up and making himself known. I told him, 'Don't be in the shadows of anyone else on this team. Step ahead and become a leader and show it on the field. You can talk a lot, but if you don't bring it to the field it doesn't mean anything. Show your aggression, show you can make plays.'
"I've seen him out here this week being a lot more vocal, taking over some of the calls and being vocal with others, so it's good to see that," Hamlin said. "Now you've got to keep feeding off of that. You've got to start the season off with a bang."
Arkansas' switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 front should allow Ramirez and the rest of the secondary to have easier tasks, Hamlin says.
"Leaving Seattle for Dallas, I went from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and that was a big changeup," Hamlin said. "The one positive thing though, from the secondary's perspective, is you go from being a primary run supporter to being a secondary run-supporter just about the entire time. So, basically, you're able to play the pass a lot better instead of worrying so much about the run.
"Getting caught up in the problems and assignments shouldn't happen as much in the 3-4. Now, it is football so things can happen, but with this 3-4 you should be able to scheme a little better and make things more simple, which allows everyone to react faster."
Hamlin said he's enjoyed watching the Razorbacks' "figure it out" this week, and he'll probably check their progress again before being inducted into the UA Sports Hall of Honor when the Hogs host TCU on the weekend September 9.
"I never turn down an opportunity to come down and watch some football," Hamlin said. "I wanted to come see what the change is, see what the new-look is. I've just been watching what's going on this week and I see a lot of good things happening.
"I'll probably be back again before the season starts, but I'll definitely be back for the TCU game for the Hall of Honor event. I plan on being back a lot more often now."
