Going into the offseason, the Arkansas Razorbacks needed to find players with talent and good work ethic for a secondary that ranked dead last in the country in passing yards allowed.
With the help of the transfer portal, Arkansas added Georgia transfer and former five-star prospect Jaheim Singletary.
The Jacksonville, Florida, native redshirted as a freshman with the Bulldogs last season after only playing in three games and he didn't record any stats.
A lack of talent had nothing to do with the sparse playing time, as Georgia's secondary was loaded with experienced SEC players. Singletary's talent has been on full display in Fayetteville and it's why he was such an important addition.
"The addition of Jaheim to the room has really been a big addition," co-defensive coordinator Marcus Woodson said. "He’s a smart kid. He hasn’t played a lot of football in college."
Being in a successful program built on a winning culture has paid dividends for Singletary. He knows what it takes to win and it shows in his preparation.
"Obviously being at Georgia he was able to be around some good coaches and in a good culture," Woodson said. "He’s still young, but he’s a smart player that retains information. He takes the meeting to the field. And that’s what gives himself a chance."
According to Woodson, Singletary has adapted well to his new team and is ready to challenge for a starting spot. In fact, he's been serving as a first team cornerback during the 11-on-11 fastball periods. The love of the game is a big reason for Singletary's success.
"He’s a selfless kid," Woodson said. "He’s someone that came in and really adapted to the guys as if he had been here the whole time. Again, he’s super talented, but the most important thing is his love for the sport. He loves football."
"If you love football and you’ve got talent, success is going to happen for you. I’m so excited to coach him. Again, we needed a corner to come in and challenge the other guys to be better, and he’s done that. He’s a kid that’s going to have a phenomenal year for us."
Through the early goings of fall camp, the redshirt freshman has stood out to multiple coaches. Secondary coach Deron Wilson spoke about Singletary on Aug. 7.
"Jaheim Singletary, has been really impressive these first four days, getting the defense down, flying around and communicating with the rest of the guys," Wilson said.
Wilson also touched on Singletary's preparation and ability to learn the defense quickly. The off-the-field effort combined with his talent is a major factor in his growth as a player.
"We tell him to continue to learn the defense and communicate," Wilson said. "He’s a guy, I say he’s been impressive. To get on the field, keep doing what he’s doing, getting better. Keep on elevating, right? Cause if you’re not getting better you’re getting worse. And over these first four days he has been getting better every day. So keep on growing and he’ll be a really good player."
Preseason All-SEC second team cornerback Dwight McGlothern spoke highly of Singletary as well. A former SEC transfer from LSU himself, McGlothern is pushing Singletary to be better on his path to playing time.
"Jaheim out there, whenever he comes in and gets the reps, he goes hard," McGlothern said. "I’ll be looking at him sometimes and I’ll be like ‘Man, that young dude right there, he can move.’ He makes me go harder at practice in a way. Having them two is a great thing and you will see them on the field."
The addition of Singletary to the defensive backfield added a lot more than just talent — it brought a culture and winning-mindset that's sent waves throughout the secondary. Those waves may be enough to push Arkansas from the depths of college football's worst pass defenses to a respectibility in 2023.
The Razorbacks have 14 fall camp practices remaining ahead of their season opener against Western Carolina on Sept. 2 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
