Arkansas football season is just days away and the excitement is beginning to grow amongst fans and players alike — including super senior defensive end Zach Williams.
"I’m ready to play against somebody else instead of the same people every day," Williams said. "Like KJ said, the atmosphere, there’s nothing that can compare to it when you have all those people yelling at you, wanting you to succeed. So I’m just ready for it."
In his four-year Razorback career, Williams has totaled 90 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound pass rusher from Little Rock is set to play his final season in an Arkansas uniform and will be leaned on for his veteran presence.
"I know I do better every year," Williams said. "So I’m just trying to do better than the last year … Going to War Memorial, it’s the last time I’m ever going to play there. I’ve been playing there since I was in PeeWee, then middle school, high school and college now. It’s the last time, so I’ve got to make some shade. Do some good and leave something memorable on the field."
The Razorbacks will open the season against the Western Carolina Catamounts out of the FCS's Southern Conference on Saturday. What the Catamounts lack in SEC talent, they make up for in size — especially on the offensive line.
"The first time they put up the scouting report and the roster and stuff like that, I was like, ‘Dang.’" Williams said. "I was like, ‘What? 6-8? 300-something pounds?’ I said, 'Hmm, okay.' But yeah, I mean, you got to make it do what it do and play them like you play Alabama, LSU, stuff like that."
Still, Arkansas shouldn't have too much of an issue against Western Carolina's offensive line after bringing in multiple talented transfers in the trenches. Despite all of the new faces, the team has meshed well over the offseason according to Williams.
"Yeah, it’s been pretty smooth," Williams said. "Like you said it’ not the first time, so everybody’s kind of used to it and we know what to do, what to say, how to integrate them into the defense, integrate them into the D-line. So it really isn’t that hard. With everybody leaving there’s always new personalities to fill in their spots, even though you miss them.
"I feel like we mesh pretty well as a defensive line. We have a lot of depth. We all like each other. So when you like each other you want to see each other succeed. I feel like I’m just really excited for this year and what we all have to offer."
The four new transfers on the defensive line along with the linebacker group and secondary will be tasked with flipping a defense that finished the 2022 season ranked No. 123 in the nation in yards allowed per game (465.2). Williams isn't worried about making the turnaround, though.
"We have more depth I feel like," Williams said. "There’s a lot more reliable people. I wouldn’t say last year they weren’t reliable, but you always want to move forward and have better reliability. So that’s something. Coach T-Will, he’s an awesome spirit. He gets you fired up. He always has something right to say. I guess he is a little younger. He always knows how to talk to us, kind of, and I feel like it just hits a different spot.
"The coaches, too. You can see the coaches, there is something about them. I guess it’s because of T-Will or something, they’re a little fiery. I like that, and that’s what you need to be a good defense."
One of the coaches who has made a big impact on Williams is defensive line coach Deke Adams, who is returning for his second season in Fayetteville, making him the first defensive line coach in the Sam Pittman era to do so.
"I was happy because ever since I was a freshman, I've had to learn a new coach and a new coaching style," Williams said. "Going into my first year with the same coach for a second year, I was happy. I was fortunate because when you start winning a little bit there's no reason to switch out the D-Line coach, and we did really good last year. And we aim to do better. But I was really happy it was something I didn't have to worry about."
New defensive coordinator Travis Williams is bringing a unique style of aggressive defense to Arkansas for the 2023 season, something Williams and others have had to adapt to.
"The new direction is going good," Williams said. "With every new defensive coordinator, the defense is going to change regardless even if you have the same players. I feel like he's learning all of us as opposed to forcing us to do something that each of us aren't really good at. He knows how to put us in the right spot and right areas to make plays. I'm happy and fortunate and can't wait to see what happens this year."
Williams won't have to wait long though, as the Razorbacks kick off the 2023 season in four days on Saturday against Western Carolina at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Kickoff is set for noon CT and the game will be streamed on the SEC Network+ and ESPN+.
