Every year, programs must replace key players.
The next two weeks I’ll take a look at 13 SEC programs (Chip Towers and Seth Emerson have UGA covered) and a key player who must be replaced this season.
Arkansas will look to Deatrich Wise Jr. (No. 48), who had two sacks in 2014. (AP photo)
Arkansas
Deatrich Wise Jr. is “ athletic, strong and a very, very powerful kid,” coach Bret Bielema said this spring.
He’s ready to turn Wise, who is 6-foot-5, 271 pounds, loose on quarterbacks as Arkansas moves on without Flowers, who was selected by New England, and defensive tackle Darius Philon, who was picked by San Diego.
Wise played in 10 games as a sophomore in 2014, with 13 tackles and two sacks.
“The only person who will limit Deatrich Wise is Deatrich Wise,” Bielama said in April. “As we go out on the road and recruit defensive ends, you can’t get any better than that.”
He’ll be part of a deeper defensive line that also will include returning starters JaMichael Winston (6-4, 272), who also impressed coaches this spring, and Taiwan Johnson (6-2, 273), who had eight tackles for loss and 4½ sacks last fall.
