Hogs found some extra help in the secondary from Ivy League

Arkansas just picked up a new piece for its defense.

The Razorbacks have signed Dartmouth transfer safety Sean Williams, and he’s joining the team with fall camp winding down and kickoff on the horizon.

Williams isn’t a small name in the FCS world. Dartmouth voters named him to the All-Ivy League team three separate times, and his best season came last fall when he made the First Team.

He’s a Tennessee kid, hailing from Nolensville, where he played his high school ball before heading north for college.

Coaches won’t confuse him for a big-bodied safety either, since he checks in on the smaller side at the position.

His college resume backs up the hype. Over four years with the Big Green he barely left the field, taking the starting job in nearly every game he suited up for.

His numbers from a season ago tell the story. He picked off four passes, broke up eight more and finished the year with 31 total stops, more than half of them coming unassisted, plus a couple of tackles that stopped drives behind the line.

For his career, Williams finished with 11 interceptions, and one of those turned into a pick-six.

His snap count last year climbed well past 500, and the numbers crunchers at Pro Football Focus liked what they saw enough to hand him a grade in the low 70s.

Williams brings more than just defense to Fayetteville

Williams didn’t only play defense at Dartmouth. He handled return duty too, piling up hundreds of yards on both punts and kickoffs and flashing enough burst to break off a few long ones along the way.

His path to Arkansas got a boost from a legal decision.

A Colorado judge’s ruling opened the door for players from the Class of 2022 to gain another season of eligibility, and Williams is taking full advantage of it, according to 247Sports.

He’s not the only Razorback benefiting from that ruling. Safety Caleb Wooden returned to the program the same way, giving Arkansas a second experienced body in the back end this fall.

Before this move, Williams got a brief look from the pros, spending time on the field with the Titans as they evaluated rookies over the summer.

That kind of interest from an NFL club says plenty about the talent he adds to a Hogs group that’s still working through its options in the back end.

Recruiting history shows Arkansas not only option

Williams had other schools chasing him too.

A handful of Northeastern programs pursued him out of high school and later as a transfer, and Ole Miss reportedly showed interest as well before he ultimately chose Fayetteville.

Football runs in his bloodline. A family member suited up for a Tennessee college program years back, and Williams grew up as one of several brothers in a football-minded household.

Arkansas needed reliable depth in the secondary, and Williams gives the Hogs a proven ballhawk who’s barely come off the field in college.

With the opener fast approaching, the Razorbacks now have one more experienced option ready to step onto the field.

Key takeaways

• Arkansas signed Dartmouth transfer safety Sean Williams ahead of its season opener against North Alabama
• Williams is a three-time All-Ivy League selection with 11 career interceptions and a track record as a near-every-game starter
• A Colorado court ruling on Class of 2022 eligibility made the move possible for Williams and fellow safety Caleb Wooden