New defense players show potential

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The defensive front had to be largely rebuilt this offseason at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

There are a handful of key players returning, such as defensive linemen Elijah Jenkins and Kavion Majors, but UAPB fans will have to learn several new names this fall.

“You’ll know our name when we make plays,” Head Coach Alonzo Hampton said on Wednesday at SWAC Media Day. “You can call us the ‘No-name crew.’ But when the games start, the cream gonna rise to the top.”

The defense has struggled in Hampton’s first two seasons in charge. The Golden Lions finished 11th in the SWAC in scoring defense last season after being 12th in 2023. Many of the top players have left the program, including leading tackler Jaden Kelly, an All-SWAC second team linebacker in 2024.

UAPB’s top six tacklers from among the defensive line and linebacker groups are gone. To replace them, the Golden Lions have recruited several junior college players.

With so many new players coming in on a unit that hasn’t yet found success, it isn’t a big surprise that UAPB did not have any defensive players named to the preseason All-SWAC teams this summer, but Hampton said he is excited about the defense under newly promoted defensive coordinator Jeff Burrow.

“What you’re going to see us do on defense is nothing like we’ve done the first two years, I’m telling you right now,” Hampton said. “We’ve hired two new coaches. New D-line guy (George Ricumstrict) that actually worked with Coach Burrow at Kent State when they won 12 games. So, man, we’re excited. Got a young coach (Nate Jones) that’s coming for linebackers. We’ve put together a good staff, got some really, really good football players that nobody knows about, and I love it.”

Hampton wasn’t ready to name many specific players in the front seven to watch, though he did acknowledge he was glad to have Jenkins and Majors coming back alongside redshirt freshman Derrick Murdock.

The secondary, which Burrow will continue to coach in addition to his coordinator duties, is different. Although the Golden Lions brought in some reinforcements for the defense’s back end, there are several key returning players who can anchor the team’s pass coverage.

Sophomore cornerbacks Amyrion Mingo and Zach Williams both had good seasons as freshmen, and UAPB has another freshman, Zay Stribling, coming from Mills University Studies. Hampton said he thought safety Quintin Sterling should have been an All-SWAC player.

UAPB’s secret weapon in the secondary, though, may be someone who played offense last year.

“The guy that I’m really most excited about, honestly, is Kristian Gammage,” Hampton said. “He was a receiver, returner. I think he’s one of the best players in this league. Nobody knows about him. He was playing receiver, really good receiver, but this guy can play football.”

Gammage was UAPB’s fourth-leading receiver last year and scored two touchdowns but moved to defensive back in the spring.

The offense took a big step forward last year in its first season under a new offensive coordinator, Tony Hull. Burrow will try to manufacture a similar turnaround on defense this fall.

Hampton said he is excited about what Burrow will do with this group, calling him one of the smartest coaches he has ever worked with.

“The one thing you’re going to see, guys flying around,” Hampton said. “You won’t see guys blame and complaining or being defensive. I think we finally got that through everybody head. When you’re building a program, everybody needs to be going in the same direction.”