An Arkansas offensive lineman is switching sides of the football and will play defensive tackle this season.
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman announced on his first radio show of the season that offensive lineman Keyshawn Blackstock is now on the other side of the trenches.
Blackstock, who played in 12 games with nine starts at right tackle last year, is now at defensive tackle. He practiced at both the guard and tackle spots on the offensive line during spring and fall camp, but made the switch amid depth concerns on the interior of the defensive line.
The Razorbacks are dangerously thin at defensive tackle. Pittman said last Saturday that Abilene Christian transfer David Oke will likely miss the first game and possibly the second game of the season due to a knee injury, which leaves just three guys with in-game experience from last season.
What it means for Arkansas football
It’s not out of the ordinary for an offensive or defensive lineman to switch sides of the line, but it’s not common that it works out. Hjalte Froholdt, who is now in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, switched from defensive tackle to the offensive line while he was at Arkansas, but that’s not normally a switch that works.
What it means for Arkansas football in 2025 is depth. The trio of Cam Ball, Danny Saili and Ian Geffrard were pretty much all that stood in the way of true freshmen seeing the field.
The Razorbacks’ offensive line depth is much better than the defensive, and Blackstock was in the midst of a position battle with both Kobe Branham and E’Marion Harris for a starting job on the offensive line.
The way it’s shaking out now, it appears Branham and Harris will lock up the right guard and tackle spots, respectively, which means that Blackstock would have been a reserve or bench piece at best in 2025. Now, he at least has the chance to see the field on the defensive side of the ball.
The Razorbacks open the season on Aug. 30 against Alabama A&M at Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. CT and the game will air on the SEC Network.
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