Arkansas defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr. had just sat down for his Southeastern Conference media days session this summer when he was asked about personal goals for his senior season.After talking about the number of sacks and tackles for loss he’d like to get, Rhodes closed his response with a simple request.“I just want to win,” he said.He hasn’t done nearly enough of that thus far in his career, through no fault of his own.Rhodes collected eight sacks and 15 ½ tackles for loss to earn second-team Associated Press all-SEC honors last season, but his team went 2-10 and failed to win a single conference game. The preseason SEC media poll forecasts Arkansas to finish last in the conference again this season.That makes Rhodes one of the most notable examples of a quality player suiting up for a team that is expected to struggle this season.
Of course, Rhodes might take issue with that label. He has reason to believe Arkansas can make major strides this season under new coach Ryan Silverfield. Arkansas won’t make that kind of leap unless it dramatically upgrades a defense that allowed 425.2 yards per game and 6.27 yards per play last season, last in the SEC in both categories.“The biggest differences between last year and this year is we have no choice, you know what I mean?” Rhodes told reporters. “It’s get with the program or get going. That’s what has stood out to me the most.”
