Xadavien Sims is giving Arkansas exactly what a revamped defensive line needs: size, experience and the kind of flexibility that lets a staff move pieces around without losing much up front.
The junior transfer arrived after two seasons at Oregon and has already carved out a noticeable role in camp under defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. At 6-3 and 308 pounds, Sims is working both inside and outside, and he described the split on Thursday as “about a 40-60 split, playing end and getting reps at tackle too.”
He added, “When I'm a field end, I'm a 4i. It's really the same as tackle when I'm a 4i, but when I'm at an end at the five, it's just more space.
That versatility matters in Arkansas’ front, which uses three down linemen along with a hybrid edge/linebacker called the Jack. Sims has mostly lined up with the second-team defense behind Quincy Rhodes Jr., the senior edge who is coming off an All-SEC season, but that doesn’t make the job any smaller. In a defense that rotates heavily along the line, a second-unit lineman can be just as important as a starter.
Sims said the adjustment hasn’t been a major leap because of the way Arkansas uses him. “Most of the technique is kind of similar to playing 3-techs. I've played it before, and I have a little experience there, so it's not too big of a jump, but it's not too much different for me.”
His path to Fayetteville started during the January portal cycle, when Arkansas was one of the first schools to get in touch. Sims said the connection went back to his recruiting days, and he quickly developed a feel for the staff.
“During the transfer portal for me, we were kind of deep in playoffs,” Sims said. “So it was mid-portal, I think we had like a week left.
Arkansas was one of the first schools that reached out to me. They were in my recruiting.
I talked to [Arkansas head coach Ryan Silverfield ] pretty early and [ Ron Roberts ] and they were a school that stuck out to me.
“They were on me hard. Once I came here, I really liked what Coach Silverfield was telling me about the standards we were going to have and how he was going to build this place up. I just really took that and believed in him and he believed in me, so that's what ultimately landed me here.
“It was something different. I liked the coaches who were out there while I was there.
I was just drawn to some of the stuff, the campus and the vibe there. I just wanted to play a bigger role.
My role wasn't as big as I wanted it to be at Oregon, so I wanted to take more of a leadership role and get more time on the field and that sort of thing.”
Arkansas defensive line coach Kynjee' Cotton said Sims has made a strong early impression and gives the staff room to use him in different spots.
“I'm going to be counting on him a lot,” Arkansas defensive linemen coach Kynjee' Cotton said. “The guy had a really good spring, towards the end of spring. Now for us, we're able to use him in multiple ways.
“The guy is very talented. He can be as good as he wants to be. For us it's now honing in on where we need him, when we need him and for him to develop and continue to keep growing as a player.”
Sims was a three-star transfer when he committed in January, ranked the 111th highest-rated defensive tackle and the 995th best player available. But his profile was higher coming out of Durant (Okla.) in 2024, when he was a four-star prospect, the No. 112 overall recruit in the nation and the No. 20 defensive linemen.
He’s also at the stage of his career where players at his position often start to make a bigger impact, and Arkansas is clearly betting that his combination of body type, background and versatility can translate quickly.
Sims and the Razorbacks finished Day 18 of practice on Thursday and are back for Day 19 on Friday, with seven practices left before the regular season kickoff vs.
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