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Arkansas announces addition of Maine transfer DB Shakur Smalls
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Arkansas saw its secondary depth grow on Saturday with the addition of defensive back Shakur Smalls.
The 6-foot, 205-pounder is transferring to Fayetteville from faraway Maine, meaning he’ll be taking his talents from the FCS level straight up to the SEC. The addition of the Philadelphia product touches on one of the goals of Arkansas’s offseason, with head coach Sam Pittman saying it was a priority to add help in the Hogs’ secondary.
Smalls is the second defensive back to sign with Arkansas during the spring portal window.
Smalls said that Arkansas wanted him to play safety or the Hog position. Smalls finished his official visit on Saturday and signed with the Razorbacks before leaving campus.
Last season at Maine, Smalls appeared in 11 games, ranking 5th on the team with 43 tackles. During the 2023 season, Smalls had 15 tackles over 4 games, with 1 forced fumble and 1 interception.
In 2021, Smalls was named Darius Minor Defensive Rookie of the Year, playing in 11 games and ranking 5th on the Black Bears with 53 tackles, including 1.5 tackles-for-loss.
Arkansas has also signed Kent State linebacker Trent Whalen and Stanford defensive back Julian Neal this weekend before adding another name to its defensive back room with the addition of Smalls.
Smalls is set to arrive at Arkansas in late May as he prepares for a new challenge in the SEC this fall.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
