An already dire situation at linebacker got that much worse when DeMarquis Gates, the starting stinger and the team-leader in tackles, was benched against Memphis for an undisclosed violation of team rules. Former walk-on Tayler Polk was a liability in his place, and there aren’t many other options on a perilously thin depth chart. Judging from Hugh Freeze’s comments after practice on Tuesday, it sounds like Gates could be in the lineup against Arkansas next week.
The more concerning long-term problem is in the middle, where grad transfer Rommel Mageo has been a bust through the first five games.