- Arkansas begins a major rebuild: New head coach Ryan Silverfield brought in an SEC-high 42 transfers after the Razorbacks finished 2-10 in 2025.
- The run game offers reason for optimism: Braylen Russell averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry in his career, while Memphis transfer Sutton Smith rushed for 675 yards last season.
- The secondary needs significant improvement: Arkansas ranked 126th nationally in PFF coverage grade and lost seven of the eight defensive backs who played at least 150 snaps in 2025.
The 2025 season was a tumultuous one for Arkansas. The Razorbacks finished 2-10, tying the worst record in program history, and went winless in SEC play. Head coach Sam Pittman was fired midway through his sixth season.
The offense was actually a bright spot, ranking among the top 25 nationally in EPA per play, but the defense finished eighth-worst in the country in the same metric. Arkansas hired Ryan Silverfield away from Memphis after he went 29-9 over his final three seasons with the Tigers, including a win over the Razorbacks last year. Silverfield has completely overhauled the roster, bringing in an SEC-high 42 transfers.
Notable Transfer Portal Additions
- WR Chris Marshall (Boise State)
- WR Jamari Hawkins (Memphis)
- RB Sutton Smith (Memphis)
- OG Malachi Breland (Memphis)
- CB Joker Johnson (Tulane)
Notable Transfer Portal Losses
- DT Ian Geffrard (Texas)
- ED Justus Boone (Wisconsin)
- OT E’Marion Harris (Oklahoma)
- CB Jaheim Singletary (Iowa State)
- PK Scott Starzyk (LSU)
Biggest strength: A bruising run game
Despite losing quarterback Taylen Green and running back Mike Washington Jr., there is still reason for optimism surrounding Arkansas’ rushing attack. Braylen Russell will take over as the lead back after averaging more than 5.0 yards per carry in his career, while Memphis transfer Sutton Smith joins the backfield after leading the Tigers with 675 rushing yards last season. Quarterback KJ Jackson also flashed as a scrambler in 2025.
It also helps that Memphis ranked inside the top 15 nationally in EPA per run in each of the past two seasons under Silverfield.
Biggest question mark: Can a plethora of transfers fix a porous secondary?
After allowing nearly 34 points per game last season, Arkansas has overhauled a porous secondary that lost seven of the eight players who logged at least 150 snaps in 2025. Improvement should be attainable after the Razorbacks ranked 126th nationally in PFF coverage grade.
Key transfers such as cornerbacks Joker Johnson (Tulane) and La’khi Roland (Maryland) and safeties Carter Stoutmire (Colorado) and Christian Harrison (Cincinnati) will need to develop chemistry quickly for Arkansas to stay competitive.
Quarterback: KJ Jackson
The Razorbacks have an ongoing quarterback competition between incumbent KJ Jackson and AJ Hill, who served as a backup for Ryan Silverfield at Memphis last season. Jackson has just one career start but is a physically imposing player with legitimate dual-threat ability. Hill made only one appearance last season, coming in Memphis’ upset loss to UAB.
Whichever quarterback can deliver consistent accuracy is likely to win the starting job.
Offensive Player Spotlight: RB Braylen Russell
Russell takes over as Arkansas’ lead back following the departure of Mike Washington Jr. At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, he is a powerful runner who averaged 3.24 yards after contact last season.
Russell earned an 81.6 PFF rushing grade on 55 carries and is at his best between the tackles, where his size and physicality allow him to punish defenders.
Defensive Player Spotlight: ED Quincy Rhodes Jr.
Rhodes is a physically imposing player with a similar build and role to 2026 first-round pick Keldric Faulk. He led Arkansas with 35 pressures and seven sacks last season.
Rhodes still has some technical flaws, particularly against the run, but if he can show improvement against the SEC’s better offensive lines, he should garner plenty of attention as the Razorbacks’ best player in the trenches and a potential top-50 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Bottom Line
Rebuilding the program will likely take Silverfield at least a few years. As a result, Arkansas is more likely than not to miss a bowl game for the second straight season.
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