3 Things Silverfield Needs To Do To Earn Trust From Discouraged Hogs' Fanbase

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.— There's only been one head football coach at the University of Arkansas who wasn't received well during an abbreviated stay in town, and first-year coach Ryan Silverfield is trying to stay as far away possible from being added to that list.

The Razorbacks, as a program has fallen on hard times and its fanbase is tired and desperate for some semblance of success.

Since 2016, the Razorbacks have cycled through three different head coaches, with none able to find sustainable success, with only four winning seasons over the past 10 years.

The program’s lack of success over the past decade would potentially raise concerns for any other coach, but for Silverfield, his patience towards the build should at give him a grace period, a honeymoon stage going into his first season leading the team.

He's not willing to put much out there as far as what season expectations will be from a win total standpoint.

Instead, he wants fans, SEC opponents and media alike to see a different program built upon a culture dependent on individual effort, accountablility and making every second of a day matter.

However, Arkansas fans are somewhat skeptical of Silverfield's approach and question whether or not he can be the man to return the Razorbacks back national relevance.

There are a few things on his fan to-do-list that can go a long way to potentially win over a fanbase starved for a winner.

Arkansas defensive backs Jahiem "Joker" Johnson and Christian Harrison — Arkansas defensive backs Jahiem "Joker" Johnson (left) and Christian Harrison (right) celebrate together after making a play during training camp. | Razorback Football, X

Snag Some SEC Victories

One stat that won't shock most fans, but kind of raise eyebrows across the country on how far the program has fallen recently is Arkansas has owns just one singular season since 2015 with a winning record in the SEC.

That statistic alone should give people an idea of how bad the Razorbacks have been in conference play over the past decade and why it is imperative Silverfield quickly figure out the SEC if he wants truly plans on staying in Fayetteville for the long haul.

While it's not fair to say Silverfield needs to finish his first season with at least a 5-4 record during the league's first year with a nine-game schedule, finding a way to grab at least a couple of wins in conference play will go a long way to earning respect of a currently jaded fanbase.

Now, if Silverfield is somehow able to pick up three wins in conference play this year, he will become only the third coach since 1998 to do so in their first season. That alone exemplifies how deprived Arkansas is of conference success and why Silverfield’s top priority should be winning, now.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson on the field against the Texas A&M Aggies at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

Picking the Right QB1

As fall camp kicked off a little over a week ago, the endless talk of the Razorbacks' starting quarterback battle remains between KJ Jackson and AJ Hill. If he gets the pick right, praise will come, but should decide on the wrong guy, the support of Arkansas' fanbase will be hard to earn in Year One.

For now, Jackson appears to have the edge as the regular season draws closer.

The Mobile, Ala. native turned a few heads over the final two games of 2025 season, showing off glimpses of his efficiency. As a whole, Jackson's 493 yards of offense and five total touchdowns without a single turnover gives offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey what he's been asking for from a potential starter.

"That's what going to change, and that's what going to keep us in and win us football games," Cramsey said. "That is going to lose us football games, if we turn the ball over. That's all we talk about, that's all we practice. We do ball security every single day. Every single drill we do is a ball security circuit."

As of now, there is no indication who coaches are leaning toward at this juncture, but Jackson and Hill have both received reps with the ones to keep the battle unanswered.

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive coordinator Ron Roberts at a spring practice. | Munir El-Khatib-allHOGS Images

How's The Defense?

While Silverfield is inheriting a program with issues that need to be addressed across the board, arguably the biggest issue on the team’s roster is the defense.

Over the past several years, the Razorbacks ' defense has been considered one of the worst in the SEC, including last year when they gave up an average of 33.8 points per game, which made them statistically the worst defensive unit in the conference.

Although the defense has been a low point for the program over the past several years, Silverfield has been making the right moves that will hopefully put the unit back on track.

One of these moves is hiring veteran defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, whose track record of success with other SEC teams should provide Razorback fans with confidence that the trajectory of the team’s defense is moving in the right direction.

Since taking over the team’s defense, Roberts explained the kind of DNA he wants the unit to have going into the season.

"I want it to be hard for people to find a way to get a first down," Roberts said. "Hopefully, they're going to say that we're very fundamentally sound and we play extremely hard,”

While Silverfield has gotten the right people and players in place to help change the fabric of the defense that has been less than stellar over the past several seasons, it will be up to him to make sure that expectations change on the defensive side of the ball.

Overall, Silverfield has his work cut out for him going into his first season as head coach of an underperforming program. It will be up to him to find a way to change the tide and get Razorback fans behind him.

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