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5 Burning Questions Razorbacks Must Answer Between Day 1 of Camp and Week 1

What are the most pressing issues Arkansas must have answer for during fall camp?
Morgan Acuff|
Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Chris Marshall (6) tries to get around the pads to get open during spring practice at the Arkansas Razorbacks practice facilities.
Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Chris Marshall (6) tries to get around the pads to get open during spring practice at the Arkansas Razorbacks practice facilities. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks opened camp today with a cloud of questions hovering over the facility. We are diving into the unknown with a new coaching staff and mostly new roster. It's the relative unknown at least.

This training camp is the most important for Arkansas in a long time. There are so many things that need to be worked out on a roster with this degree of turnover on top of a new coaching staff.

As Head Coach Ryan Silverfield looks to put his stamp on the program, he looks to Offensive Coordinator Tim Cramsey, who has run Silverfield's offense since 2022, and Ron Roberts, widely considered a defensive guru who worked under Dave Aranda at Baylor. These two are huge factors in how well this season and Silverfield's tenure fares.

Who is the QB?

Redshirt sophomore KJ Jackson will aim to use the intellect that earned him an SEC Academic Honor Roll selection will earn him the starting job at Arkansas. He's got competition from a guy with experience in the system, AJ Hill.

Jackson stands 6-feet-4-inches tall and weighs 225 pounds. His athletic prowess is hard to deny. But an overlooked aspect of his game is the exceptional ball placement he displayed when he took snaps last year.

Everyone notices the jaw-dropping runs, a la Texas last year, and the deep shots. But they rarely mention how well Jackson leads his receivers by putting the ball where only his receiver can catch the ball in stride. This type of accurate intermediate throw is key in Cramsey's scheme.

Option routes reading the secondary open up a lot of in-breaking routes over the middle for savvy receivers. The Hogs quarterback this year will need to lead receivers to soft spots in the defense while giving them room to run the ball without slowing to wait for it.

On the other hand, AJ Hill showed at Memphis that if he can calm down and play within himself, he can make and even extend plays. Don't be surprised if this kid balls out in camp.

Who is the No. 1 Receiver?

Chris Marshall will be a senior this season, and his performance in the Cramsey scheme could be one for the ages. The 6-foot-3-inch, 213-pound wideout boasts prodigious physical gifts.

Can he take advantage of all the schemed-up space and touches in this offense to finally show everyone why he was a five-star recruit out of high school?

Or will CJ Brown come in as the savvy junior who gets open with technical prowess and hard work to secure the number one receiver role?

Of course, redshirt sophomore Courtney Crutchfield has a similar athletic profile to Marshall and has been generating buzz this offseason.

Whoever takes over at number one receiver will have a young quarterback throwing the ball.

How will linebacker shake out?

Ron Roberts brings a hybrid 3-4 defense in the Dave Aranda mold with him from Florida. This defense comes with some special roles, namely the STAR role and JACK roles.

Quincy Rhodes Jr. is a game-changer in many ways. The senior defensive lineman wants to show the football world that he's one of the very best at his position. But the rest of the defense is a question mark.

That's why who emerges in these hybrid roles are so important. Roberts builds his offense on simulated pressure, getting pressure up the middle and leaving your corners one-on-one outside to free up defenders in the middle of the field.

So, who is going to cover tight ends in the STAR role? Khmori House comes to Arkansas by way of UNC, where he led the Tarheels in tackles a year ago. He has experience in the STAR position throughout his career.

OK, we know Bradley Shaw is going to take over at MIKE position due to his high football IQ and instinctual playmaking.

Then we have WILL linebacker, where Ja'Quavion Smith, junior transfer, and Ben Bogle, fifth-year senior will fight for snaps. Since Roberts want to push runs to the perimeter and attack the quarterback from disguised looks, we know he needs an athletic and smart weak side linebacker to make plays on the ball.

Who will play No. 2 cornerback?

It's safe to assume Jahiem "Joker" Johnson will be Hogs' number one corner when the season rolls around. The redshirt junior has earned that based on his play for Jon Sumrall last year at Tulane.

But who will hold down the other corner slot? If your number one corner is good but your number two isn't, everyone will just target your number two corner.

La'Khi Roland, junior, is a big, physical corner evisioned by the defensive staff as a real option for the No. 2 cornerback spot. He's 6-feet-2-inches tall and 195 pounds with a profile that allows him to close throwing windows in a league that is constantly manufacturing space.

He led Maryland in interceptions last year. If he can ball-hawk for the Hogs, the defense might look transformed under Roberts this year. Let's see if anyone else can challenge him for the spot.

Will Rhodes have to do it all, again?

Following a breakout junior season, in which he was a rare bright spot, Rhodes is expected to be a major contributor yet again. He's already a top-50 prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft, but that sort of thing doesn't really concern him right now.

He's focused on winning. Not just winning, but winning here in Arkansas. That's huge in the era of NIL and the transfer portal. But have the defensive line additions given him enough support?

Early returns say that Hunter Osborne is transformative for this defensive line group. His versatility at defensive tackle frees up the rest of the line to capitalize on better matchups.

The senior flashed that disruptiveness at Virginia last year. Can he extend that into a prominent role in the rotation?

Redshirt senior David Oke will try to find his way back into the rotation at defensive tackle and will likely carve out a role. But how large of one he'll have remains to be seen.

Ohio State transfer Trajen Odom left that crowded defensive line room for a chance at an impact role here in Arkansas. He has the size to play tackle in this scheme and his profile suggests he has the athleticism to boot.

When the season opens against North Alabama on Sept. 5, the Hogs will need to have answers to these questions. The season depends on it.

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Morgan Acuff
MORGAN ACUFF

Morgan Acuff covers Arkansas athletics for Hogs on SI with a focus on football, basketball and in-depth features. A longtime Arkansas journalist, Acuff has covered sports throughout the state, bringing years of reporting experience and storytelling to Razorback coverage. He delivers insightful analysis through an analytical lens.

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