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Razorbacks Add Forrest City Running Back to 2026 Recruiting Class

Arkansas native chooses opportunity from Silverfield after dominant senior season
Jacob Davis|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield “Calls the Hogs” during the second half against the James Madison Dukes at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won 103-74.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield “Calls the Hogs” during the second half against the James Madison Dukes at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won 103-74. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas picked up another addition for its 2026 recruiting class when Forrest City running back Kevin Young announced his decision to stay home for a preferred walk-on opportunity with the Razorbacks Tuesday evening, according to a post on his X account.

Young, 5-foot-11, 205 pounds is the No. 1,108 ranked prospect in the country, No. 69 among running backs and No. 15 player in Arkansas for the 2026 cycle, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. The publication was quite a bit higher on Young than others, ranking him as the No. 56 player at his position in its stand alone rankings.

The 3-star running back chose Arkansas over the likes of Kansas State, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Arkansas State, and several other offers. As a senior, Young recorded 2,263 yards of total offense and 36 touchdowns in 2025 for a Mustangs team that finished 5-6 overall.

Young's addition now gives the Razorbacks eight bodies in the running back room to go along with returnees Braylen Russell, Cam Settles, Markeylin Batton, Maddox Lassiter, true freshman TJ Hodges, Memphis transfer Sutton Smith, and Michigan transfer Jasper Parker.

Arkansas produced a Top 25 rushing attack last season despite its 2-10 record, averaging 193 yards per game and scoring 25 touchdowns.

New coach Ryan Silverfield's first recruiting recruiting class finished with a No. 40 ranking nationally, according to 247Sports. The Razorbacks started behind the 8-ball following a tumultuous season that saw former coach Sam Pittman fired, and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino not retained.

Once things began to go sideways last season, Arkansas' Top 25 recruiting class lost several commitments and dropped into the mid-80s upon Silverfield's arrival. He stabilized in-state recruiting immediately with the addition of four highly rated in-state products on his second day on the job in an effort to turn around a once proud Razorbacks program in the SEC.

Silverfield is leading that same type of recruiting surge into the 2027 with 10 scholarship offers to athletes inside the Natural State.

“Let’s talk about just in generalities of Arkansas recruiting," Silverfield said last month. "We signed 19 high school kids. Ten of them are from the state of Arkansas. Let me say that again, 10-of-19 are from the state of Arkansas. That proves a point that how important this state is to us and what we’re trying to get accomplished here."

He understands the value in having in-state athletes represent their home state and wants to generate excitement and pride in being a Razorback again.

"I spoke at the High School Coaches Association, the Arkansas High School Coaches Association, a couple weeks ago, and I shared that stat with them, and a lot of them were like ,’Oh, we had no idea,'" Silverfield said. "Yeah, because they all want their kids recruited. I said, ‘I don’t know on paper if the recruiting sites would even say there was 10 Division I kids in the state,’ but that’s how important it is to us.

"We even tried to get some kids, you know, in the portal that are from here, and they never even made the visit here. So I encourage them. I said, let’s keep the kids in-state here.”

Arkansas 2026 Signing Class

Hank Hendrix, QB, Fayetteville
TJ Hodges, RB, Bryant
Blair Irvin, WR, Bentonville
Jude Hall, WR, Greenville, South Carolina
Dequane Prevo, WR, Bentonville
Ben Mubegna, OL, Buford, Georgia
Hugh Smith, OL, Missouri City, Texas
Tucker Young, OL, Hot Springs
Corey Clayton, OL, South Lake, Texas
Colton Yarbrough, DE, Durant, Oklahoma
Danny Beale, DL, Wynne
Anthony Kennedy, DL, Little Rock
Jakore Smith, LB, Bryant
Jalon Copeland, DB, Valdosta, Georgia
Tay Lockett, DB, Conway
Kyndrick Williams, DB, Fayetteville
Brandon Ford, DB, Crowley, Texas

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Jacob Davis
JACOB DAVIS

Jacob Davis is a reporter for Arkansas Razorbacks on SI, with a decade of experience covering high school and transfer portal recruiting. He has previously worked at Rivals, Saturday Down South, SB Nation and hosted podcasts with Bleav Podcast Network where his show was a finalist for podcast of the year. Native of El Dorado, he currently resides in Central Arkansas with his wife and daughter.

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