Razorbacks Fans Can't Stop Chasing Hogs Depth Chart That Doesn't Exist Yet

People of Arkansas told by Silverfield to ignore depth charts, but truth, as usual, lands somewhere in middle

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield during spring practices. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

Somewhere out there, an Arkansas fan is refreshing his inbox right now waiting on a depth chart that somebody on a radio show may or may not have promised to forward him.

He wants it bad. He's been hitting that refresh button since March. And he's probably not stopping until at least mid-September.

Those fans will get enough reminders from the media nerds that pay more attention to the weekly depth chart than the score of the game.

Ryan Silverfield has a message for that guy.

Don't bother.

The Razorbacks' coach made that plain enough back on April 1, before practice No. 4 of the spring.

Even if a fan got their hands on a depth chart, Silverfield told anyone who'd listen that it wouldn't mean what they think it means. The groups are staying together right now for reasons that have nothing to do with ranking players one through five.

It's about chemistry and process. It's about getting linemen used to each other's footwork and timing and communication before you start mixing and matching.

Silverfield said as much back on March 16.

"Sometimes we're going to say, 'OK, on the offensive line, how does this guy work with this center? And how does this guy work at this position?'" Silverfield said.

There it is. That's the whole explanation. And it's a good one.

Even if fans get their hands on one, the Hogs' staff made clear it has no value. Silverfield's already told you in so many words — slow your roll.

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive lineman during spring practice. | Munir El-Khatib-allHOGS Images

But here's the thing about Hog fans

They're going to look anyway. They can't help it.

It's April, there's no game film to break down and the portal has settled enough that folks have started turning their attention to what the roster actually looks like.

So they watch practice reports the way other people watch the weather radar — not because it tells them exactly what's coming, but because staring at it feels better than not.

And here's the other thing, after eight practices, some of what they're seeing is actually starting to hold up.

The offensive line hasn't shuffled once. Left tackle Kavion Broussard, left guard Malachi Breland, center Caden Kitler, right guard Kobe Branham and right tackle Bryant Williams have come out first every single day.

Now Silverfield would tell you that's about chemistry evaluation, not a declaration. Fair enough.

But at some point consistency becomes a pattern and a pattern becomes a pretty reasonable guess.

Chris Marshall has been making plays in practice. The Boise State transfer — five-star recruit, 30 catches and 574 yards with the Broncos last season — caught a 75-yard touchdown strike from AJ Hill during fourth-down work at practice No. 8.

That's not a quiet performance. And it hasn't been an isolated one.

Redshirt junior Ismael Cisse, back healthy after a wrist ligament injury wiped out his entire 2025 season, has been working with the first group at receiver.

Bradley Shaw and Ja'Quavion Smith have been the consistent starting linebackers. Khmori House has been the starting Star (that what they call the nickel position these days) for several days running.

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Sutton Smith during spring practice drills. | Munir El-Khatib-allHOGS Images

So who's right here?

Silverfield's right that nobody should chisel any of this into stone. It's spring. It's shells.

The second major scrimmage nobody will see is this Saturday and there are seven more practices after that before the Razorbacks wrap up the cycle.

There's plenty of time for somebody to emerge, somebody to fade and somebody nobody's talking about to step into the conversation entirely.

And the fans aren't wrong either. Not really.

Watching a new staff with an almost entirely new roster try to find its identity is genuinely interesting.

When the same offensive line comes out first for eight straight practices, that's data.

When a transfer receiver keeps making big plays at the right moments, that's data too.

You just can't bet the farm on it yet. And you definitely can't get it forwarded to your email.

The Hogs have time to sort things out. Silverfield's made that clear.

But you'd better believe the fan base is going to keep watching every open practice report like it's the final depth chart anyway.

That's just how this works in Fayetteville. Always has been.