Razorbacks prepare for massive roster rebuild through transfer portal

Arkansas faces a roster rebuild so large it may need name tags, patience and a sturdy map of SEC transfer routes

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson and defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr announce that they will remain at Arkansas during the introductory press conference for new coach Ryan Silverfield at Frank Broyles Center in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Arkansas fans hoped the holidays would bring cheer, calm and maybe a bowl of something warm before the new era of roster churn arrived.

Instead, the Hogs have been gifted the quiet before what looks like a two-week storm front rolling straight through Fayetteville.

Right now, only three players have announced they will enter the transfer portal. It is the sort of calm that makes you wonder whether more announcements are waiting until after the Christmas ham is carved or until new position coaches shake hands in person.

No one is quite sure how the new Jan. 2–16 transfer window will work in practice.

It feels like trying to predict the weather on a spring day in the Ozarks — “expect the unexpected and bring an umbrella.” As of now, 79 players from last year’s squad have not said they’re leaving, which sounds reassuring until you realize the math still demands an avalanche of movement.

Thirty-two players have either signed with the Razorbacks under Ryan Silverfield or said they plan to stay. That leaves a roster chart with plenty of blank spaces and more questions than gifts under the tree.

With 105 scholarships available, Arkansas still needs 73 players to return or join. Even if all 49 remaining scholarship players and a handful of walk-on specialists come back, the Hogs would still have room for 26 transfer additions. No matter what, the portal is about to become Arkansas’ second home.

Fans worried about end-of-year drama may want to circle Jan. 16 on their calendars. That is the last day to enroll at Arkansas, meaning the staff has two weeks after New Year’s to build the most aggressive roster sprint the school has ever attempted.

But go ahead and enjoy Christmas — it may be the final moment of stillness before coaches start living out of travel backpacks.

Meanwhile, the SEC map is about to become the busiest highway system in America.

Transfers will take visits like carnival workers moving between booths, hopping from Norman to Fayetteville to Oxford to Starkville before finishing up in Tuscaloosa.

One could practically sell souvenirs along the two-hour stretch from Oxford to Starkville, a scenic path many portal travelers may come to know very well in January.

Auburn, Florida, LSU and Kentucky are already dealing with their own portal stories during coaching transitions. Others, like Vanderbilt and Missouri, have seen steady exits.

Mississippi State, never one to be subtle, has had 17 players announce their departures. The SEC’s non-CFP schools are filling the portal like it’s a drive-thru window five minutes before closing.

Razorbacks departures so far bring more questions than trouble

So far, Arkansas has lost only three players: redshirt sophomore tackle Shaq McRoy, sophomore linebacker Tavion Wallace and senior cornerback Keshawn Davila.

McRoy once came in as a four-star transfer from Oregon. Wallace was the top recruit in the Hogs’ 2025 class. Davila was the No. 1 JUCO cornerback in the country.

It sounds like a tough list until you realize none were consistent starters last season.

McRoy played six games and started once before an injury knocked him out after the first drive against Mississippi State. Davila played in all 12 games but didn’t reach every-down status.

Wallace made appearances in nine games. Their exits matter, but they do not shape the core of next season’s team. What they do shape is how busy Arkansas is about to become in the portal market.

The Razorbacks already have 32 players either signed or publicly committed to returning. Defensive lineman David Oke hinted at a return as well, though the staff is waiting on a more definitive statement — or at least a social-media message that includes the required “#AllIN” stamp of approval.

Even with these names, the roster remains a half-completed puzzle.

The staying list reads like a census log.

Two quarterbacks, KJ Jackson and Trever Jackson, are planning to be back. Two running backs — Braylen Russell and Terry Hodges — are in.

Seven wide receivers have offered their thumbs-up emojis. Tight ends Maddox Lassiter and redshirt freshman Gavin Garretson are returning. Six offensive linemen are locked in, including Caden Kitler and Kobe Branham.

On defense, seven linemen or edge players remain in place, including Quincy Rhodes Jr. and Trent Sellers. Jakore Smith highlights the linebackers staying.

Four defensive backs — Jalon Copeland, Brandon Ford, Tay Lockett and Kyndrick Williams — are committed to the 2026 Razorbacks roster. Specialists Connor Smith and Eli Haltom are also on board.

Hogs prepare for historic January scramble

When you need 73 roster spots filled and the math suggests dozens of transfer portal additions, there's no pretending this is a routine offseason.

Arkansas will have to work the portal harder than a bargain shopper at a yard sale, scanning every table and hoping the right pieces appear before Jan. 16 slams the door shut.

Fans may talk about semifinal games on Jan. 8 and 9. Coaches? They’ll be refreshing their phones. The Hogs’ staff knows the next month defines the early Silverfield era, and it will require efficiency, patience and maybe a little luck.

If nothing else, it will be entertaining — in the same way watching someone juggle flaming torches is entertaining, assuming no eyebrows are lost.

By the time mid-January arrives, Arkansas may know half its roster by name tags alone. But ready or not, the rebuild is coming.

Key takeaways

• Arkansas expects a massive roster overhaul with dozens of transfer portal additions needed.
• Only three players have announced departures so far, none being major starters.
• Thirty-two players have already committed to staying or signing under Ryan Silverfield.