Razorbacks' staff proved it's too early to be down on Hogs' portal haul

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas fans want proof that this rebuild is real, and they want it immediately. After a 2–10 season, that’s understandable.

What’s less understood is just how limited the margin for error is for a first-year coach navigating a one-window transfer portal with a roster that was already thin to begin with.

New coach Ryan Silverfield probably knew he would have his hands full taking the job and hats off to him because he's been dealt an awful hand. The current state of college football is a broken one which means it's going to take an out of the box concept to have success year over year.

Razorbacks' athletics director Hunter Yurachek pledged to the world that Arkansas would have plenty of cash at its disposal to use advanced scouting in order to land impact transfers across all levels. He technically hasn't lied about that since the Silverfield's staff were the first visit for several portal entrants considered as immediate impact prospects.

It was important to at least one or two of the defensive linemen who visited over the previous few days including Michai Boireau (Ole Miss) and Jayson Jenkins (Mississippi State). There have been a few lineman such as Naquan Crowder (Minnesota), who were expected to visit but pulled the trigger on a commitment before arriving to campus.

With the one portal window in place, it's required teams to compress thousands of visits in such little time as transfers have to make a decision on their future quicker than ever before or face losing their spot.

Memphis running back Sutton Smith (5) looks up at the scoreboard after scoring a touchdown during the game between Memphis and Arkansas at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn., on September 20, 2025. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Of course, there's going to be something said on social media and message board platforms about the type of transfers a coach will bring in. It's natural for a coach such as Silvefield to bring a handful of Memphis standouts to Arkansas if he considers them capable of making an impact in the SEC.

Quarterback AJ Hill became one of the best players to ever sign with the Memphis Tigers as the No. 145 overall prospect, according to 247Sports player rankings. If there's any reason Hill could go head-to-head with returning passer KJ Jackson for the starting job, it's because he has a year under his belt in offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey's system.

Silverfield prefers a pro-style offense predicated on a strong armed quarterback capable of blowing the top off an opposing defense. He's bringing in versatile running back Sutton Smith, who tallied over 1,000 yards of total offense and eight touchdowns in 2025 after he missed most of 2024 due to a torn ACL.

The Hogs' first-year coach is comfortable thinking outside the box when building his roster.
His way of thinking probably goes back to his days as an assistant coach in the NFL where things can change year over year.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield with athletics director Hunter Yurache — Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield during his introductory press conference along with vice chancellor and director of athletics Hunter Yurachek at Frank Broyles Center. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

"You get so many coaches will say ’Well, he didn't fit my system’. No, you're a bad coach," Silverfield said at his introductory press conference last month. "You need to change and adapt to what players you have.

"Even as far as skill sets of a quarterback, what the receiver size is, speed on the field, what's your running back situation, your O-line situation, how much outside zone compared to inside zone. If you've got a bunch of 355 pound O-linemen, then how much duo are you running? So look, all that goes hand in hand."

There were some defensive linemen taken off the board in Carlon Jones and Hunter Osborne, who each possess impressive size for the interior. While it's important to add a few more tackles for depth purposes, Arkansas needs a few veteran defensive ends who can play with speed off the edge.

Trusting Silverfield

Some coaches are wired differently and are open to various ideas from their assistants.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti went viral this week for his limited practice and office hours concept that has kept his staff loyal to him for years.

Curt Cignetti has a fascinating philosophy...don't waste anyone's time, coaches not expected to work nights just get work done, limited practice to keep players healthy pic.twitter.com/584DNI1hG4
— gmannVOLS (@gmannVOLS) January 2, 2026

There's a reason staff members have remained loyal to Silverfield for many years.

Silverfield knows exactly what he is doing and deserves more time before being judged over a roster that's far from completion.

Trusting Silverfield

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