Razorbacks trying unique double vision approach on offensive line coaching

Arkansas turns to Marcus Johnson and Jeff Myers as dual offensive line coaches, hoping two teachers finally fix long-standing blocking headaches

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield visiting with fans at basketball game against Fresno State at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Ark. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE — At some point, after years of watching the Arkansas offensive line struggle, someone in Fayetteville probably joked, “Maybe we need two coaches to fix this thing.”

Apparently, Ryan Silverfield didn’t think it was a joke.

According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the new Arkansas coach plans to hire Marcus Johnson from Ohio State and Jeff Myers from Memphis to handle the Razorbacks’ offensive linemen.

Yes, both of them. One for each hand, perhaps.

Or maybe Silverfield is just embracing the idea that if one voice couldn’t fix the blocking issues of recent years, two might stand a better chance.

You can’t really blame him. Hogs fans have watched offensive line problems drag down seasons, coordinators, quarterbacks, and any hope of consistency.

Some seasons the Razorbacks couldn’t protect. Some seasons they couldn’t run. Some seasons they couldn’t do either. Creativity was overdue.

Johnson is a veteran coach with SEC experience at Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Missouri. Myers is a younger coach with a background at Memphis and Iowa State.

And both have worked with Silverfield before, which might be the biggest selling point. When your offensive line has been a revolving-door storyline for years, familiarity suddenly becomes an attractive feature.

Arkansas doesn’t need a flashy fix. It needs a functioning front.

Silverfield seems to believe that pairing two coaches—like a buddy system for blocking—might finally get the Hogs out of the SEC’s bottom tier up front.

Memphis Tigers coach Ryan Silverfield points to a flag on the field after a foul was called on USF during the game between USF and Memphis at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Familiar faces for familiar problem

Johnson, 44, currently works at Ohio State as an assistant offensive line coach. Before that came a tour of Duke, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Purdue.

He also played for the Minnesota Vikings when Silverfield coached there. If continuity matters, the Razorbacks just hit on the relationship jackpot.

Myers, 33, is already a known product to Silverfield from their time at Memphis.

When hired there, Silverfield praised him, saying, “He will do a wonderful job relating to our players and maximizing their potential.”

That’s the kind of quote coaches usually break out for weddings and award ceremonies, but the message fits Fayetteville: Arkansas needs someone who can relate, preferably while teaching how to push defensive linemen backwards.

The pairing of Johnson and Myers gives the Hogs two voices, two sets of teaching styles, and two people to blame if things go south again. That’s progress, at least from an accountability standpoint.

Razorbacks fans haven’t had this much offensive line redundancy since ... well, ever.

Before Arkansas fans get too carried away, these hires are still unofficial.

But Zenitz also reported a full lineup of expected staff moves, including offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey, receivers coach Larry Smith, defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, special teams coordinator Chad Lunsford, and running backs coach David Johnson.

Silverfield is building quickly, as if trying to beat the SEC to the punch.

Building quickly is nice. Building your offensive line correctly is crucial. It may be the most critical part to what the Hogs have desperately needed for a long time.

And that’s where these dual hires become either brilliant or a trivia answer someday.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman and offensive line coach Eric Mateos observe an April spring practice. CREDIT: Andy Hodges/allHOGS Media

Two coaches, one high-stakes assignment

College football teams rarely employ two offensive line coaches. It’s not standard practice. It’s not even moderately common.

You’re more likely to see two strength coaches yelling the same instruction at the same time than you are to see two O-line coaches sharing responsibility.

But if Arkansas has taught us anything over the past decade, it’s that the usual methods haven’t exactly led to dominance up front.

So here comes a new idea to divide the job to multiply the progress.

Maybe Johnson focuses on technique. Maybe Myers handles the run game. Maybe one takes the veterans and one takes the newcomers.

However Silverfield slices the pie, the Hogs are signaling they want more hands-on work with a group that has struggled to keep pace with SEC defenses.

Arkansas doesn’t need more slogans. It needs fewer breakdowns. And perhaps two coaches can finally deliver what one hasn’t been able to consistently produce.

Of course, the Razorbacks’ offensive line problems are far older than any single staffer.

The position has cycled through philosophies so frequently that linemen might soon qualify for frequent flyer miles. Rebuilding from that requires time, patience, and more than one whiteboard. Two whiteboards might help.

If this setup works, Silverfield will look like a forward-thinking coach who solved a decades-long issue.

If it doesn’t, well, the jokes will write themselves.

Reset that might actually stick

Still, this approach says something meaningful. Silverfield probably understands the size of the problem.

Don't forget he beat the Razorbacks back in September to really got the snowball of a season speeding down the hill.

He isn’t shrugging at the Razorbacks’ blocking issues. He isn’t pretending a minor tweak will fix structural problems. He isn’t repeating the same plan and hoping for a different result.

Johnson brings SEC experience and technical knowledge. Myers brings familiarity with Silverfield’s system and an understanding of how he wants the run game built.

Together, they represent the most intentional shift Arkansas has made at the position in years.

Maybe this is the reset the Hogs have needed. It's not just a change of personnel, but a change of structure.

Maybe two coaches are exactly what it takes to rebuild an identity that has crumbled too easily against SEC fronts.

And if this unusual setup actually works? Expect Arkansas fans to swear they supported the idea from the start.

Key takeaways

• Arkansas is expected to hire two offensive line coaches, Marcus Johnson and Jeff Myers, in a rare dual-coach setup.
• The Razorbacks hope this unusual structure finally brings stability to a position that has struggled for years.
• Both hires have long-term ties to Ryan Silverfield, giving the Hogs a unified plan for offensive line development.