Recapping busy Saturday for Razorbacks' portal candidates

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It was far from a quiet Saturday around town for the Razorbacks football program with several players in town for visits.

New coach Ryan Silverfield’s list of visitors was headlined by Memphis transfer quarterback AJ Hill, who served as a backup during his true freshman season.

The former 4-star prospect signed with the Tigers over several high major offers from schools such as Florida, Colorado, Arkansas, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, North Carolina, Miami, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Notre Dame and many others.

In modern day recruiting evaluations, Hill is the third-best player to ever sign with Memphis dating back to the 2001 cycle.

The 6-foot-4, 215 pound passer has a rocket for an arm as he threw for 10,600 yards and 115 touchdowns in 49 career starts in the high school ranks.

Hill is the No. 264 ranked transfer available and No. 23 among quarterbacks in the portal, according to 247Sports.

Other notable transfers not included on Saturday morning’s list of visitors includes Kentucky defensive lineman Austin Ramsey, Nebraska defensive back Malcolm Hartzog, and Tulane defensive back Jahiem Johnson.

Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. (7) returns an interception during the third quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Ramsey is an intriguing transfer with SEC experience at 6-foot-4, 303 pounds as potential anchor for the Razorbacks defensive line.

He was converted to nose guard under former Kentucky coach Mark Stoops and played in 11 games this season. Ramsey posted five tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack in just over 100 snaps.

While at Nebraska, Hartzog became a dependable option in the defensive backfield over the past two seasons. However, he missed most of 2025 due to an injury that limited him to all but two games this fall.

He’ll have one year remaining at his next school and has recorded 108 career tackles, 13 pass break-ups, eight interceptions, and 4.5 tackles for loss across four seasons.

Hartzog is the No. 365 ranked available transfer and No. 33 among safeties, according to 247Sports.

Johnson, a former Green Wave standout, is considered one of the best available transfers in the portal at No. 103 overall and No. 7 among cornerbacks.

Tulane Green Wave defensive back Jahiem Johnson (20) and Tulane Green Wave safety Jack Tchienchou (1) react to a play against Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Yulman Stadium. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

He emerged as one of the most dependable pass defenders in the country at Tulane as he finished with 42 tackles, nine pass break-ups, four interceptions and a forced fumble in 2025.

It's no surprise Arkansas is targeting so many different defensive players in the portal after the unit collectively struggled at all three levels. The Razorbacks finished No. 122 nationally in total defense and No. 127 among FBS teams in points allowed during the 2025 season.

One name to keep an eye on for a potential visit is Texas-Rio Grande wide receiver Tony Diaz. The Razorbacks extended an offer after showing solid productivity in the Vaqueros first season of competition at the FCS level.

The 5-foot-11, 176 pound wideout caught 67 passes for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman this season. He was named to the FCS freshman All-American team by Phil Steele and a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award.

Diaz has offers from several power conference schools including Virginia Tech, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Houston, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Illinois and Baylor since entering the transfer portal Jan. 1. He tells Razorbacks on SI that he plans to take a visit to Arkansas following his recent offer.

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