After a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw the Razorbacks finish last in the SEC with a 2-10 record, having ended the season on a 8 game loss streak, the team elected to fire coach Sam Pittman. There was hope interim head coach Bobby Petrino could bring some much needed stability to the organisation, but after a continuation of the loss streak, changes had to be made.
Pittman was succeeded by former university of Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield. "We're going to put together one of the best signing classes in Arkansas history, and we're going to be able to do that in a 3-day period. I think the fans are going to be blown away", the new head coach stated, and results followed.
Arkansas landed strong commits almost immediately with four star RB Tj Hodges and three star linebacker Jakore Smith committing shortly after the coaching hire. A number of Arkansas players previously committed to the Razorbacks recruiting class reaffirmed their commitment to the program.
A month later, Silverfield has been hit with a reality check. A large number of Razorbacks players put their name in the NCAA transfer portal and announced intentions to take their talents elsewhere.
The Hogs gave up 30 or more points in nine out of their last ten games of the 2025 season. Unfortunately, that's where the transfer portal hit Arkansas the hardest.
The biggest losses come in the trenches. Kaleb James (DL) and Ian Geffrard both those to put their names up in the transfer portal. Both players having selected Arkansas over numerous other offers from top schools, they are now choosing to opt out of the program.
Another high impact player looking to take his talents elsewhere is DB Keshawn Davila. Davila is a former Juco All-American and was a consistent starter for all 12 games in 2025. While Davila carries two more years of eligibility, his reliability rather than numbers is what will be sorely missed.
Former No.36 recruit LB Tavion Wallace followed in their footsteps. Wallace is arguably the highest impact loss for the future out of the four as he is still a sought after recruit and retains four years of college football eligibility.
It's still early days and much is yet to see from recruiting efforts. While the Hogs can hardly do worse than last year defensively, a worrisome trend has started and it's up to new management to ensure it doesn't define the program going forward.