Personnel
Total roster overhaul
Roughly 80 new players (40+ transfers) arrived this offseason — continuity/chemistry is a real unknown for the first several games, a classic new-staff unders angle early.
SEC FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 2 OF 16
ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
2026 Season Snapshot • Fayetteville, Arkansas
2-10 (0-8 SEC)
SEC
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for Arkansas.
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HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Ryan Silverfield — 1st season at Arkansas
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
50–25 (6 seasons, Memphis)
Took over at Memphis in Dec. 2019 and went 50-25 with a pair of 10-win seasons (2023-24) and bowl eligibility all six years, extending the nation's longest active bowl streak among non-Power 4 programs. Arkansas is his first Power 4 head-coaching job.
ARKANSAS ATS RECORD
New hire — no Arkansas ATS history yet
Replaces Sam Pittman (fired 9/28/25 at 2-3) and interim Bobby Petrino, who went 0-7 the rest of the way. Arkansas finished 2025 at 2-10 (0-8 SEC), one of the program's worst seasons in decades.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$6.5M
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
OneArkansas NIL
Coach salary per 5-page term sheet obtained via FOIA (SI/Whole Hog Sports, Dec. 2025): 5-yr, $33.5M contract, $6.5M in 2026 rising to $6.9M by 2030. Arkansas has not disclosed a team NIL figure.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- Total roster overhaul: Roughly 80 new players (40+ transfers) arrived this offseason — continuity/chemistry is a real unknown for the first several games, a classic new-staff unders angle early.
- Defense was historically bad in 2025: 33.8 points and 425+ yards allowed per game, worst of any SEC team by a wide margin. New DC Ron Roberts (Florida, Auburn, Baylor) switching to a 3-4 — track how fast (or slow) that shows up on the scoreboard. Silverfield's Memphis teams were live unders/overs plays depending on matchup — six straight 30+ ppg offenses; early SEC step-up in competition level is the swing factor to watch.
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Tim Cramsey — 1st season • Up-tempo spread
Followed Silverfield from Memphis, where his offenses averaged 36 ppg and ranked top 25 nationally in 2025. Brings several skill-position pieces with him from the Memphis roster.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Ron Roberts — 1st season • Base 3-4
Previously DC at Florida, Auburn, Baylor (2022 Sugar Bowl winner) and Louisiana. Inherits a defense almost entirely rebuilt through the portal after a historically poor 2025 • co-DC Deron Wilson returns to run the secondary.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
2–10 (0–8 SEC)
One of the program's worst seasons in the modern era; fired Pittman after a 5-game start and finished 0-7 under interim Bobby Petrino, with four of those losses by one score.
HOME FIELD
Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
Artificial turf (PowerBlade HP), Fayetteville (capacity ~76,000). Arkansas also plays an annual home game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock — also natural grass — a mild travel/atmosphere variable for that one game each year.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | KJ Jackson | RS-Soph | ★★★★★ | Early nod as the projected starter over Memphis transfer AJ Hill and D-II transfer Braeden Fuller; first true open QB competition for the program since 2019. |
| RB1 | Sutton Smith | Sr | ★★★★★ | Memphis transfer who followed Silverfield and Cramsey; projects as the every-down back in the new system. Braylen Russell (227 lbs) is the short- yardage complement. |
| WR1 | CJ Brown | Jr | ★★★★★ | Leading returning receiver (28 rec, 319 yds, 3 TD in 2025); one of the few offensive holdovers from the old staff. |
| WR2 | Chris Marshall | Sr | ★★★★★ | 5-STAR Boise State transfer; former five-star and the nation's No. 1 JUCO recruit, now on his 5th stop — big, experienced outside receiver brought in to open up the new vertical passing game. |
QB1KJ JacksonRS-Soph★★★★★
Early nod as the projected starter over Memphis transfer AJ Hill and D-II transfer Braeden Fuller; first true open QB competition for the program since 2019.
RB1Sutton SmithSr★★★★★
Memphis transfer who followed Silverfield and Cramsey; projects as the every-down back in the new system. Braylen Russell (227 lbs) is the short- yardage complement.
WR1CJ BrownJr★★★★★
Leading returning receiver (28 rec, 319 yds, 3 TD in 2025); one of the few offensive holdovers from the old staff.
WR2Chris MarshallSr★★★★★
5-STAR
Boise State transfer; former five-star and the nation's No. 1 JUCO recruit, now on his 5th stop — big, experienced outside receiver brought in to open up the new vertical passing game.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malachi Breland | LG | — | ★★★★★ | Memphis transfer (consensus three-star, 2023 class); started every game at left guard in 2025, allowing just 1 sack in 482 pass- blocking snaps — followed Silverfield and viewed as closest thing to a guaranteed starter on the rebuilt line. |
| Jeff Myers' & Marcus Johnson pupils | OL | — | ★★★★★ | New OL coaches (from Memphis and Ohio State) brought in specifically to rebuild the trenches; remaining four spots are open competitions entering fall camp. |
Malachi BrelandLG—★★★★★
Memphis transfer (consensus three-star, 2023 class); started every game at left guard in 2025, allowing just 1 sack in 482 pass- blocking snaps — followed Silverfield and viewed as closest thing to a guaranteed starter on the rebuilt line.
Jeff Myers' & Marcus Johnson pupilsOL—★★★★★
New OL coaches (from Memphis and Ohio State) brought in specifically to rebuild the trenches; remaining four spots are open competitions entering fall camp.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- Almost the entire line turned over. Two new position coaches (Jeff Myers, Marcus Johnson) are rebuilding the unit from scratch — treat Arkansas's O-line as a genuine unknown for the first several weeks of the season.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Quincy Rhodes Jr. | DE | Senior leader up front; legitimate All-SEC candidate and the unit's most experienced returning piece. |
| Hunter Osborne | DT | Taking top reps at tackle in the new 3-4 front. |
| David Oke | NT | Taking top reps at nose in the new 3-4 front. |
Quincy Rhodes Jr.DE
Senior leader up front; legitimate All-SEC candidate and the unit's most experienced returning piece.
Hunter OsborneDT
Taking top reps at tackle in the new 3-4 front.
David OkeNT
Taking top reps at nose in the new 3-4 front.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Bradley Shaw (junior) is expected to anchor the position as a full-time starter for the first time — 62 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3 sacks over his career. Baylor transfer Jeremy Evans and West Virginia transfer Ben Bogle add experience but both battled injuries throughout spring. A rebuilt, portal-heavy room overall under new DC Ron Roberts’ 3-4 look.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jahiem "Joker" Johnson | DB | ★★★★★ | Three-star signee (Hammond HS, La.). Tulane transfer and 247Sports' No. 9 transfer cornerback; helped Tulane to the American Conference title and CFP berth in 2025 (42 tackles, 4 INT). Opened Arkansas' spring atop the first-team cornerback spot. |
| Ian Williams | DB | ★★★★★ | Three-star signee (Cass HS, Cartersville, Ga.). Memphis transfer; featured in spring action as part of a defensive back group almost entirely restocked via the portal. |
Jahiem "Joker" JohnsonDB★★★★★
Three-star signee (Hammond HS, La.). Tulane transfer and 247Sports' No. 9 transfer cornerback; helped Tulane to the American Conference title and CFP berth in 2025 (42 tackles, 4 INT). Opened Arkansas' spring atop the first-team cornerback spot.
Ian WilliamsDB★★★★★
Three-star signee (Cass HS, Cartersville, Ga.). Memphis transfer; featured in spring action as part of a defensive back group almost entirely restocked via the portal.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Special Teams Coordinator: Chad Lunsford (former Georgia Southern head coach) arrives after coordinating a strong 2025 Auburn special-teams unit — a clear offseason upgrade at the position for a program that has been shaky in the kicking game in recent years.
- Overall: With the roster turned over so heavily, most specialist jobs (kicker, punter, returners) are open competitions heading into fall camp — worth checking Arkansas's practice-report battles closer to Week 1 before trusting anything on special teams.
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
4-8
33.3% cover rate — 71st of 82
2025 Straight up
2-10
Point differential -11
Scoring environment
66.8
Combined points per game — 2nd highest of 82
Home / road ATS
1-5 · 2-3
Totals 8-4 O/U (4-2 home, 3-2 road)
Points scored / allowed
32.9 per game scored (16th) · 33.8 allowed (80th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory -0.9 (55th) · Strength of schedule +3.2
- Home / road: Home 1-5 ATS, road 2-3 ATS (neutral-site games excluded).
- Home / road: Totals 8-4 O/U — 4-2 at home, 3-2 on the road.
- Trend: 2025 ATS 4-8 (33.3% cover rate) across 12 games.
- Trend: Averaged 32.9 points and allowed 33.8, a 66.8 combined per-game scoring environment.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
+0.8
47th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
+8.9
12th of 82
Defensive SRS
-5.9
70th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
-0.9 · 55th of 82
Against the spread
4-8 (33.3%) · 71st of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
66.8 · 2nd of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Notes
Saved Just J research for Arkansas.
Scheme
Defense was historically bad in 2025
33.8 points and 425+ yards allowed per game, worst of any SEC team by a wide margin. New DC Ron Roberts (Florida, Auburn, Baylor) switching to a 3-4 — track how fast (or slow) that shows up on the scoreboard.
Handicapping note
Silverfield's Memphis teams were live unders/overs plays depending on matchup — six straight 30+ ppg offenses; early SEC step-up in competition level is the swing factor to watch.
Offensive Line
Offensive line outlook
Almost the entire line turned over. Two new position coaches (Jeff Myers, Marcus Johnson) are rebuilding the unit from scratch — treat Arkansas's O-line as a genuine unknown for the first several weeks of the season.
Notes are maintained in the Admin area — no code changes required.