NFL
By: Randall Slifer
College Football is knocking on our door, and the Arkansas Razorbacks begin the Silverfield era on September 5th. The expectations for Ryan Silverfield are all over the place in the State of Arkansas. Some folks expect immediate results, while others want to see a more balanced culture.
Ryan Silverfield has built a solid culture and assembled a decent-looking team through the transfer portal. So, what are the true expectations this year for the Arkansas Razorbacks? The schedule is tough, so let’s break it down and do our best to predict a final record:
Games that are must-wins
North Alabama & Tulsa
Now, these are not easy wins. Tulsa has an up-and-coming quarterback in Baylor Hayes. Hayes turned himself into a 3-star transfer starting as a 0-star prospect. The Arkansas Razorbacks play Tulsa in Week 4, so they will have some games under their belt to prepare for a win against Tulsa.
The most scrutiny Ryan Silverfield could receive from Arkansas fans would be for losing Week 1 to North Alabama. This is nothing against North Alabama. Ryan Silverfield needs to show Arkansas that he prepared his team for his first year in Arkansas. A 0-1 start will rattle the state and put a cloud over Silverfield in a schedule that will be tough to win a lot of games.
Winnable games
Vanderbilt, Auburn, and South Carolina
This is not to say that the Arkansas Razorbacks will go 5-0. They could squeeze some wins out of these three teams. Ryan Silverfield’s game plan throughout this season will be to keep the game close and let the other team make the mistake. It worked last year against Arkansas when he was at Memphis. These games can go down to the 4th quarter, and it’ll be up to Ryan Silverfield and the Arkansas Razorbacks to play smart late-game football.
Vanderbilt offense was predicated on Diego Pavia’s skill set, and they may replace him with a freshman. They also have four transfers on the offensive line. The combination of a freshman quarterback and a new offensive line could be damaging against the Arkansas Razorbacks’ defensive line.
Auburn is also going through a brand-new regime, hiring Alex Golesh after a dumpster-fire year last year. The only returning offensive starter is their running back Jeremiah Cobb. Everyone else is brand new, and they are rebuilding their culture. They lost some good defensive pieces to the draft, and Ryan Silverfield could be in control of this game if he plays it right.
South Carolina had one of the worst offensive lines in the Power Five schools. South Carolina added four new offensive linemen as starters coming into 2026. That is not to say that it will work, but there is enough evidence that it could be another rough start. The offense is predicated on LaNorris Sellers and Nyck Harbor taking the next step. If LaNorris Sellers looks like an NFL top-5 pick, then this game could be rough. LaNorris Sellers did not look like an NFL top-5 pick last year.
Could Arkansas pull it off?
Tennessee, Missouri, and Utah
The Arkansas Razorbacks always play Tennessee and Missouri close. Arkansas’s last big upset was over Tennessee in Fayetteville. Tennessee lost Joey Aguilar to the draft, and it looks like freshman Brandon Faizon has the lead for the starting quarterback position. Tennessee’s offense is dynamic with running back DeSean Bishop and Wide Receivers Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews. Can Ryan Silverfield and the Arkansas Razorbacks get their new quarterback to make enough mistakes to play into the 4th quarter? I believe it’s a possibility.
Utah enters the preseason as the 21st-ranked team in the country. They have a lot of returners back on the team, which is good, but they did lose one of their best pass rushers, John Henry Daley. This game will be another game of quarterback quicksand. Devon Dampier has a good first year in Utah after transferring from New Mexico. He has 5 interceptions and 7 fumbles. Can Silverfield get Dampier to make enough mistakes to keep it close?
Missouri is a close rivalry, and the Arkansas Razorbacks always want a piece of Missouri. Missouri’s quarterback, Austin Simmons, is coming from Ole Miss, and Trinidad Chambliss took his job after Simmons’ injury. Ahmad Hardy is a top-3 running back in the country, and he may be back to play against Arkansas. This would be a game where Silverfield would need to game plan for a high-scoring game. This may not be the strategy for the season, but sometimes you need to adjust week by week.
Could we see a statement win?
Georgia, Texas A&M, Texas, and LSU
It is a little rough that Ryan Silverfield was dealt this schedule in his first year in Arkansas. These games are certainly a hope and a dream for a team built through the portal. It’s difficult for 48 transfers to compete with top-10 talented teams. As mentioned before, Silverfield’s game plan will be to slow the game down and keep it close. Upsets happen all the time, and two or three turnovers in the first half can turn any game on its head.
LSU is entering the season with a new coach, but their roster is very talented, picking up players like Jordan Ross and Princewill Umanmielen. Not to mention, they may have the best offensive tackle in the country. I believe Arch Manning will go first in the draft, and Texas is a front-runner to win the National Championship.
That leaves Georgia and Texas A&M. Georgia lost a lot of good players to the draft, but their defense is always stout, and quarterback Gunner Stockton knows the system well. Texas A&M may be the wild card. Marcel Reed threw 12 interceptions, with 4 games featuring multiple interceptions. He threw at a 61% completion percentage and a whopping 4.7% turnover-worthy plays. He also accounted for 5 fumbles. If Ryan Silverfield wants to win a marquee upset, getting Marcel Reed into quicksand is the biggest ticket.
So, what do the Arkansas Razorbacks and Ryan Silverfield end up with in his first year in Fayetteville? Luckily, the season hasn’t started, and I am allowed to be optimistic today. Here are the wins and losses:
Wins
Tulsa, North Alabama, Vanderbilt, Auburn, Tennessee, and TAMU
Losses
South Carolina, Utah, Missouri, LSU, Texas, Georgia
Record: 6-6
Ryan Silverfield and the Arkansas Razorbacks finish the year at .500, and it looks promising for the future. There is an easy world where they go 4-8, and I still think that’s okay depending on how the games and tape looked. A 2-win team would leave the State of Arkansas in a worrisome position, and Silverfield would already put himself on a hill he needs to climb. In my opinion, the future is bright, and I am excited for what is to come for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
