FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Ryan Silverfield is already juggling the present and the future, and that’s the reality for every college coach trying to keep a roster together in the transfer portal and NIL era.
Arkansas’ first-year coach said he’s open to those next-step conversations, even while trying to keep the focus on the final stretch of the season.
“To an extent. I try to have, without sounding corny, an open-door policy,” Silverfield said.
“A lot of players have come back and said, ‘Hey, I want to be a part of this thing. We’ve got great belief in what we’re doing.’
I always tell them, ‘Hey, let’s just focus on this game.’ But there have been players who have said, ‘Certainly want to be a part of this.
I couldn’t find myself playing anywhere else’”
Silverfield also made clear that the money side of roster management is part of the job now.
“Those are good, comfortable conversations,” Silverfield said. “If they proceed into having conversations about what that looks like financially, so be it. But there are plenty of guys on this current roster we want to keep, guys who are going to be part of our future and help us not just in these next three games, or however long we get to play this season, but for the years to come.”
With that in mind, here are eight Razorbacks who look like priorities to keep around for 2027 and beyond.
Cam Settles has already become the kind of back Arkansas can build around. The sophomore from Little Rock has taken over as the every-down option and has logged 71 carries for 314 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching 16 passes for 74 yards.
Silverfield likes what Settles brings, but he also wants more speed around him.
“We know Cam Settles is a really good running back,” Silverfield said. “I’ve been bragging on him since I got here.
But part of that is you’ve got to have speed. Speed ultimately kills.
Teams that can hand the ball off, those are touchdowns. That’s part of it.
We’re going to continue to get bigger, faster and stronger around here. The overall team speed has to increase.
“That’s our job, to make sure we’re bringing in the right type of guys and that the guys on our roster are getting faster. You hope in season you can get a little bit faster, but I don’t think there’s much you can do now, with a few weeks remaining, to all of a sudden get guys faster.
But yes, that’s something you’ve got to look for. This conference is about size and speed, and we need a little bit more of it.”
On defense, House has become one of the most important pieces in Ron Roberts’ system. The junior, a two-time transfer, has drawn strong internal praise because of the intangibles he brings to that hybrid linebacker/safety role.
He’s third on the team with 55 tackles and leads Arkansas with six tackles for loss, two sacks and three pass deflections.
AJ Jordan has also quickly become a name to circle in the receiver room. His role expanded after Chris Marshall was injured against Vanderbilt, and he has responded with 16 catches for 228 yards and a touchdown.
The Warren native is starting to match the buzz that followed him to campus as a freshman in fall camp last season. If that production keeps climbing, Arkansas will have a strong case to make sure he stays in place and becomes a bigger part of the offense.
Johnson is another defensive piece worth keeping if he doesn’t head to the NFL after his senior year, especially since he still has one season of eligibility left. The former Tulane standout has given Arkansas 42 tackles, two tackles for loss and an interception return for a touchdown this season.
Sandel-Bascomb has been one of the more pleasant surprises on the roster after arriving from Coffeyville Community College. He has brought disruption inside with 13 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
Even with just 122 total snaps, he grades as Arkansas’ top defender at 87.2 according to PFF, nearly 10 points ahead of the next-best player, defensive back Shelton Lewis. He’s been effective against the run, in the pass rush, as a tackler and in coverage.
Lockett, the longest-standing commitment in Arkansas’ 2026 class, has already shown enough to merit a long look going forward. He has nine total tackles and is expected to become a key special teams contributor.
Beale, Arkansas’ highest-rated signee in the 2026 class, has also started to see more time in the second half of the season. He has five tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass deflection, and Silverfield said Monday that the freshman has earned those opportunities.
“We talked about Danny Beale getting some more snaps,” Silverfield said on Monday. “A true freshman D-lineman playing in this conference is hard, but he had proven he was capable of doing so in the weeks of practice.”
Then there’s Jones, who has been a productive force up front after transferring in from USC. The former four-star defensive lineman has 17 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, and he can line up in multiple spots along Roberts’ front.
PFF credits him with six total quarterback pressures, four quarterback hurries, two sacks, eight stops and only one missed tackle this season, production that makes him another player Arkansas should be willing to pay to keep as a centerpiece on defense.
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