FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas used the bye week to heal up and get ready for Missouri on Halloween night, but the bigger conversation around the Razorbacks still points backward.
With the team sitting at 3-4 overall and 1-3 in SEC play, the offseason keeps hanging over this season. A few choices made before the first kickoff have become impossible to ignore, especially as Ryan Silverfield settles into his first year running the program.
One of the clearest question marks is the offensive staff. Silverfield said when he got the job that he would hire the best assistants available, but his choice to bring Tim Cramsey with him from Memphis has not produced the kind of payoff Arkansas needed. Through seven games, the Razorbacks rank No. 114 nationally in scoring offense at 21 points per game and No. 106 in total offense at 343 yards per game.
The ground game has been especially thin. Arkansas is averaging just 111.6 rushing yards a game, which places it No. 122 nationally. The explosive plays have also been scarce, with only 28 gains of 20 yards or more, good for No. 97 in the country.
There are examples of coaches thriving when they lean on familiar hires, but there are also plenty of cases where that comfort approach falls flat. If Arkansas’ offense keeps looking this ordinary, Silverfield would be wise to at least consider a change at coordinator after the season.
A few names already stand out as potential options, including Landon Keopple of Texas State, Mitch Dahlen of Oregon State, Kendal Briles of South Carolina, Hue Jackson of Georgia State, and Kevin McGiven of Utah.
Quarterback decisions also loom large. Arkansas went after East Carolina transfer Katin Houser in the portal, but he ended up at Illinois and gave Bret Bielema’s team steady production before getting hurt in the sixth game of the season. Houser finished with 122 completions on 184 attempts for 1,440 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Other quarterbacks in that same portal tier included Beau Pribula at Virginia, Kenny Minchey at Kentucky, Colton Joseph at Wisconsin, Lincoln Kienholz at Louisville and Anthony Colandrea at Nebraska. Each has had his moments in 2026, which only sharpens the contrast for Arkansas.
KJ Jackson, though, has shown some progress. Since Week 3 against Georgia, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback has completed 93 of 146 passes for 1,038 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.
He has also added 79 rushing yards and three more scores on the ground. Still, his 64.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks him as the SEC’s No. 13 passer.
That’s the problem Arkansas keeps running into: if the goal is to compete for bowl games or a College Football Playoff spot, the quarterback room needs a portal addition who grades out in the high 70s or low 80s.
The defense has its own unfinished business. Arkansas has struggled badly to finish off pressure chances, sitting on a 63.1 pass rush grade with just 16 hurries, 10 sacks and seven quarterback hits this season. Quincy Rhodes was hurt at the start of the year, leaving Steven Soles as the only proven edge threat with a history of causing problems in opposing backfields.
Roberts liked the defensive linemen he inherited and the ones added through the portal, but the production has not been consistent enough. Arkansas is expected to keep most of its underclassmen while trying to bring in three transfers to improve depth and playmaking.
That effort will not come cheap. The pass-rusher market is steep, and according to The NIL Standard, Arkansas may need to pay a premium to land one or two difference-makers. With Rhodes likely headed toward NFL opportunities after the season, Silverfield will need the resources to build a defense that can hold up next year.
In Other News...
Arkansas Still Has One Offensive Problem It Can't Shake
Arkansas has found a little rhythm coming out of halftime, scoring touchdowns on the opening drive of the second half in consecutive games. The opening possession of games, though, has been a different story entirely, and that has remained one of the more frustrating blind spots for an offense trying to build momentum early instead of chasing it.
Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey has pointed to the basics as the fix, stressing the need to cut down on penalties, negative plays and sacks that can derail a drive before it gets started. There was also a notable development up front against Vanderbilt, where backup center Kash Courtney filled in for injured captain Caden Kitler and earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors, even as Kitler stayed listed as the starter on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Gets A Real Opening Against Missouri In A Brutal SEC Test
Missouri comes into its matchup with Arkansas trying to clean up the kind of red-zone problems that can turn a tough SEC stretch into a real grind. Eli Drinkwitz singled out that inefficiency as one of the biggest issues for his team lately, while Ryan Silverfield spent part of the buildup talking through Arkansas injuries and also giving Missouris defense its due.
On the personnel front, the Tigers at least got a useful sign from Ahmad Hardy, who has returned to full practice after dealing with an injury. There still isnt a timetable for when he might be back in a game, which leaves one more layer of uncertainty for Missouri as it tries to steady itself before facing an Arkansas team looking for any opening it can find. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Gets One More Frontcourt Test As Memphis Waits On Key Big Man
Arkansas gets one more chance to sharpen its frontcourt before the games start counting, and the exhibition against Memphis should offer a useful look at how the Razorbacks handle size, length and physical play in the paint. For a team still sorting out its early identity, these tune-up games matter because they expose problems that can be hidden in practice, especially on the glass and around the rim.
Memphis brings its own uncertainty into the matchup, with forward Nemanja Popovic at the center of an NCAA eligibility dispute that could affect his availability when the regular season arrives. He just turned in a strong showing in an exhibition, which only adds to the intrigue for Arkansas as it tries to evaluate its interior defense against a frontcourt that may look different from one week to the next. [Read more 🡒]