Arkansas is heading into its third straight season meeting with Texas, and the setup is familiar: the Longhorns have won the first two in the SEC era and are in position to make it three in a row.
Texas enters as a preseason SEC title contender for 2026, while Arkansas is expected to live near the bottom of the league. That gap on paper is obvious. But Texas has also shown a habit of stumbling against teams it should handle, which is why this matchup still deserves a closer look.
The biggest reason Arkansas has any path at all starts with Ryan Silverfield. The new head coach arrives in Fayetteville after six seasons at Memphis, where his offense was the calling card.
The Tigers finished among the top 25 in scoring in each of the last four seasons, and they topped 30 points per game every year under Silverfield. That run produced 29 wins over the last three seasons and a top-25 finish in 2024.
Silverfield also brought Memphis offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey with him, along with several players. That continuity matters, especially because Silverfield has never been an offensive coordinator himself. Even if the transfers don’t all end up in starting roles, they already know the system and should help keep the offense on the same track.
The quarterback job is still unsettled. It is not yet clear whether KJ Jackson or Memphis transfer AJ Hill will be under center, and Arkansas’ decision not to send a quarterback to SEC Media Days this season pointed to a battle that is still ongoing.
Still, there is enough skill talent to make the offense interesting. Wide receivers Chris Marshall, who came from Boise State, and Jamari Hawkins, a Memphis transfer, are both in the mix. So is running back Sutton Smith, another Memphis addition, who is expected to pair with junior Braylen Russell.
The line has some promise too. Arkansas added Malachi Breland from Memphis and Bryant Williams from Louisiana, and veteran center Caden Kitler anchors the group. If the Razorbacks are going to keep up with Texas, this offense likely has to turn the game into a shootout.
That is because slowing down the Longhorns looks like the harder task. Texas brings too much firepower, with quarterback Arch Manning, running backs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers, and receivers Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo all part of the picture. Arkansas’ best chance appears to be outscoring them, not trying to win a defensive grind.
The numbers from last season back that up. Arkansas averaged 32.9 points per game and still won only two games, largely because the defense gave up 33.8 points per game, which ranked 129th out of 136 FBS teams.
There are some pieces to work with on that side of the ball. Edge rusher Quincy Rhodes Jr. broke out last season with 15.5 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks, and David Oke, Charlie Collins and Bradley Shaw are expected to matter along the front seven as returning contributors.
The biggest defensive additions came in the secondary. Jahiem Johnson, who transferred from Tulane, and Carter Stoutmire, who came from Colorado, are expected to find roles in Ron Roberts’ defense.
Even with those additions, Arkansas is walking into a brutal assignment. After seeing defenses like Ohio State, Oklahoma and LSU, Texas will not view the Razorbacks as its toughest test. The Longhorns should be able to take care of business and carry momentum into a crucial Week 13 meeting with Texas A&M that could have SEC title game implications.
In Other News...
Dre Greenlaw Just Delivered A Feel Good Razorback Moment In Fayetteville
Dre Greenlaws return to the San Francisco 49ers already gave Arkansas fans a reason to smile, and the former Razorbacks linebacker has now added a little Fayetteville flavor to the feel-good stretch. Greenlaw, who has carved out a steady NFL career since being drafted in the fifth round in 2019, is back on a one-year deal after a season with the Denver Broncos, a reminder that one of Arkansas most recognizable defensive alums is still very much on the rise.
The local connection goes beyond football, too. Greenlaw recently bought a Fayetteville mansion that had belonged to former Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, a move that keeps an eye-catching piece of Razorback-adjacent real estate in familiar hands. For a fan base that likes to track its former players as closely as its current ones, it is the kind of off-field detail that makes Greenlaws name resonate a little louder back home. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Suddenly Has More Riding On Jaden Platt Than Ever
Jaden Platt has spent the offseason reshaping his body, and the change has not gone unnoticed inside Arkansas program. The redshirt sophomore tight end is coming off a spring and summer in which coaches saw a leaner, more athletic version of a player they already believed had the tools to matter, and that matters even more now with Tim Cramsey taking over the offense.
Morgan Turner and the rest of the staff have been encouraged by Platts work ethic and movement, both signs that he could be ready for a bigger piece of the offense this fall. Arkansas has seen flashes from him before, but the expectation now is that he will be used much more heavily, putting real pressure on a player whose next step could say plenty about how quickly this new offense settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Calipari May Have Just Solved Arkansas Biggest Roster Problem
Arkansas added another important piece to its future frontcourt with the commitment of Caleb Ourigou, a four-star center whose recruiting stock has climbed quickly after strong showings on the summer circuit. The 6-foot-10 big man is ranked No. 55 in the 2027 class and has already drawn more than 25 Division 1 offers, which gives the Razorbacks a highly coveted interior prospect to build around as John Calipari continues shaping the roster.
The fit is obvious for a team that has been looking for a more traditional presence inside, and Ourigous pledge gives Arkansas a real chance to address that need. What makes the commitment even more intriguing is the possibility that he could arrive sooner than expected, which would turn a long-term win on the recruiting trail into a much faster fix for a roster still searching for stability in the paint. [Read more 🡒]