FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas is stuck waiting on the kind of eligibility answer that keeps college football coaches checking for updates instead of game plans.
Head coach Ryan Silverfield said Sunday that he’s learning about rule changes the same way plenty of fans are: after the fact.
"Y'all find out before I do," Silverfield told reporters Sunday. "I get an email or someone comes and tells me, 'Hey, this rule changed.'"
The latest twist centers on two Razorbacks additions, returnee safety Caleb Wooden and Dartmouth transfer DB Sean Williams. After a Colorado court ruling opened the door for athletes from the Class of 2022 to receive a fifth year of eligibility, Arkansas brought both players in. Then Friday brought another ruling, and now Wooden and Williams are among the players left in limbo.
For the moment, players who did not get a ruling from a state court lost that fifth year of eligibility. That includes Wooden and Williams, who as of Monday could not play for Arkansas this season.
Silverfield described the situation as one that demands constant checking and double-checking.
"It's quite unique," Silverfield said. "I think we're doing our due diligence, our homework, obviously talking with our compliance department.
Where do the rules stand now? Where are we sitting with this gentleman?
Is he able to practice? Is he not?
Is he cleared, is the an injunction? Has the [temporary restraining order] gone through?
All those different things.
"You're hopeful that if there's any young men you bring [as] a part of your roster, they have the ability to go out and compete on Saturdays. We also have to be smart and say, we don't want to take away reps from this guy because this whole thing could blow up tomorrow, right?
"It's been a lot of back and forth. We're keeping them in the loop.
We're having those conversations. The best thing we can do is, if they're allowed [to play] and compliance allows: can they start learning the playbook?
If their number's called, they'll just step up."
Arkansas would love to have both players available, even if the value starts with depth. Wooden and Williams both bring experience to the secondary, and both could end up seeing plenty of snaps if they’re cleared to go.
That uncertainty leaves the Razorbacks in a vulnerable spot heading toward Sept. 5. Arkansas isn’t the only program dealing with the current mess in college athletics, but if neither Wooden nor Williams is able to suit up, the depth chart takes a real hit.
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Hank Hendrix has been part of that same unexpected push, too. The quarterback reclassified to join Arkansas early, and he has handled himself well enough in camp to earn third-string reps behind the more experienced arms. For a roster still sorting out its pieces, that kind of movement is worth watching closely, because the first month of the season has a habit of finding the players who made the strongest impression in August. [Read more 🡒]