Former Arkansas players made a noticeable imprint in Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season, and nobody came up bigger than Jake Bates.
The Detroit Lions kicker delivered the kind of finish coaches dream about, drilling a 22-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Green Bay Packers, 20-17, on Sunday. Bates was perfect on the day, hitting both of his field-goal attempts - including a 40-yarder - and both extra points. He’s now 7-for-7 on go-ahead or game-tying field goals in the final two minutes or overtime in his career, and he remains spotless on the year at 10-of-10 on field goals and 22-of-22 on PATs.
Dre Greenlaw also turned in another strong outing, even though the San Francisco 49ers came away on the wrong side of the score against Atlanta. The Fayetteville native piled up 12 tackles in a 29-20 loss to the Falcons, giving him his 16th career double-digit tackle game. For the season, Greenlaw has 49 tackles and a forced fumble.
A number of other former Razorbacks were in the mix across the league as well. Hunter Henry had a productive day for New England, catching seven passes for 71 yards in a 30-24 loss to the Bears. In Detroit, Isaac TeSlaa added one catch for 10 yards in the Lions’ win over Green Bay.
Mike Washington Jr. handled six carries for 27 yards in Las Vegas’ 35-21 loss to the Rams, while Doneiko Slaughter recorded one tackle in Pittsburgh’s 16-10 win over New Orleans. Kamren Curl posted four tackles in the Rams’ 35-21 victory over the Raiders, and Feleipe Franks saw 24 snaps in Carolina’s 43-13 loss to Tampa Bay.
There were a few quiet days, too. Andrew Armstrong finished with one reception for three yards in Kansas City’s 22-3 loss to Seattle, and Julian Neal did not play in Seattle’s 20-3 win over the Chiefs. John Ridgeway III was also inactive in New Orleans’ 16-10 loss to Pittsburgh, and Taylen Green did not play in Cleveland’s 27-24 win over Tennessee.
Elsewhere, Beaux Limmer saw three snaps in the Rams’ win over Las Vegas, while Hjalte Frohodlt played 81 snaps in Arizona’s 30-16 loss to Denver. Fernando Carmona did not play for Tennessee because of injury in the Titans’ 27-24 loss to Cleveland.
Montaric Brown had the week off with Jacksonville on bye, as did Cam Little. Brown enters the next slate with 10 tackles and two passes broken up in four games, while Little is 10-for-12 on field goals with a long of 60 and 16-for-17 on extra points through six games. Treylon Burks also had a bye week with Washington, and Landon Jackson was off with Buffalo.
The next round of games brings another all-#ProHogs matchup into focus, with Cleveland’s Taylen Green set to face Pittsburgh’s Doneiko Slaughter on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Noon.
In Other News...
Arkansas Gets A Big Chance With Rising QB Target This Weekend
A familiar recruiting visitor is back in Fayetteville this weekend, and this one carries real long-term intrigue for Arkansas. KJ Henry, the 4-star quarterback from Norman North in Oklahoma, is expected to watch the Razorbacks take on Missouri after already making an unofficial visit to an Arkansas game earlier in the process. He sits 16th among quarterbacks in the 2028 class on 247Sports, and Arkansas is one of several programs that have already extended scholarship offers.
For the Razorbacks, the chance to host Henry again comes at a useful moment, especially with his profile continuing to rise. The offseason brought noticeable gains in weight, physicality and running ability, traits that have helped push him further onto the radar as one of the more interesting young quarterbacks in the country. A return trip like this gives Arkansas another chance to make itself part of the conversation before the race gets even more crowded. [Read more 🡒]
Penny Hardaway Just Framed Arkansas As A Much Bigger Threat
Arkansas left Memphis with a 93-81 win and a reminder that the Razorbacks may be viewed differently inside the sport than they are in the rankings. Five Arkansas players finished in double figures, a balanced showing that fit the kind of depth and energy John Calipari has been trying to build early in the season. Even in a road atmosphere, the Razorbacks looked like a group capable of making noise beyond a standard nonconference result.
Penny Hardaway added to that buzz afterward by calling Arkansas a top-five team despite its No. 12 ranking, pointing to the Razorbacks youth as part of the reason they have not climbed higher yet. Calipari, meanwhile, returned the compliment by speaking highly of Memphis and saying the Tigers should contend for their league title. For Arkansas, it is the sort of win that travels well, and the kind of postgame praise that suggests the conversation around this team may be changing fast. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Is Waiting On A Recruiting Test Calipari May Not Win
The recruiting race for DeMarcus Henry is already shaping up to be the kind of heavyweight battle Arkansas expected when John Calipari arrived in Fayetteville. The highly ranked 2027 guard has drawn attention from the usual powers, with Arkansas and North Carolina both in the mix, and the Tar Heels have put real pressure on the pursuit by making Henry a major priority early.
North Carolinas pitch has reportedly gone beyond the standard welcome tour, which gives Arkansas a sense of how steep the climb may be here. The Razorbacks are still pushing ahead on multiple fronts, too, with Beckham Black trending toward an early signing and CJ Rossers recruitment still unresolved, so even if Henry becomes a tougher pull, the broader class picture is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]