Arkansas will open fall camp on Aug. 5, and first-year coach Ryan Silverfield already has a few big decisions waiting for him as the Razorbacks get ready for their Sept. 5 opener against North Alabama.
The biggest one sits under center. Even with plenty of talk that the quarterback battle could drag all the way through camp, redshirt sophomore KJ Jackson looks like the guy who should emerge as the starter when Arkansas takes the field in Week 1.
Jackson didn’t get a full season’s worth of snaps in 2025, but he flashed enough to turn heads. He stepped in for Taylen Green at Texas and later got his first career start against Missouri to finish the regular season.
In that stretch, he completed 33 of 54 passes for 441 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Arkansas may still use both Jackson and Memphis transfer AJ Hill in the offense this season, but Jackson, the redshirt sophomore from Mobile, has the clearest case to open as the No. 1 quarterback.
There’s also plenty of intrigue on the defensive side, where a couple of true freshmen have already pushed their way into the conversation. Danny Beale and Tay Lockett both made enough noise in spring camp to suggest they could climb the depth chart quickly once fall work begins.
Beale arrives as a 4-star recruit from Cross County and brings the kind of size that can change the look of a defensive line. At 6-foot-5 and 247 pounds, he’s already one of the biggest players on the roster. He’ll have veterans from the transfer portal ahead of him, but his spring performance points to a real chance to earn a rotation role this fall if he keeps progressing through camp.
Lockett, meanwhile, is another freshman expected to move up. He showed enough in spring practice to suggest he can help in the secondary, and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts came away impressed by how naturally he handled the mental side of the position.
"Tay has a high football IQ, he's intelligent," Roberts said. "In high school, people often call two defenses.
There's two defenses which is not going to happen in college football. You'd get your eyes shot out.
So his ability to understand and take on the coaching part he's done a really good job with that. I think it's really allowed him to get in."
At receiver, Boise State transfer Chris Marshall may look like the leading option to top the depth chart, but Courtney Crutchfield is another name worth watching. The redshirt sophomore had a quiet 2025, finishing his redshirt freshman season with one catch for 26 yards, yet he’s made clear progress in a crowded receiver room and could end up becoming Jackson’s top target.
If those pieces fall into place, Arkansas will head into camp with a clearer picture of its core pieces as Silverfield works to build the foundation and culture he wants for the program.
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