South Carolina’s trip to Fayetteville on Nov. 14 will come with a very different look on the other sideline. Arkansas is entering 2026 under new head coach Ryan Silverfield, who replaces Sam Pittman, and the Razorbacks are trying to piece together a roster that was heavily reshaped through the transfer portal.
That overhaul is obvious almost everywhere you look. Arkansas signed 42 transfers, including seven players from Silverfield’s previous stop at Memphis, and the Gamecocks will be facing a team that has a lot of new faces in all three phases.
The recent history between these teams also gives this matchup some context. Arkansas beat South Carolina 44-30 in the last meeting in 2022, and the Gamecocks have gone 1-4 in their last five trips to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, with the lone win coming in 2013.
On offense, the biggest question is at quarterback. Taylen Green is gone after being selected in the sixth round by the Cleveland Browns following a season in which he threw for just over 2,700 yards, 19 touchdowns and added 777 rushing yards with eight scores.
That leaves a battle between KJ Jackson and Memphis transfer AJ Hill heading into preseason camp. Jackson passed for 441 yards and three touchdowns last season in his second year in the program, while Hill threw for 223 yards as a true freshman.
Arkansas also has to replace its top running back. Mike Washington Jr. is off to the NFL after topping 1,000 rushing yards last season and going in the fourth round to the Las Vegas Raiders. Braylen Russell is back after rushing for 286 yards last season and 354 in 2024, and Memphis transfer Sutton Smith could also carve out a major role after putting up 669 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025.
At receiver, Arkansas lost its top target in former South Carolina wideout O'Mega Blake, who led the team with 769 yards and five touchdowns. CJ Brown is the leading returning receiver after finishing fourth on the team with 319 yards and three scores.
The transfer class brought in several potential playmakers, led by former Boise State receiver Chris Marshall, who had 30 catches for 574 yards and two touchdowns last season. Donovan Faupel and Jamari Hawkins are other names to watch.
Faupel posted 661 yards and seven touchdowns on 61 receptions at New Mexico State, while Hawkins caught 38 passes for 623 yards and two scores at Memphis.
Up front, the Razorbacks do bring back some stability. Center Caden Kitler started 11 games last season and returns, and Kobe Branham is also back after starting 11 games this past year. Arkansas also added four-star transfer offensive tackle Bryant Williams.
Defensively, the turnover is even heavier. The top six tacklers from last season are gone, leaving safety Miguel Mitchell as the leading returning tackler with 52 stops.
Still, Arkansas does have a potential difference-maker up front in Quincy Rhodes Jr. The 6-foot-6, 273-pound defensive lineman is coming off a season with 43 tackles and eight sacks in 2025 and is being mentioned as a potential first-round pick.
The defensive line rotation should also include several transfers, with Hunter Osborne, Xadavien Sims, Carlon Jones and Trajen Odom all expected to factor in.
At linebacker, Bradley Shaw is back after recording 50 tackles last season. Arkansas also added Ja'Quavion Smith from Howard and Phoenix Jackson from Baylor, both of whom are names to keep an eye on.
The secondary lost a lot of experience, too. Kani Walker, Julian Neal, Jordan Young and Caleb Wooden all departed, and Neal was a third-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks.
That means the Razorbacks will lean on transfers to help fill the void alongside Mitchell at safety. Jahiem Johnson, who transferred from Tulane after making 42 tackles and breaking up nine passes last season, is expected to contribute at cornerback.
Maryland transfer La'khi Roland is another corner to know, and Braydon Lee, a former South Carolina cornerback commitment, also came to Arkansas from Maryland. At safety, Christian Harrison arrives after a strong 2025 season at Cincinnati, where he totaled 66 tackles and an interception.
Special teams is another area where Arkansas has to start over. Devin Bale is gone after averaging 45.6 yards per punt in his final season while also handling kickoff duties, and redshirt freshman Gavin Rush looks like the leading candidate to take over punting.
The Razorbacks also lost kicker Scott Starzyk to LSU after he made 14 of 18 field goals as a freshman. Tennessee transfer Max Gilbert was brought in to fill that spot.
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