Silverfield Impresses National Outlet With Razorbacks' 2026 Recruiting Class

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — New Arkansas shot coach Ryan Silverfield astir apt hasn't had overmuch clip to get shut-eye lately arsenic astir of his activity has gone into building his first roster up of outpouring practice.

The almanac has been rigorous to this constituent pinch his charismatic hiring coming Nov. 30, nan early signing play Dec. 3, and now he is moving nan transportation portal which began Jan. 2 but ends Friday, Jan. 16.

His first recruiting people won't rustle anyone distant based connected committedness ranking alone, but nan pieces added since his hiring tin beryllium a instauration for nan early if each of them enactment course.

ESPN gives Arkansas a very generous ranking of No. 2 among FBS teams aft rebuilding its recruiting people since Silverfield's hiring.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield during his introductory property convention astatine Frank Broyles Center. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The database includes 10 Power Four programs that "underwent a coaching alteration and person done nan champion occupation navigating a challenging modulation play while assembling young, prep talent" successful a very short play of time.

Sam Pittman built 1 of nan amended recruiting classes successful nan state past spring, but his firing successful precocious September led to respective decommitments and derailed a coagulated group. Silverfield, who came from Memphis, has quickly sparked a resurgence, focusing connected winning recruiting battles successful his ain backyard and leveraging relationships and successes that made him a well-known fig successful nan Razorbacks footprint.

Six of Arkansas' apical 7 precocious schoolhouse prospects are in-state additions. Wide receiver Dequane Prevo was a holdover, but Silverfield landed nan No. 1 subordinate successful nan state, protect tackle Danny Beale, wrong hours of being named caput coach. Beale is simply a thickly built 300-pounder pinch bully powerfulness and quickness.

Silverfield further bolstered nan protect statement by bringing location tackle Anthony Kennedy, a erstwhile Miami commit, and flipping top-ranked in-state moving back, Terry Hodges, from SEC rival Missouri. While this people still trails overmuch of nan SEC, Silverfield executed a smart crippled scheme successful a short magnitude of clip to vault nan Razorbacks backmost into nan mediate of nan battalion nationally, showing promising signs of what he tin do moving forward.

Craig Haubert, ESPN

ESPN's Ranking

1. Penn State
2. Arkansas
3. LSU
4. Florida
5. Ole Miss
6. Stanford
7. Auburn
8. Kentucky
9. Oklahoma State
10. Cal

In-state Hogs

This group is built upon in-state athletes specified arsenic protect tackles Danny Beale, Anthony Kennedy, moving backmost TJ Hodges, linebacker Jakore Smith, wide receivers Dequane Prevo, Blair Irvin III, violative statement man Tucker Young, protect backs Tay Lockett, Kyndrick Williams and reclassified 4-star backmost Hank Hendrix.

While Prevo, Young, Williams and Lockett endured nan coaching change, nan others were group to spell retired of state.

Beale was committed to Oklahoma State and pursued heavy by Ole Miss, LSU, Georgia and galore others. Until Silverfield swooned successful and convinced him to caput eastbound for Fayetteville, he was apt headed to a rival SEC programme instead.

2026 4⭐️ DL Danny Beale (@DannyBeale57) 😤😤 pic.twitter.com/YOVZr5nNgd

— Earl Gill (@EarlGill10) September 8, 2024

The aforesaid happened pinch Kennedy, who was erstwhile committed to Missouri anterior to flipping his promise to Miami amid a nationalist title run.

Kennedy, 6-foot-4.5, 330 pounds, comes from a family of SEC-level athletes pinch offers from schools crossed nan country. Other schools willing successful nan Little Rock autochthonal were SMU, USC, LSU, Georgia, Florida, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Kansas State, Texas, Texas A&M and galore others.

The erstwhile authorities besides missed retired connected keeping Hodges (former Missouri commit) and Smith (former Oklahoma commit) in-state. But some yet decided to enactment location and play for nan Razorbacks pursuing productive precocious schoolhouse careers.

2026 4⭐️ RB TJ Hodges (@TerryHodgesJr1) is announcing his committedness shortly! pic.twitter.com/89mtSPu6Xt

— Earl Gill (@EarlGill10) October 4, 2025

Give Him a Chance

Silverfield inherited a messiness of a people classed successful nan 80s astatine nan clip of his hiring. But there's thing for illustration building up instrumentality morale by signing nan state's champion recruits erstwhile history shows nan Razorbacks are astatine its champion erstwhile homegrown talents enactment location and clasp Arkansas crossed their chests.

Good property is awesome property and anytime Arkansas is rated highly for its off-the-field efforts, it is worthy noting. All Silverfield asked for was for Razorbacks fans to springiness him a "fighting chance" to move nan programme successful nan correct direction.

Early indications show that he is doing conscionable that early on.