FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As July approaches, Arkansas fans are facing a sobering reality.
Phil Steele, whose annual predictions shape college football conversations across the country, has placed Arkansas near the bottom of his 2025 SEC rankings. With the Razorbacks projected to finish 11th out of 16 teams, the sense of urgency in Fayetteville is unmistakable.
Steele’s latest forecast, published this week, doesn’t sugarcoat things for Sam Pittman’s squad.
Entering his sixth season as Arkansas’ coach, Pittman finds himself at a crossroads. “2025 could be a make-or-break season for the Arkansas head coach,” Steele wrote, highlighting the consequences of hovering around .500 over his tenure.
Pittman’s 30-31 record, including a brief rebound to 7-6 last year after a disappointing four-win campaign, has left the program and its supporters hungry for more.
The pressure is mounting, not just from preseason publications, but internally as well.
Athlon Sports, echoing the mood in Fayetteville, recently included Pittman on its list of SEC coaches whose jobs may hinge on this fall’s results.
“Sam Pittman will return for his sixth season in Fayetteville, but the hot seat is real,” said an anonymous coach.
With bowl eligibility now an expectation, anything less could spell change at the top, multiple media predictions are writing.
Arkansas’ journey over the past five years has been turbulent. The Razorbacks captured national attention with a nine-win season in 2021, only to regress in subsequent years.
Last fall’s 7-6 record, salvaged by late-season wins and a bowl appearance, offered a glimmer of hope, but the 2025 schedule is unforgiving. Early games against Notre Dame and Arkansas State leave little room for error.
In response, Pittman has made calculated moves.
The addition of Taylen Green at quarterback, a senior transfer with a strong arm and leadership qualities, aims to stabilize the offense.
On defense, key returnees like Xavian Sorey Jr., fresh off a 99-tackle season, and Stephen Dix Jr. will anchor a unit that’s still trying to find its identity. Yet, compared to SEC heavyweights, Arkansas’s depth remains a concern.
National analysts remain skeptical. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg pointed out that Pittman escaped the “hot seat” label with last year’s moderate success, but the clock is ticking.
“If Arkansas doesn’t go bowling, it’s going to be tough for Pittman to stay,” an SEC coach told On3. In a conference where patience is thin, 2025 may be Pittman’s last chance to prove his approach works.
The SEC itself is evolving.
With Texas and Oklahoma joining the fold, competition is stiffer than ever. Steele predicts Georgia, Alabama, and LSU will control the conference’s upper tier, while Arkansas must battle for respect and relevance.
National bowl projections from CBS Sports don’t favor the Razorbacks, and sportsbooks have set a modest win total over/under at 5.5, underscoring the skepticism from outside observers.
The internal pressure is just as fierce. Pittman remains optimistic, recently telling reporters, “We know what’s at stake. Our guys are bought in, and we’re ready for the challenge.”
et, the roster still has holes, particularly on the offensive line and in the secondary. The running back room is short on experience, putting extra weight on Green and the defense to carry the load.
Razorback Stadium, once a venue that struck fear into opponents, has seen attendance slip as frustration grows.
Last season, fans watched the team struggle in critical games against LSU and Texas A&M, and the home-field advantage seemed to wane. This fall, with stability at quarterback and new faces on defense, the program hopes to restore some of its lost swagger.
The path won’t be easy. Arkansas faces a punishing SEC slate, including road trips to Alabama and Ole Miss, and home games against Texas and Missouri.
The new conference structure means every week brings a new challenge, and there’s little time to regroup if things go sideways early.
Pittman is fully aware of the stakes. Athletics director Hunter Yurachek, who has stood by his coach publicly, also made it clear that expectations haven’t changed.
“We want to win, and we expect to win,” Yurachek said in a recent interview. “Coach Pittman knows that, and so do our players.”
If the Razorbacks stumble out of the gate, the calls for a coaching change will grow louder.
For now, Pittman has one more chance to prove he’s the right fit, to push Arkansas back toward SEC relevance, and to show that Steele’s low ranking is just another preseason misfire.
The 2025 season isn’t just about wins and losses for Arkansas, it’s about defining the direction of the program for years to come.
The Razorbacks must find a way to exceed expectations, or risk falling into another cycle of transition and rebuilding in a league that rarely waits for anyone.
