None of Arkansas’ players or coaches want to talk about last year anymore, and that’s by design.
Speaking to storyers in a local scrum at SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida, Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield made clear his first season leading the program is about looking ahead, not behind, according to a story from Daniel Fair of HawgBeat.
“I’ve got so much respect for the history of Arkansas football, but recent struggles have nothing to do with us moving forward,” Silverfield told storyers, per Fair’s story. “That’s in the rear-view mirror. We’re looking forward.
“I can tell you this, they’re excited, we’re excited. We don’t worry about what’s occurred. Just all eyes moving forward. The guys have got the blinders on, we’re very excited for the future of our program.”
That mindset matters given what Arkansas is coming off. The Hogs haven’t won since beating Arkansas State on Sept. 6 of last year, a stretch that turned into a 10-game losing streak with six one-score defeats,
Fair storyed. Silverfield inherited a staff with just one holdover, tight ends coach Morgan Turner, and Fair’s storying counted 48 total transfers on this year’s roster.
Leaders who lived through the losing feel it most
A handful of returning players know exactly what last season felt like, and they’re using it as motivation instead of a burden. Redshirt senior offensive lineman Caden Kitler put it bluntly, per Fair’s story.
“That 2-10 year last year, I never want it to happen again for the rest of the history of Arkansas,” Kitler said. “That’s program-shattering, but we’re not going to let it shatter us. So we’re going to use it as a chip on our shoulder and we’re going to win a lot more games this year.”
Defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr. turned down the NFL Draft to return for a fourth season in Fayetteville.
The Second Team All-SEC pick piled up 44 tackles, including 15.5 for loss, last year despite the team’s struggles, according to Fair’s story.
“I always tell myself when things get hard, if you know your why and the reason why you do things, that helps me in challenges,” Rhodes said, per Fair’s story.
A packed calendar leaves little time to waste
Turning the page also means working against the clock.
A separate story from Trey Biddy at HawgSports detailed how Arkansas opens preseason camp Aug. 5, just 29 days before its season opener, and classes start Aug. 17, leaving only nine practices in the first 12 days of camp.
Silverfield called it the shortest training camp of his career in comments cited by Biddy.
Biddy’s story also outlined an unresolved quarterback battle between KJ Jackson and AJ Hill that may stretch until kickoff against Northern Alabama on Sept. 5, along with the fact roughly 63 new scholarship players joined a roster that returns only 27 from 2025.
Thursday brings the bigger spotlight
Wednesday’s media day session was light on attendance, but Thursday figures to draw more attention as Silverfield and Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby share the stage with bigger names like Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and LSU’s Lane Kiffin, per Biddy’s storying.
HawgBeat’s Fair also noted Arkansas is installing new grass at Razorback Stadium before the season begins, a small but symbolic reset to go with the new coaching staff and roster.
Silverfield doesn’t sound worried about who gets more attention this week.
“You want a bigger spotlight? Win more games. That’s the plan moving forward,” he said, according to Biddy’s story.
Key takeaways
- Silverfield and his players say last year’s 2-10 record has no bearing on 2026.
- Returning leaders Caden Kitler and Quincy Rhodes Jr. are using last season as motivation.
- Arkansas installs new turf at Razorback Stadium as it opens a short fall camp Aug. 5.
