Are You Sold On Silverfield So Far?

Have They Delivered?

Let’s just be honest here: the boldness of Silverfield, his overpromises, and Yurachek signing off just feel like a setup for failure. For this to be successful, Ryan and his staff must recruit, develop, and analyze talent correctly and consistently. As spoken above, the newest head coach of Arkansas made some major promises on the class. This season’s incoming class, promised as “One of the best” in Arkansas history, is not quite there yet. According to 24/7, Arkansas currently holds the 43rd overall class in the country. From a composite standpoint, the class is the 55th best when you combine the 13th-ranked portal class. In this class, there are major pieces from his Memphis roster, as he added 3rd-string signal caller AJ Hill Jr. Additionally, Silverfield brought in offensive weapons: Sutton Smith, a running back, and Jamari Hawkins, a wide receiver. We spoke of the progress made by Silverfield previously.

The Support Staff

When it comes to the staff assembled, a common theme continues. As we reported, Silverfield moved swiftly and comfortably when “wowing” the fans and media with his crew, who will join him on the sidelines. As expected, members of the Memphis staff are in Fayetteville as Tim Cramsey, Larry Smith, and others will join. This, combined with assistants with some SEC ties, and the 2026 staff intact, is a strong combination.

Were we shocked as the hires were made? No, not at all, actually. In fact, these were, in some ways, quite boring. Silverfield relied on comfort from Memphis and landed some staff with SEC ties and understanding. Additionally, he hired a coach per position, seemingly. While we understand bringing in a new batch of coaches, do you need a co-run game coordinator? Some of these hires seem excessive. We have seen Yurachek and Silverfield on a positivity push since the opening announcement. After all, Yurachek told Silverfield, “Let’s go win a national championship!” immediately following the signing of his contract. This is the same AD who embarrassed himself during the CFP Committee blunder after telling Arkansas faithful the program “Couldn’t compete for national championships” because they would not stay out of the “left lane” of the NIL world.

Check Those Bulbs

In closing, the promises were substantial, yet the results have been average at best since then. With more portal success, the recruiting class may be able to climb to the mid-to-upper 30s nationally. This is far from the promises made just as the ink was drying on his contract. The staff is what it is, comfortable with SEC ties. Far from the one promised in his opening press conference. These light bulbs may be brighter, but Arkansas may still be in the dark. To shine brighter, wins must happen instantly. Why? The answer is simple because Yurachek and Silverfield promised them.