Notre Dame 2025 Opponent Overview: Arkansas Razorbacks

HEAD COACH - Sam Pittman

Record at Arkansas: 30-31 (6th season) 

Head coach Sam Pittman has had an up and down career at the helm for the Razorbacks. In his five years coaching, they have had a winning record and have been bowl eligible, with his best year as a head coach coming in 2021 when they went 9-4 and battled with almost every team they played outside of Georgia who beat them 37-0. They beat a ranked A&M team, LSU in Death Valley, lost to Alabama 42-35 and lost to Ole Miss 52-51. In Pittman's three post season appearances, he is 3-0 with a win in the Outback Bowl in 2021 and wins in the Liberty Bowl in 2022 and 2024. In 2025, Pittman looks to build on some of their 2024 success and work their way up the SEC standings. 

ARKANSAS OFFENSE

Offensive Coordinator: Bobby Petrino (2nd season) 

Starters Lost: RB Ja'Quinden Jackson, WR Andrew Armstrong, WR Isaac TeSlaaa, WR Tyron Broden, WR Isaiah Sategna, TE Luke Hasz, C Addison Nichols, RG Joshua Braun

Starters Returning: QB Taylen Green, LT Fernando Carmona, LG Keyshawn Blackston, RT E'Marion Harris

Second year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has some tools to work with in the offseason to get his team geared up for their home opener against Alabama A&M. The Razorback offense returns their starting quarterback and three of their five starting offensive lineman from 2024. Arkansas lost their starting running back Ja'Quinden Jackson. Jackson missed some time in the regular season and sat out of the Liberty Bowl paving the way for Braylen Russell and Rodney Hill to see some meaningful carries throughout the season. 

The major areas of attrition were their pass catchers. Including Jackson, the running back, they lost their top six pass catchers from a production standpoint to either the draft or the transfer portal. As a group, they combined for 197 receptions, 2,837 receiving yards, and 10 receiving touchdowns. Their production will be replaced by a handful of incoming transfers headlined by O'Mega Blake from Charlotte, Raylen Sharpe from Fresno State, and Kam Shanks from UAB. Blake tallied 32 catches for 795 yards and nine touchdowns with the 49ers. Sharpe caught 51 passes for 523 yards and three touchdowns and Shanks tallied 62 catches for 656 yards and six touchdowns for UAB in 2024. The Razorbacks loaded up with experiences from the transfer portal to help replace the production vacated by their departing receivers. 

Tight end is a little bit more unproven, they got Jaden Platt, a transfer from Texas A&M but he didn't record a catch in 2024 for the Aggies. They picked up a guard, Jac'Quan McRoy from Oregon, Caden Kitler a center from UCF, and Corey Robinson II from Georgia Tech who plays tackle. All will be added depth pieces to this offensive line and some will battle it out for starting spots for the fall. Even though he's a tackle, Robinson projects a little more on the interior of the offensive line with returning right tackle E'Marion Harris having a little more length and quickness. Kitler fits right into the starting center spot that was vacated by Addison Nichols' transfer to SMU. 

ARKANSAS DEFENSE

Defensive Coordinator: Travis Williams (3rd season) 

Starters Lost: DE Landon Jackson, NT Eric Gregory, DE Nico Davillier, CB Hudson Clark, CB Marquise Robinson, NB Doneiko Slaughter, SS Jayden Johnson, FS TJ Metcalf

Starters Returning: DT Cameron Ball, LB Stephen Dix, LB Xavien Sorey

Arkansas returns both starting linebackers which will be huge from a leadership and production standpoint for the defense in 2025. Stephen Dix and Xavien Sorey were two of the three leading tacklers for Travis Williams' defense in 2024. The two combined for 169 tackles, 12.0 tackles for a loss, and 4.0 sacks last year. Defensive tackle Cameron Ball also returns to the lineup in 2025; he recorded 46 tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss, and 1.5 sacks last season. However, Arkansas turns over their entire secondary and three of their four starting defensive lineman. 

They will be relying on mixed bag to help replace the production lost on the back half of the defense. Miguel Mitchell will be a senior in the fall and will likely step into to role vacated by Jayden Johnson at strong safety. Transfer Quintavius Scandrett will be a likely candidate to replace TJ Metcalf at the free safety position. Coach Williams will be replying on three experienced transfer players to step into the starting cornerbacks and nickelback role. Kani Walker is a transfer from Oklahoma who played in nine games this past season. KeShawn Davila transfers up from the JUCO level and will be a junior. Jordan Young will step into the nickel role who played in all 12 regular season games for Cincinnati in 2024. 

Quincy Rhodes, a returning defensive end from the 2024 roster will step into a starting role this season. The 6-6 280 pound end appeared in nine regular season games in 2024 and recorded one sack. Transfer defensive tackle David Oke will also be in position to start in 2025 with nose tackle Eric Gregory graduating in the spring. Oke tallied 64 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and one forced fumble last season with Abilene Christian. The most unproven of the three new transfers will be Justus Boone a 6-4 edge rusher from Florida. He recorded 10 tackles last season for the Gators including 0.5 sacks. He will likely slot into the other starting end role opposite of Rhodes. 

RETURNING PRODUCTION

Rushing: QB Taylen Green - 156 att., 602 yards, 3.9 YPC, 8 TD; RB Braylen Russell - 67 att., 354 yards, 5.3 YPC, 3 TD, RB Rodney Hill - 28 att., 184 yards, 6.6 YPC, 2 TD

Passing: QB Taylen Green - 230-381, 60.4%, 3,154 yards, 8.3 YPA, 15 TD, 9 INT, 138.2 Rating

Receiving: WR Jordan Anthony - 8 rec., 111 yards, 13.9 YPC, 1 TD, WR Transfer O'Mega Blake (Charlotte) - 32 rec., 795 yards, 24.8 YPC, 9 TD; WR Transfer Kam Shanks (UAB) - 62 rec., 656 yards, 10.6 YPC, 6 TD; WR Transfer Raylen Sharpe (Fresno State) - 51 rec., 523 yards, 10.3 YPC, 3 TD

Tackles: LB Xavien Sorley - 99; LB Stephen Dix - 70; NT Transfer David Oke (Abilene) - 64; DT Cameron Ball - 46; CB Jaheim Singletary - 24; 

Tackles For Loss: LB Xavien Sorley - 9.5; NT Transfer David Oke (Abilene) - 9.5; DT Eric Gregory - 5.0; LB Stephen Dix - 2.5

Interceptions: LB Xavien Sorley - 1; SS Miguel Mitchell - 1; FS Transfer Quintavius Scandrett (Eastern Michigan) - 1