Biggest Overreactions Arkansas Football Fans Should Avoid Right Now

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — While most coaching changes sprout good vibes and the power of positivity, nine months into the Ryan Silverfield era has brought a mixed bag of emotions.

The Arkansas fanbase is split into thirds right now.

Some are upbeat over how Silverfield attacked the transfer portal, flipped several key in-state recruits and appears to be setting the culture for the future of the Razorbacks' program.

Another third of fans remain neutral as they await to see progress during the season before leaning one way or another on the Silverfield hire.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield looks over to the sidelines during the spring game at Razorback Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The other segment has continued to launch anonymous jabs from their keyboards because Arkansas didn't hire a "home run" level coach to steal the headlines.

To this day, I'm not sure who that "home run" option would have been since James Franklin was never going to make a return to the SEC.

Keeping Bobby Petrino in place wasn't a viable option moving forward. And some had their sights set on bringing Alex Golesh in from South Florida, who hasn't even beaten Silverfield.

Let alone sniff that elusive American Conference title, which is the same bar that portion holds against the new head hog.

Quarterback Concerns

Of course the focus on everything Arkansas football at this point is who is going to earn the starting nod, but it feels like it's getting over dramatized.

Silverfield, along with offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey have a strong history of having their quarterbacks ready to play. That'll be no different come Week One against North Alabama when either KJ Jackson or AJ Hill take the field first against North Alabama.

Jackson has shown he has built-in composure to execute an offense efficently going back to last season against Texas and Missouri. While it's a small sample size, he provides promise that he won't turn the ball over, but make the right play in a conisistent manner.

Hill is much more willing to take a risk on throws because he has a stronger arm, but he doesn't process things happening in real-time in the same manner as his counterpart. The one edge he does have is familiarity with the offensive scheme, but that won't count for much anymore.

Silverfield's mentality is to adapt his philosophy to the players in the program, not fit round pegs into square holes. Having a coach who isn't stubborn with his approach could pay dividends for Arkansas' future.

"It's my job, and our job as coaches to develop the scheme based off of our players," Silverfield said at his introductory press conference in December. "I think you get so many coaches will say ’Well, he didn't fit my system’. No, you're a bad coach. You need to change and adapt to what players you have.

"Even as far as skill sets of a quarterback, what the receiver size is, speed on the field, what's your running back situation, your O-line situation, how much outside zone compared to inside zone. If you've got a bunch of 355 pound O-linemen, then how much duo are you running? All that goes hand in hand. That's my job to figure that out."

Defense Not Being Good

Arkansas added a couple of more bodies to the secondary this week in Sean Williams and Caleb Wooden. The excuse that's started to run rampant on social media and listening to fans on radio shows is that the coaching staff is adding a couple of more guys because the others can't cover.

While that might be true, the transfer portal is a crapshoot. With only so much time available and a whole room to rebuild, secondary coaches Deron Wilson, Eddie Hicks and CJ Wiliford each had to take a flyer on a handful of guys to have enough bodies to go through spring practice.

But those with starting roles in Jahiem "Joker" Johnson, La'Khi Roland, Shelton Lewis, Miguel Mitchell, Khmori House, Christian Harrison, and Ian Williams have been as solid as any group on the roster.

If they can build chemistry through the remainder of fall camp and Week One, it'll be critical to the overall ceiling of the Razorbacks this season.

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive secondary coach Deron Wilson during a preseason practice on the outdoor practice fields in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

Prepared to Compete Now

There seems to be some solid infrastructure in place with staff members fans aren't quite familiar with. The addition of general manager Gaizka Crowley could be the most underrated hire in the country if Arkansas exceeds preseason expectations.

A lot of work went into building this roster, and even when it seemed like all the piece were in place, Crowley's front office staff continued to put in the hour to get the job done.

This is the first time in quite a few years that it appears a coaching staff is putting sweat equity into righting the ship now rather than having a four year, ten step plan.

Silverfield meticulously assembled a staff of individuals who are driven to win, and there's proof of that based on August portal acquisitions. If that somehow ends up helping the Razorbacks to the six-win threshold and beyond, then there's plenty of reason for optimism moving forward.

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