Former UA running back bearish on Razorbacks in Year One under Silverfield
Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield with former Hogs' running back Peyton Hillis at spring practice on April 1, 2026 | Arkansas Razorback Football, Twitte FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.
— In an era where immense roster turnover is the norm in college football, nobody really knows what to expect of a team before the season starts, especially squads led byThe outlook around Arkansas and first-year head coach Ryan Silverfield has been understandably pessimistic, given that the Razorbacks are coming off of their third 2-10 season in eight years. Former Arkansas running back Peyton Hillis believes there's a path to six victories for Arkansas, but he's not all that confident in said path, either.
"Who in the world thinks they are really going to win more than five ballgames this year? ," Hillis said on Pig Trail Nation.
"Like honestly: who would put their house on it that they're going to win five ballgames? Nobody! I think that they can . Is that something that is going to happen?
"Honestly, who would put their house on it that they're going to win 5 games? Nobody. I think that they .
""I mean, there's not anything in the pudding right now to come out and say, 'These guys are going to win more than five ballgames. I think the potential is there. If things go right, there's a good chance they win six or seven ballgames. Four games is a win.
I hate to say that, because that's very sh---- of me. Just trying to be honest about it.
"The Hogs will travel to Utah in Week 2, as well as taking road trips to Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Texas while hosting Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, South Carolina and LSU. Utah, Auburn and South Carolina could very well all be dogfights, while Vanderbilt and Missouri are winnable.
Beating the likes of Tennessee, Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU and Texas will be extremely difficult, especially for a first-year head coach and aBut there is potential for an Arkansas team with fresh, experienced leadership across the board to potentially be a pleasant surprise. A bowl game, while understandably seeming like the peak of Mount Everest to many fans, is not at all out of the realm of possibility if the Hogs catch a few breaks and pull out some close wins.
But those breaks haven't gone Arkansas' way in recent years, which is why there's so much skepticism around potential success in 2026. Hillis isn't alone is his prediction for the Razorbacks this fall either as former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy believes Silverfield deserves a "standing ovation" just to reach six victories. Greg McElroy isn’t saying the Razorbacks have the toughest schedule in the world, but will be surprised if Ryan Silverfield leads them to a bowl game in 2026.
There's also the Paul Finebaum's and Phil Steele's of the world who are buying into the thought that its going to take a complete rebuild for Arkansas to be competitive under Silverfield, and that may not come soon enough for most fans either. Winning fixes all, and until Silverfield gets the opportunity to put some W's in the column, he and the Razorbacks will be met with plenty of skepticism and cynicism alike.
Sam Stubbs is a student at the University of Arkansas pursuing a degree in journalism. He has worked at the UA’s student newspaper, the Arkansas Traveler, since October 2025, becoming the assistant sports editor in December 2025. When he's not writing about the Razorbacks, Sam can be found covering NASCAR for Yardbarker and is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association , winning an award for race coverage from the association in February 2025. He's previously worked for Heavy, Field Level Media, Frontstretch and FanSided.
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