Arkansas is getting to begin spring practices with a new head coach, a reshaped roster and a notable quarterback addition.
The Razorbacks will start their 15 spring workouts on March 15 as coach Ryan Silverfield continues building his first roster in Fayetteville.
The spring period will give coaches a chance to evaluate a team that includes dozens of new players and several athletes returning from injuries.
At the same time, Arkansas is adding a new quarterback to its future plans. Fayetteville High standout Hank Hendrix recently reclassified and signed with the Hogs, giving the program another young signal-caller to develop.
Silverfield said the coming weeks will be an important step for the program as it works through its new roster and coaching staff.
“You guys are going to hear me often talk about it,” Silverfield said. “It’s not just the quarterback position, right? Like, I’m excited to see what our coaches are capable of right? Yes, I’ve worked with some of them and all those things, but I think for every single one of us as an organization … this is going to be a great opportunity to kind of see, OK, now stuff’s for real.”
The upcoming spring will help determine how the Razorbacks move forward after a busy offseason.
Hendrix joins Arkansas after reclassification
Hank Hendrix was originally part of a future recruiting class but accelerated his timeline after finishing his academic work ahead of schedule.
The Fayetteville quarterback will now join the Hogs earlier than expected and plans to arrive this summer.
Silverfield said the coaching staff did not initiate the move to reclassify.
“Excited about Hank,” Silverfield said. “We can now talk about him, he’s officially signed. Excited about him.”
He added that the idea to move Hendrix forward came from the player and his family.
“We actually, as a staff, never once talked about it,” Silverfield said. “It was not even a thing that brought about.”
The coach said the staff focused on making sure the process followed the correct steps once the idea was presented.
“If this is something that you and your family feel like you want to do, we’ll support it,” Silverfield said.
Hendrix’s father, Che Hendrix, worked with Arkansas in a support role during the 2025 season and remains part of Silverfield’s staff in 2026.
The quarterback’s decision to sign with the Razorbacks finalized on Feb. 4.
Spring practice begins with many new players
The Hogs will enter spring practice with significant roster turnover.
More than 40 players on the roster are new additions as Silverfield reshapes the program during his first offseason in charge.
That large group includes transfers and newcomers who arrived in January.
According to team figures, 83 scholarship players are currently on campus. Of that total, nearly 69 percent have been in the program only about three months.
The number of newcomers is expected to increase when additional recruits arrive later this year.
For Silverfield and his coaching staff, the spring sessions will serve as an extended evaluation period.
Injury report ahead of spring workouts
Arkansas will begin practices relatively healthy, though several players are still working their way back from injuries suffered last season.
Freshman punter Connor Smith is expected to miss the entire spring period.
“He’ll be out for the entirety of the spring,” Silverfield said.
Other players may be limited early in practice while completing medical checkups or continuing recovery.
Several wide receivers dealt with major injuries during the 2025 season.
Monte Harrison broke his leg in Week 2, Jalen Brown suffered a tibia and fibula injury against Notre Dame, and Ismael Cisse missed the season after a wrist injury during preseason workouts.
Silverfield said Cisse has made strong progress in his recovery.
“Cisse will be back full. He’s done a great job with his recovery from his injury last year,” Silverfield said.
Harrison’s workload will be monitored as he continues returning from injury.
“Monte is a guy we’re going to continue to monitor,” Silverfield said.
Brown is also working his way back and is expected to participate in a limited capacity.
“Jalen Brown has done a remarkable job in his recovery,” Silverfield said.
A key evaluation period for the Razorbacks
Spring football often serves as a preview of the coming season, but for Arkansas it may carry even greater importance.
The Razorbacks are transitioning under a new coaching staff after the program made a change following last season.
With dozens of new players, returning athletes recovering from injuries and a young quarterback addition arriving soon, the coming weeks will provide the first extended look at Silverfield’s roster.
By the end of the spring practice schedule, the Hogs hope to have a clearer picture of their depth chart and how the new pieces fit together heading into the 2026 season.
