Razorbacks DL Ian Geffrard hits portal after uneven 2025 season

Arkansas defensive lineman Ian Geffrard is entering the transfer portal, bringing an end to a three-year stay that proved one thing very clearly: being large is helpful, but it is not a guaranteed solution.

Geffrard announced his decision with a gracious message thanking the Razorbacks for shaping him on and off the field. It was polite, appreciative, and free of bitterness.

That part matters. So does the football part, which was far more complicated.

The Hogs started him in all 12 games in 2025, which sounds impressive until you remember that availability and effectiveness are two entirely different conversations. Geffrard was always there. He was not always winning.

His final stat line — 25 tackles, four tackles for loss, one pass breakup — reads like the resume of a player who did his job without ever hijacking a game.

To be fair, that describes a lot of defensive linemen. It just stands out more when the lineman looks like he should be knocking guards into next week.

Opposing offensive lines frequently treated him like movable furniture. Some weeks they pushed him sideways. Other weeks they pushed him backward. Rarely did they look confused about what to do with him.

Geffrard ended his message with a simple “Thank you Arkansas❤️,” which is probably the cleanest way to exit a situation that clearly needed a reset.

Lot of Size, Lot of Snaps, Lot of Getting Repositioned

The Razorbacks were banking on Geffrard’s frame to become an anchor. Instead, it often became a landmark — something offensive linemen could identify, target, and move with purpose.

That’s not to say he didn’t have moments. He did.

There were plays where he flashed power, shed a block, and made a stop that reminded everyone why Arkansas kept running him out there.

Unfortunately, those plays were usually followed by stretches where he disappeared into double teams like a magician’s assistant.

SEC guards and centers rarely looked uncomfortable blocking him. Too often, they came off the snap low, got their hands inside, and politely escorted him wherever the run was going.

Geffrard’s best day came in the finale at Missouri, when he finished with six tackles and a tackle for loss.

That game served as a reminder of what Arkansas hoped would show up more often.

Instead, it showed up just enough to keep the hope alive and just infrequently enough to keep frustration simmering.

To his credit, he never tapped out. He played every game. He took the hits.

He absorbed the criticism that comes with being a big man who doesn’t consistently dominate smaller ones.

Position Change, SEC Reality Check

Geffrard arrived at Arkansas from Whitefield Academy in Georgia as an offensive tackle.

The Razorbacks moved him to defense, which is kind of like taking a guy who parks cars and asking him to fly the plane. It can work, but there will be turbulence.

He committed to the switch, learned the position, and eventually earned a starting role. That alone deserves respect.

The SEC does not hand out starting jobs to players who can’t handle the workload.

But the SEC also doesn’t care about potential. It cares about leverage, pad level, and who wins the first half-second after the snap. Too often in 2025, Geffrard lost that half-second.

Arkansas needed bodies on the interior, and he provided them. What the Razorbacks needed just as badly was disruption. That part came in spurts, not waves.

As the Hogs turn the page under a new staff, this is exactly the type of player who ends up in the portal. Productive enough to play. Frustrating enough to be replaceable.

What Comes Next for the Hogs and Geffrard

For the Hogs, this is part of the offseason churn that comes with rebuilding. Losing a 12-game starter matters, even if that starter was more reliable than scary.

Arkansas will now look for defensive linemen who don’t just take up space but actively ruin plans. SEC defenses require interior players who make offenses adjust. Too often last season, offenses adjusted easily.

Geffrard will find interest elsewhere. Someone will watch the film and see flashes. Someone will believe better technique, better leverage, or a different scheme can unlock something Arkansas never quite did.

That’s how college football works now. Players move. Programs move on. Everyone insists the next stop will be better.

Geffrard leaves Fayetteville with gratitude, experience, and a highlight reel that alternates between “there it is” and “well, that didn’t work.” It wasn’t a failure. It just wasn’t a breakthrough.

And sometimes, that’s enough to send everyone back to the drawing board.

Key Takeaways

• Arkansas defensive lineman Ian Geffrard entered the transfer portal after starting all 12 games in 2025.
• His size didn’t consistently translate into SEC disruption, leading to an uneven season.
• The Razorbacks now look to upgrade interior defensive line impact during roster turnover.