From 'Likely Targets' to 'Dream Scenarios', 12 coaches the Hogs should pursue

Arkansas football: High Picks

Jon Sumrall—Tulane head coach
Dan Mullen—UNLV head coach
Jeff Traylor—UTSA head coach
Kenny Dillingham—Arizona State head coach

Now, we're jumping into the high picks for Arkansas. These candidates will likely cost more but have also shown better success throughout their careers.

The first is current Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall. In two seasons at Troy, he led the Trojans to a Sun Belt Championship in each season. He then took the reins at Tulane and led the Green Wave to a 9-5 record in his first season, leading them to an AAC championship game. Currently, Tulane is 4-1 with one loss to Duke.

Another big-time pick could be Dan Mullen. The current UNLV coach jumped back into coaching four years after getting the boot from Florida in 2021. However, he's been a head coach longer than most on this list and led Mississippi State to heights that some in the program never dreamed of. He's also known as a quarterback whisperer. Perhaps some of these names may ring a bell: Alex Smith, Dak Prescott, and Tim Tebow.

Another former Morris assistant, Jeff Traylor, is a name worth watching. Once Arkansas’ assistant head coach and running backs coach, Traylor has since taken over a booming UTSA program. He’s guided the Roadrunners to a 48-22 record and came close to crashing the College Football Playoff in 2021, back when the CFP didn't just let G5 teams in willy-nilly.

Perhaps one coach that could be in the "Dream Scenario" group is Kenny Dillingham. Still, if the price is right, Arkansas may be able to sway him away from Temple, Ariz. He's a first-time head coach at Arizona State, but in his second season, he led the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship in the program's first season in the conference and a CFP appearance.

Next: Dream Scenario