Can Arkansas football 'surprise a lot of people'? Razorbackers' staff chimes in

Sam Pittman's sixth season on the Hill is one filled with mystery. Can Arkansas' completely retooled offensive line, wide receiver corps, and secondary compete in the SEC? Can quarterback Taylen Green take that next step under offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino? And perhaps the most pressing question—will Sam Pittman make it to another season in Fayetteville?

The Razorbackers staff have banded together to try to answer some of those questions, while making their season predictions.

Arkansas football: Razorbackers' staff record predictions

Jackson

Looking at Arkansas' schedule, I see the Razorbacks picking up easy SEC wins over Auburn and Mississippi State, with an upset victory over either Tennessee or Missouri. The Hogs have a talented team, and there will be some guys who will either get picked up in the 2026 NFL Draft or sign as undrafted free agents.

I also think quarterback Taylen Green will improve on his accuracy and still be a menace on the ground. My biggest worry about this team is what the wide receivers and running backs will do since many of the team’s most experienced offensive players have left. What matters right now is that Arkansas reaches a bowl game and shows signs of improvement from last season.

I feel like 2025 will be very similar to last year’s team. The powerhouses of the Southeastern Conference are going to remain at the top, pending any big injuries that take place. Arkansas will put together another 6-6 season with a conference record of 3-5.

Season Record Prediction: 6-6

Pat

Your friendly neighborhood sports guy stands firm on the belief that this Arkansas Razorback football team remains talented enough under Sam Pittman’s watch to make a run at the 2025 College Football Playoff. That would require a 9-3 or 8-4 regular season, depending on how many of the losses come outside of SEC play.

The key to breaking the wild ride ahead—one that’s arguably the toughest schedule in the country—is a mixture of confidence, execution, and luck. The problem is the Arkansas football program has suffered from a lack of all three since Bobby Petrino crashed out in 2011. Having Petrino back as offensive coordinator for a second year helps the cause of our man Samwise Pittman immensely. So does having a top-five returning starter at quarterback in Taylen Green, along with an improved offensive line, Mike Washington’s addition to the running back room, and a wide receiver corps brimming with unproven talent at the SEC level.

So far, the defense—which normally should be ahead of the offense during summer camp—keeps getting gashed on the ground and through the air by Petrino’s offense. Is that an indication of how good this offense is? Or is it a sign that the brothers on the defensive side are slipping? Defense wins championships. Sound coaching wins close games, and Arkansas isn’t Missouri, but it's too close for comfort. Show me. Otherwise, it’s another 6-6 trip to the Liberty Bowl and hot seats for everyone.

Season Record Prediction: 6-6

Antonio

Although many across the nation don’t expect the Arkansas Razorbacks to have a quality football season in 2025, the Hogs will surprise them. While these low expectations exist for several reasons, including Arkansas’ demanding schedule, and “demanding” is doing significant work in this sentence, to say the least, the reasons lack nuance.

The Razorbacks possess enough talent to defeat every team on their schedule. They will not, of course, but these misguided perceptions about Arkansas not having capable players to compete in the brutal SEC are simply untrue. One only needs to look at the team’s past two seasons to see that it could have had even better records had it not made several boneheaded mistakes in several games it lost.    

Those defeats, therefore, weren’t the result of inadequate talent; they resulted from deficits in discipline. Although the Hogs will still confront some discipline challenges, one can expect the team’s overall discipline to improve.

When a team has a quarterback as talented as Taylen Green, who is unquestionably one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and the best offensive coordinator in the nation, Bobby Petrino, who is entering his second season at Arkansas in this position, no one should be surprised if this team ends with an impressive record. The offensive line has better players and more depth, which bodes well for the team’s Achilles heel (poor offensive line play) over the past several seasons.

Season Record Prediction: 8-4

Austin

Yesterday, Sam Pittman showed up at the Little Rock Touchdown Club to talk about this season, and he seems to be incredibly confident.

"If you don't want to rank us, that's fine... we'll surprise a lot of people," said Pittman about his relatively unknown team.

He cites second-year quarterback Taylen Green, a bigger, faster secondary, and a revamped offensive line as to why he thinks they can make improvements. However, aside from Green, we have no idea what they'll look like when they hit the field on Aug. 30, against Alabama A&M. Fans didn't even get a spring preview after the Red and White game was cancelled due to rain.

With the unknown that follows the Razorbacks into 2025—and that gauntlet of schedule Arkansas has put upon itself with nonconference games against Arkansas State, No. 6 Notre Dame, and at Memphis—there's no way I can confidently say the Hogs will make significant improvements on the gridiron. However, I think they may surprise a few people and finish with a slightly better record than last season.

Season Record Prediction: 7-5

Follow Razorbackers on Twitter (X) & Facebook, and avoid missing out on the latest Arkansas news by signing up for our daily FanSided news letter and selecting Arkansas football and/or basketball!