EA SPORTS College Football 27 gives Arkansas fans first look at the Ryan Silverfield Era

Seven months after his hiring, many Razorback fans are finally getting their first look at Ryan Silverfield's Arkansas football team — and the results aren't pretty.

EA SPORTS College Football 27 officially announced its team rankings ahead of the game's release on July 9, providing a glimpse of what the 2026-27 gridiron season has in store. While plenty of teams have reason to celebrate, Hogs fans might not like what they find when EA launches the game.

EA SPORTS College Football 27 makes Arkansas the Lowest-Rated SEC Team

According to EA SPORTS College Football's official website, the Arkansas Razorbacks are the lowest-rated SEC team to start the year, clocking in at a lowly 80 Overall. This puts the Razorbacks below other SEC bottom dwellers like Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Mississippi State, all of which received an 81 Overall rating to start the season.

The Hogs grade out slightly better on defense than offense (81 OVR defense vs. 80 OVR offense), but regardless, they're among the worst Power Four teams in the game. For a fanbase in desperate need of good news, EA's first look at the Arkansas football team is a sobering reminder of the work that Silverfield has cut out for him.

To be fair, the Razorbacks have undergone one of the most comprehensive roster overhauls in the NCAA since parting ways with Sam Pittman, so it's only natural that the team would slot as the worst SEC team to start the year (especially considering their 0-8 record in SEC games last year). Still, Hogs fans have to be a bit disheartened after having their anxieties about the upcoming season reinforced by such a low rating.

Looking at the Arkansas roster on a more granular level, it's easy to see how the team received such a low team overall.

The highest-rated Razorback football player in EA SPORTS College Football 27 is Quincy Rhodes, who clocks in at a 90 OVR. Rhodes is the only Hogs player with a rating over 86, with HB Braylen Russell (86), Jamari Hawkins (85), Malachi Breland (85), and Sutton Smith (85) rounding out the team's top five.

Other noteworthy ratings include WR Jelani Watkins — whose 97 Speed rating makes him one of EA SPORTS College Football 27's 10 fastest players — and QB KJ Jackson — whose 74 OVR makes him the SEC's worst starting quarterback. Watkins may give EA SPORTS College Football 27 players a game-breaking weapon when they use the Hogs, but they'll likely need much more than his speed to compete week-in and week-out against the conference's best rosters.

While these ratings won't mean anything when Ryan Silverfield's team hits the field for the first time against North Alabama on September 5, the Arkansas Razorbacks are clearly facing an uphill battle as they hand the reins to their new head coach. Over 40 transfers are inbound to the program, which will almost certainly experience growing pains as it figures out its identity.

That said, with fan morale at an all-time low for the Hogs football team, the only place to go is up.

If Ryan Silverfield can even approach a respectable record in Year 1 at Arkansas, then he'll be exceeding many fans' — and EA Sports' — expectations. Until then, Hogs fans will have to get out their frustration on the virtual fields of EA SPORTS College Football 27.

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