Memphis GM expected to join Ryan Silverfield’s staff at Arkansas

Memphis general manager Scott Gasper is expected to follow former Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield to Arkansas, sources tell CBS Sports. The move would reunite one of the American Athletic Conference’s most effective behind-the-scenes partnerships, giving the Razorbacks a crucial personnel and recruiting boost as they begin a new era in Fayetteville.

Gasper has built a strong reputation across multiple stops in college football. Before his tenure at Memphis, he worked as director of player personnel at East Carolina, director of recruiting at West Virginia, and director of player personnel at Indiana. His deep background in roster construction, scouting, and talent identification has made him one of the a respected personnel minds in the Group of Five ranks.

Continuity for Silverfield at Arkansas

After Arkansas made the surprising move of hiring Silverfield away from Memphis, bringing Gasper along represents an important element of continuity. Modern college football demands perfect synchronization between the head coach and the general manager, particularly in an era defined by constant roster churn, the transfer portal, and NIL-driven decision-making.

Silverfield and Gasper already proved they work well together. Their partnership helped Memphis maintain a competitive roster and navigate the relentless pace of portal transactions. That familiarity should carry over to Arkansas as they begin reshaping the Razorbacks program.

Gasper’s Impact at Memphis

At Memphis, Gasper oversaw the recruiting department and played a major role in roster management, scouting, and day-to-day operational decisions. His fingerprints were all over a Tigers roster built largely through the transfer portal, an approach that paid off with an 8–4 season and a 4–4 AAC record.

Memphis was one of the most competitive Group of Five teams in 2025 with both of these guys leading the way, at one point having a realistic shot at representing the G5 in the College Football Playoff. Wins over USF and, ironically, Arkansas earlier in the year helped fuel that push, though narrow losses to Tulane and East Carolina ultimately derailed their conference title hopes.

Still, Gasper’s ability to construct a roster that relied heavily on transfers, while keeping it balanced and competitive, stood out. In today’s college football landscape, where roster management can determine a program’s ceiling overnight, his expertise was invaluable.

A Rising Personnel Talent

Gasper’s rise through the industry has been steady and impressive. During his time at West Virginia beginning in 2018, he coordinated all of the program’s recruiting operations, including talent identification, long-term strategy, and execution. His experience across multiple Power Five and Group of Five programs has prepared him for a major SEC challenge.

For Arkansas, adding Gasper is more than just hiring a staffer, it’s bringing in a Silverfield's counter part that helped construct a winning roster. Pairing him again with Silverfield gives the Razorbacks a unified leadership team capable of navigating the volatile portal era and rebuilding the program with purpose.

As Arkansas looks to reestablish itself in the SEC, the Silverfield-Gasper tandem will play a central role in shaping the roster, the culture, and ultimately the program’s trajectory. Their track record at Memphis suggests they know how to win together and Arkansas is betting that synergy can translate to Fayetteville.