Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM SEPT. 20, 2025 43 OPPONENT ON DECK: ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS Date: Sept. 27, 2025 Site (Capacity): Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (76,000) Kickoff (TV): 12 p.m. (ABC) All-time series: First meeting 2025 Record To Date: 2-1 (0-1 SEC) Head coach: Sam Pittman, 31-32 at Arkansas and overall (6th year) Season summary: Arkansas didn't learn much about itself in a pair of nonconference victories to start the season. The Razorbacks started 2-0 for the fourth time in head coach Sam Pittman's six seasons leading the program with victories over FCS-level Alabama A&M and Arkansas State. Neither game was particularly competitive by half- time with a 31-7 lead to start a 52-7 victory over Alabama A&M and a 35-14 lead to start a 56-14 victory over Arkansas State. Fifth-year senior quarterback Taylen Green, who started all 13 games for the Razorbacks last season after transferring from Boise State, re-established his importance to the Arkansas offense in those first two games with his dual-threat abilities. He completed 71.9 percent of his passes for 561 yards with 10 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the first two games. He also rushed 18 times for 192 yards and 1 touchdown. The Arkansas offense almost certainly won't maintain the pace it notched through the season's first two games. The Razorbacks ranked No. 4 in the FBS in total offense (591.0 yards per game) and No. 5, tied with two others, in scoring offense (54.0 points per game) through Week 2. But Pitt- man's offensive attack may continue to present challenges to sturdier defenses. What Arkansas badly needed to correct from the 2024 season was a dreadful passing defense. The Razorbacks returned a lot of the same personnel in the secondary from last season for defensive coordinator Travis Williams. Improvement in the back end will likely dictate how well Arkansas can navigate the SEC gauntlet. ✦ Fifth-year senior quarterback Taylen Green com- pleted 71.9 percent of his passes for 561 yards with 10 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in the first two games this season. PHOTO COURTESY ARKANSAS ATHLETICS OFFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. WR-X 9 O'Mega Blake 6-2 187 R-Sr. 5 Ja'Kayden Ferguson 6-2 187 Fr. WR-W 3 CJ Brown 6-1 200 So. 6 Raylen Sharpe 5-9 169 R-Sr. or 15 Kam Shanks 5-8 169 R-So. LT 51 Corey Robinson II 6-5 311 R-Sr. 75 Kavion Broussard 6-6 317 R-Fr. LG 55 Fernando Carmona 6-5 325 R-Sr. 70 Blake Cherry 6-5 316 Fr. C 52 Caden Kitler 6-3 305 R-Jr. 53 Kash Courtney 6-4 297 Fr. RG 50 Kobe Branham 6-5 329 R-Fr. or 76 E'Marion Harris 6-7 313 R-Jr. RT 76 E'Marion Harris 6-7 313 R-Jr. or 71 Shaq McRoy 6-8 344 R-Fr. QB 10 Taylen Green 6-6 235 R-Sr. 7 KJ Jackson 6-4 225 R-Fr. RB 4 Mike Washington 6-2 228 Sr. 0 Braylen Russell 6-1 238 So. FB 47 Maddox Lassiter 6-4 250 R-So. TE-H 88 Rohan Jones 6-3 242 Sr. TE-Y 81 Andreas Paaske 6-6 267 R-Sr. or 83 Jaden Platt 6-5 265 R-So. WR-Z 17 Jalen Brown 6-1 171 R-So. 14 Andy Jean 6-1 189 R-So. or 2 Courtney Crutchfield 6-2 195 R-Fr. DEFENSE Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. DE 97 Quincy Rhodes Jr. 6-6 275 Jr. 9 Charlie Collins 6-5 255 So. DT 5 Cam Ball 6-5 323 R-Sr. 54 Keyshawn Blackstock 6-5 320 R-Sr. DT 95 Ian Geffrard 6-5 387 R-So. 88 Danny Saili 6-3 319 Sr. DE 0 Justus Boone 6-4 278 R-Sr. or 1 Phillip Lee 6-4 240 R-Sr. LB 14 Stephen Dix Jr. 6-1 246 R-Sr. 7 Bradley Shaw 6-1 237 So. LB 10 Xavian Sorey Jr. 6-3 225 R-Sr. 26 Trent Whalen 6-3 238 R-Sr. CB 23 Julian Neal 6-2 208 R-Sr. 2 Selman Bridges 6-2 185 So. or 21 Keshawn Davila 6-1 165 Jr. S 16 Miguel Mitchell 6-1 222 R-Jr. or 22 Caleb Wooden 6-1 195 Sr. S 3 Larry Worth III 6-4 226 Sr. 8 Quentavius Scandrett 6-3 210 Sr. CB 13 Kani Walker 6-2 204 R-Sr. 15 Jaheim Singletary 6-2 201 R-Jr. NB 4 Jordan Young 6-0 198 R-Sr. 19 Shakur Smalls 6-0 209 R-Sr. SPECIAL TEAMS Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. K 80 Scott Starzyk 5-10 172 Fr. 40 Blake Ford 6-1 223 R-Jr. P 37 Devin Bale 6-3 205 R-Sr. 36 Gavin Rush 6-3 207 Fr. KO 37 Devin Bale 6-3 205 R-Sr. or 40 Blake Ford 6-1 223 R-Jr. LS 30 Ashton Ngo 5-11 236 R-Sr. 49 Zach Haber 5-10 226 R-So. H 37 Devin Bale 6-3 205 R-Sr. 36 Gavin Rush 6-3 207 Fr. KR 1 Rodney Hill 5-10 193 R-Jr. 25 Markeylin Batton 5-10 178 Fr. PR 15 Kam Shanks 5-8 169 R-So. 6 Raylen Sharpe 5-9 169 R-Sr. ARKANSAS DEPTH CHART On Deck 2025 ARKANSAS SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET)/Result Aug. 30 Alabama A&M W, 52-7 Sept. 6 Arkansas State W, 56-14 Sept. 13 at Ole Miss L, 41-35 Sept. 20 at Memphis 12 p.m. Sept. 27 Notre Dame (ABC) 12 p.m. Oct. 11 at Tennessee TBA Oct. 18 Texas A&M TBA Oct. 25 Auburn TBA Nov. 1 Mississippi State TBA Nov. 15 at LSU TBA Nov. 22 at Texas TBA Nov. 29 Missouri TBA