Which Arkansas football's 2026 recruits will have instant impact?

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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas football‘s first recruiting class under Ryan Silverfield leans heavily on in-state talent.

As of Wednesday afternoon, nine of the 15 signees with the Razorbacks hail from Arkansas. Four of those prospects didn’t commit until Silverfield assumed the mantle of head coach earlier this week.

Still, it’s a small group of incoming freshmen, and Silverfield will need to hit the transfer portal with fervor to fill out the roster.

Here’s a look at where Arkansas’ 2026 class fares against the rest of the country, along with five notable recruits the Hogs landed this cycle.

Arkansas football recruiting class 2026 rankings

With two late additions Wednesday afternoon, Arkansas jumped to No. 56 of the 247sports composite rankings. The Razorbacks are 54th according to On3 and ESPN.

Arkansas’ class ranks 15th in the SEC, according to the 247Sports Composite. The Hogs jumped one spot on signing day and now have a better class than Kentucky.

Ranking Arkansas football’s best signing day recruits

(These our the Southwest Times Record’s picks for Arkansas top-five recruits in the 2026 class. All rankings are courtesy of the 247Sports Composite)

1. DL Anthony Kennedy Jr. (Little Rock)

Mario Cristobal knows a thing about dominating along the line of scrimmage, and Kennedy was a long-time Miami commit in this cycle. However, he backed off his pledge to the Hurricanes and joined Ryan Silverfield’s first class with the Razorbacks earlier this week. Kennedy is a strong, big-bodied interior defender who should be able to plug running lanes and rush the passer. At 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, Kennedy tallied 61 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, two sacks, 14 pressures and two forced fumbles as a senior. He is the 461st-ranked player in America and has the upside to become a multi-year starter in the SEC.

2. DL Danny Beale (Wynne)

Another in-state defensive lineman, Beale is actually the highest-ranked signee in Arkansas’ class. He is 160th-best prospect in the country and the 17th-ranked defensive lineman thanks to elite athleticism at his position. Beale will need to sharpen up his technique and hit the college weight room, but there’s massive potential here, and Arkansas needed an influx of talent along the defensive line. Beale had 35 tackles, including three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one interception and six quarterback hurries as a senior.

3. RB TJ Hodges (Bryant)

Hodges is a home-run playmaker who will infuse Arkansas’ running backs room with explosiveness. He was a long-time Missouri commit who flipped to Arkansas on Silverfield’s first full day as head coach. Hodges has 108 carries for 900 yards and seven touchdowns while hauling in eight catches for 142 yards and three touchdowns as a senior. As a sophomore, Hodges won the Arkansas 1A state championship in the 200 meters (22.88) and long jump (20-9.25), and finished second in the 100 meters (10.85). The Hogs have plenty of snaps available at running back with Mike Washington Jr. out of eligibility.

4. EDGE Colton Yarbrough (Durant, Oklahoma)

For a while, Yarbrough was the highest-ranked commit in the Hogs’ class. He stayed loyal to the program through the coaching changes and is now part of a strong group of commits along the defensive line. Yarbrough is an athletic pass rusher who also played tight end in high school and has plenty of room to grow and could move inside at the next level. The versatility is appealing, and he tallied 45 total tackles, four quarterback hurries and five tackles for loss as a senior in 2025.

5. WR Jude Hall (Greenville, South Carolina)

Hall was a Memphis commit who will now follow Silverfield to Fayetteville. He is 6-foot-5 and brings excellent speed as a two-time state champion in the 400-meter hurdles. He was extremely productive in high school football, racking up more than 2,000 yards receiving and 26 touchdowns during his career. It’s been a while since Arkansas developed a high school recruit into a big-time receiver. Hall has that potential.

Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football recruiting rankings, best players in 2026 class

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