It's not surprising at all that Lane Kiffin did well in the portal, but it's a sobering reminder of what Arkansas is up against in SEC football
Arkansas and Ryan Silverfield did a solid job in the transfer portal. Great? We don't know. Terrible? No, not at all. The Hogs brought in a lot of players and got depth at a lot of different position groups. The coaching staff and the NIL operation did good work for a first cycle. The sobering reality about SEC football, however, is that while Arkansas did well, other schools in the SEC did better because they have the brand name, the coach, the profile, and the resources to acquire top-tier players. ESPN has more on Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers:
"LSU knew hiring Lane Kiffin would invite plenty of scrutiny, but also plenty of big fish in the transfer portal. Kiffin lived up to his reputation as a dealmaker by securing multiple top players in the portal. Landing quarterback Sam Leavitt from Arizona State was a high-wire act, but the Tigers emerged from the transfer cycle with one of the most dynamic players available and, if all goes according to plan, Leavitt's heir apparent in Husan Longstreet of USC. A cavalcade of new receivers, including Eugene Wilson III (Florida), Jayce Brown (Kansas State), Tre' Brown III (Old Dominion) and Winston Watkins (Ole Miss) should help revamp LSU's passing attack.
"Add in Boise State defensive back Ty Benefield, who had the seventh-most tackles (105) among defensive backs nationally in 2025, and some reinforcements along the defensive line, including top-ranked edge Princewill Umanmielen, and the Tigers reloaded about as well as they could have hoped, though their offensive line depth remains a bit murky."
Guess what? After ESPN offered that assessment of LSU's roster, the Tigers and Kiffin won the portal commitment of Colorado offensive lineman Jordan Seaton. If LSU was already the portal king, the Seaton commitment affirms the Tigers' place atop the board.
Arkansas isn't currently in a position to match Lane Kiffin or LSU player for player in a transfer portal arms race. A team which is rebuilding and has fallen on hard times -- in a less visible media market with a less prominent brand name -- is simply not going to go blow for blow with a program which has won three national championships this century. LSU's portal success offers the reminder that Arkansas is not in a position to change everything right away, as much as we might all hope for a Curt Cignetti-style turnaround. Arkansas isn't playing the same game other SEC schools are.
The hope is that it will be able to do precisely that in a few short seasons.