Indiana rightly gets the attention as the classic "turnaround" story, the example of "if they can do it, so can Arkansas." However, don't forget Vanderbilt
It is really easy to think about Indiana and no other school when considering how quickly a nowhere program can become not only relevant, but a champion. It's not wrong or misguided, either. We've written about Curt Cignetti and Indiana changing the game for Ryan Silverfield and other coaches who will now be expected to do more in a shorter period of time. While the Indiana lovefest -- deservedly and legitimately -- continues, however, let's not forget another program which should be an example for Arkansas to follow: Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt was a lot like Indiana in many ways. The Commdores had decade after decade of mediocrity and misery. Sure, James Franklin did a solid job with VU when he was there, but Vanderbilt wasn't going 10-2 and threatening to make the playoff. Clark Lea isn't as good as Cignetti -- no one is -- but he did a better job than any SEC head coach in 2025. Kirby Smart and Georgia won the conference, but Vanderbilt did more with less. Analyst Josh Robinson pointed out that Vanderbilt, not just Indiana, deserves to be held up as a model for Arkansas and Ryan Silverfield:
"Upstart coaches like Silverfield will also have to start holding themselves accountable for not winning national titles as a result of Indiana’s success," Robinson told me. "The idea that a school has football limits has been absolutely shattered by Indiana and Vanderbilt. Having the right personnel and coaches seems to be much more important than past success. Now, young and hungry coaches must respond to the challenge of putting together a championship roster for a non-conventional winner. How many coaches are capable of doing this? Probably not many, but it’s going to be expected of them because Curt Cignetti did it and did it with Indiana.
"Silverfield has a solid recruiting class coming in, but he’s going to have to start landing a few more high-profile players before he can close the gap in a conference like the SEC. Fortunately for him, quarterback Hank Hendrix is an example of the type of player a school needs, and Arkansas is beating out Michigan for his signature right now. That’s good. More of this, please. It’s not going to get easier because of Cignetti; it’s going to be harder."
Could Hank Hendrix, flowing from Robinson's analysis, be Arkansas' version of Diego Pavia? A special player at football's most important position could be the driver of a rapid turnaround. Being realistic, Hendrix isn't likely to be a factor in 2026, but after a year of studying and practice, he might be ready to take off in 2027. If Arkansas finds "the guy" at QB, that would author a parallel with Vanderbilt, even more than with Indiana.
We can dare to dream.