Arkansas football coach Ryan Silverfield took a bit of an unorthodox approach when building his quarterback room for the 2026 season.
Rather than getting involved in the arms race for high-profile gunslingers in the transfer portal – with bidding wars going north of $6 million – the new Head Hog focused on retention and future-proofing.
Rising redshirt sophomore KJ Jackson returns after promising cameos last year. Memphis transfer AJ Hill and four-star signee Hank Hendrix – who forewent his senior year at Fayetteville High to enroll early – provide youth and high potential. Braeden Fuller, a redshirt senior out of Division II Angelo State, offers a wealth of experience.
On Friday evening, Silverfield turned that quartet into a quintet with the addition of walk-on Cade Trotter from Clemson.
The Dallas native was not a heralded recruit, but took the opportunity to walk on and work with the scout team as a true freshman. Trotter did not see any game action last season and has four years of eligibility remaining.
Most notably, though, Trotter appears to be the first refugee of the third Chad Morris era at Clemson.
It’s only fitting for Arkansas to offer him safe harbor.
Cade Trotter and Chad Morris’ Connection
After a disappointing 7-6 campaign last year, Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney decided to part ways with highly-regarded offensive coordinator Garrett Riley. Naturally, the national champion coach criticized for his stubbornness and excessive loyalty opted for familiarity with his new playcalling hire.
Morris was reported as the leading candidate for the gig on Dec. 30. Trotter entered the transfer portal the very next day.
The 57-year-old previously served as Swinney’s offensive coordinator from 2011-14, a stretch where Clemson first established itself as a perennial contender. The Swinney-Morris partnership resulted in a 42-11 record with high-powered offenses led by star quarterbacks Tajh Boyd and Deshaun Watson. It wasn’t until Morris left that Clemson reached four national title games in five seasons, but his time calling plays put the Tigers on the national map and paved the road to those future triumphs.
