Ranking The 25 Best Players in Arkansas Football History

After a particularly rousing victory against rival LSU in 1910, Arkansas coach Hugo Bezdek is reported to have compared his team to “a wild band of Razorback hogs.” Soon after, a group of local farmers began encouraging their team from the stands the way they called their hogs at home with the call of “Woooo, pig, sooooie!”

More than a  century later, it’s a call that continues to inspire Arkansas football players to this day.

The Razorbacks have built a rich tradition of success that has produced some of the most iconic coaches in college football history, 13 conference championships and a national championship in 1964. They also helped ignite the trend of conference realignment that has reshaped the landscape of the college game by leaving the Southwest Conference – a league they helped start in 1914  – for the SEC in 1992. 

Here are the 25 greatest football players in Arkansas Razorbacks history:

Top 25 Arkansas Razorbacks of All-Time

The Razorbacks have produced 10 College Football Hall of Famers, including 2 who are also enshrined in Canton at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The program boasts 21 consensus first-team All-Americans, 2 Outland Trophy winners, a 2-time Heisman Trophy runner-up who won back-to-back Doak Walker Awards and a former walk-on so iconic that there’s an award named in his honor.

Here’s a look back at the 25 greatest players in Arkansas football history.

25. Bud Brooks, Line (1952-1954)

Brooks is 1 of 2 players in Arkansas history to win the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman. He was a standout offensive guard and defensive tackle for the famed “25 Little Pig” team that went 8-3, won the 1954 Southwest Conference championship and finished No. 10 in the final Associated Press rankings. Benton was a first-team All-American that season, which he capped by being selected as the Most Valuable Player on the South team at the Senior Bowl.

25. KJ Jefferson, QB (2019-2023)

Jefferson had an eventful career with the Razorbacks. After spending 2 seasons as a backup, he took over the starting job and led Arkansas to back-to-back winning seasons while winning MVP honors at the Outback and Liberty Bowls. But he took a step back as a redshirt senior, finishing with a career-high in interceptions and a career-low completion percentage on a team that went 4-8 before transferring to UCF for his extra COVID season of eligibility. He left as the Razorbacks’ all-time leader in passing yardage with 7,923 yards, 67 touchdown passes, 9,799 yards of total offense and completion percentage of .651.  

24. Ken Hamlin, Safety (2000-2002)

Hamlin made an immediate splash by becoming the first freshman and only the second defensive back to lead the team in tackles. He had 104 that year, the first of 3 consecutive seasons in which he surpassed the century mark, again a program first. He was twice selected to the All-SEC first team and was a consensus first-team All-American in 2022 after recording 159 tackles, 8 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries and a team-leading 4 interceptions while helping the Razorbacks to a share of the SEC West title. He declared a year early for the NFL Draft as Arkansas’ all-time leader with 381 tackles, and 9 interceptions.

23. Frank Ragnow, Center (2014-2017)

Ragnow played 42 games as a member of the Razorbacks, including 33 consecutive starts before suffering a season-ending injury 7 games into his senior season. He played 2,603 offensive snaps against the toughest competition in college football. And in all that time, the 6-5, 317-pound Minnesota native did not allow a single sack. He led all FBS offensive linemen with a 93.7 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus and was the top center with a 92.4 run grade and 88.3 pass protection mark – with only 1 pressure allowed in 255 pass blocking snaps – before being sidelined. A third-team All-American, he was drafted 20th overall by the Detroit Lions.

22. Jonathan Luigs, Center (2005-2008)

The 2007 Rimington Trophy winner as the nation’s best center, Luigis was a pivotal figure on an offensive line that opened the holes for 2 1,000-yard rushers in 2006 and 2007. He wasn’t just an outstanding run blocker. In 2007, Luigs and his linemates allowed only 9 sacks in 14 games, the second-fewest in the FBS. Despite being only a 2-star recruit, he developed into a dominant 6-3, 303-pound star who made 49 consecutive starts, recorded 111 knockdown blocks over his final 2 seasons and graded out at better than 85% for his career. 

21. Felix Jones, RB (2005-2007)

Overshadowed by 2-time Doak Walker Award winner Darren McFadden during his 3 seasons in Fayetteville, Jones quietly put together a stellar career of his own as a runner, receiver out of the backfield and kick returner. He was also used as a “Wild Hog” quarterback in certain situations. Jones twice rushed for 1,100-plus yards, marking the first time in school history that the Hogs produced 2 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. He averaged 7.6 yards per carry for his career while gaining 2,954 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. He added 383 yards and 3 touchdowns receiving, and returned 4 kickoffs for touchdowns, earning selection as a consensus All-America as a return specialist in 2007.

20. Wayne Martin, DE (1985-1988)

Martin wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks for 4 seasons, leaving in 1989 as the first-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints as Arkansas’ all-time leader with 25.5 career sacks. His 37 tackles for loss are fourth in program history. The 6-5, 275-pound edge rusher saved his best for last, recording what was then a school-record 13 sacks, 18 TFLs, 7 forced fumbles and 3 recoveries to earn consensus All-American status while leading the Razorbacks to a 10-2 record and SWC title. Although Martin is not yet in the College Hall of Fame yet, that could change soon after appearing on the ballot for the first time in 2024.

19. Henry Ford, DT (1990-1993)

Ford is the first Arkansas player to earn first-team All-SEC honors. He did it during a senior season in which he set a school record with 14 sacks and 23 tackles for loss. It was a performance that punctuated a stellar career in which Martin came within a half-sack of Martin’s program-best 25.5. His 43 tackles for loss over his 4 seasons, split equally between the SWC and SEC – are the third-most by a Razorback. Ford was a first-round draft pick by the Houston Oilers and played in the Super Bowl for the team after it relocated to Tennessee and became the Titans.

18. Chuck Dicus, End (1968-1970)

Dicus earned All-Southwest Conference honors in each of his 3 seasons and was a first-team All-American as a senior to cap a career that earned him entry into the College Football Hall of Fame. The sure-handed receiver caught 118 passes for 1,854 yards and 16 touchdowns as a Razorback – all school records – while helping his teams to a 28-5 record and 2 conference championships. Dicus’ most memorable performances came at the Sugar Bowl. In 1969, he earned MVP accolades by catching 12 passes for 169 yards and the game’s only touchdown in a 16-2 win against Georgia. Then in 1970, he caught 6 passes for 171 yards and a 47-yard score in Arkansas’ loss to Ole Miss.

17. Matt Jones, QB (2001-2004)

Jones was a dual-threat quarterback with a flair for the dramatic. He twice led the Razorbacks to epic NCAA-record-tying 7-overtime victories, as a freshman against Ole Miss and a junior against Kentucky. In between, he produced one of the most memorable moments in program history by driving Arkansas 81 yards in the final 14 seconds to beat LSU on a game-winning touchdown pass to Decori Birmingham. Jones finished his career as the SEC’s all-time leader for rushing yards as a quarterback with 2,535. He also threw for 5,857 to rank sixth on the school’s all-time list. His 8,392 yards of total offense and 77 combined passing and rushing touchdowns are both the second-most by a Razorback.

16. Joe Adams, WR/KR (2008-2011)

Upon his arrival in 2008, Bobby Petrino assembled what Athlon ranked as the nation’s No. 1 receiving corps to fuel his high-octane passing offense. Of the group that also included Cobi Hamilton, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, Adams was by far the most versatile. Not only did he catch 164 passes, the third-most in school history, while also ranking among the all-time top 10 with 2,240 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns, but he also earned consensus All-American honors as a kick returner. Adams won the inaugural Johnny Rogers Return Specialist Award in 2011 after leading the nation and tying an SEC single-season record with 4 punt return touchdowns with an average of 15.8 yards per attempt.

15. Jarius Wright, WR (2008-2011)

Wright was an undersized slot receiver whose elite route-running ability and quickness allowed him to turn short passes into big gains. Despite playing alongside Cobi Hamilton and Joe Adams as part of a receiving corps that produced the top 3 pass-catchers in school history, he still stood out. He earned first-team All-SEC honors and set school records (that stood for only 1 season) with 66 catches and 1,117 yards during his senior season. (He is 1 of 5 Hogs on the SEC’s list of 1,000-yard receivers.) His 12 touchdowns in 2011 are still the most ever by an Arkansas receiver and his 2,934 career yards are the most in school history while his 168 catches and 24 touchdowns rank No. 2 on the Razorbacks’ all-time list.

14. Cobi Hamilton, WR (2009-2012)

A big-play threat who doubled as a sprinter on the Arkansas track team, Hamilton arrived a year after Wright and Adams. That gave him 1 full season to serve as the Razorbacks’ primary receiver after spending his first 3 years sharing the wealth with others. He took advantage by joining Wright in the 1,000-yard receiving club and setting school records with 90 catches and 1,335 yards while earning first-team All-SEC and third-team All-American recognition in 2012. The highlight of his senior season came against Rutgers when he set an SEC record with 303 receiving yards. His 175 career catches are the most in Arkansas history while his 2,854 career yards and 18 touchdowns rank among the top 5.

13. Wayne Harris, LB/Center (1958-1960)

Harris earned the nickname “Thumper” because of the sound he produced every time he put a hit on an opposing runner. The ferocity and power he displayed were made all the more impressive by his slight stature, with barely 180 pounds on his 6-foot-2 frame. His most memorable hit came in a 1959 win against SMU in which he knocked the Mustangs’ star quarterback Don Meredith out of the game. A 2-way player who is said to have come off the field only for halftime, Harris was a center on offense and a 2-time All-American linebacker whose single-season school record of 174 tackles in 1960 still stands. He was named conference Player of the Year that season on the way to earning entry into the College Football Hall of Fame.

12. Alex Collins, RB (2012-2015)

Despite being overshadowed nationally and in the SEC by Alabama’s Derrick Henry and LSU’s Leonard Fournette, Collins left his mark at Arkansas. He was the first SEC true freshman to rush for 300 yards in his first 3 games on the way to winning the league’s Freshman of the Year Award. As a senior in 2025, he set a school record by rushing for 20 touchdowns and finished his career with 3,703 yards, second only to Darren McFadden. Along with McFadden and Georgia’s Herschel Walker, Collins became only the third player in SEC history to rush for more than 1,000 yards 3 times. Collins went on to play 6 seasons in the NFL and was still active with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL when he was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in August 2023.

11. Ryan Mallett, QB (2009-2010)

Mallett played only 2 seasons for Arkansas after starting his career at Michigan. But they were 2 of the greatest seasons for a quarterback in program history thanks largely to the talented trio of receiving targets mentioned previously in these rankings. Mallett threw for 3,624 yards as a sophomore in 2009, the second most in Razorbacks history while setting a school record with 30 touchdown passes. He was even better the following year. He set new records with 3,869 yards and 32 touchdowns while leading his team to 10 wins and a trip to the Sugar Bowl. Mallett threw for more than 400 yards in a game and 5 touchdowns in a game 4 times each and set 16 program records before entering the NFL Draft a year early. Even though he played at least 2 seasons fewer than anyone else in Arkansas’ top 10, Mallett’s 7,493 yards and 62 touchdowns rank third on the school’s career list. He is 1 of only 2 Arkansas quarterbacks to record multiple 3,000-yard passing seasons.

10. Ronnie Caveness, LB (1962-1964)

A 2-time All-American, Caveness was a captain on the Razorbacks’ 1964 undefeated national championship team. He was an aggressive defender who played both ways during his first 2 seasons before becoming a full-time linebacker as a senior. Caveness had a knack for being around the football. He was Arkansas’ leading tackler in 21 straight games and recorded 309 tackles between his final 2 seasons, a school record for most tackles in consecutive years. His 29 tackles against Texas in 1963 are the most ever by a Razorback. His 25 tackles against the Longhorns in 1964 are the second most. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

9. Brandon Burlsworth, OG (1995-1998)

You know you’re a legend when they name a national award in your honor. Burlsworth rose to that level by beating the odds and transforming himself into a team captain and All-American after starting his career at Arkansas as an unrecruited walk-on. Burlsworth had always dreamed of playing for the Razorbacks, but at just 245 pounds he was too light to play offensive line at the Division I level. Through hard work and determination, he bulked up, earned a scholarship. won a starting job and became one of the nation’s best at his position. It was an inspirational story similar to that of Daniel Ruettiger at Notre Dame. But unlike “Rudy,” the movie that was made about Burlsworth’s journey had a sad ending. Eleven days after being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts, he was killed in a car accident. In his honor, the Burlsworth Trophy, honoring the nation’s best former walk-on, was established in 2010.

8. Clyde Scott, Back (1946-48)

A speedy 2-way back who played 2 seasons at the Naval Academy during World War II before coming to Arkansas, Scott was a 3-time all-conference selection and a 1948 consensus All-American in coach John Barnhill’s single-wing offense. Before running for 670 yards and averaging 7.0 yards per carry in his senior season, Scott won a silver medal in the 110 hurdles at the 1948 Olympics in London. He finished with what was then a school-record 1,463 yards. But according to his coach, that wasn’t the College Football Hall of Famer’s most significant accomplishment. In the book “The Razorbacks” by Orville Henry and Jim Bailey, Barnhill is quoted as saying that Scott “meant more to the Arkansas program than any other athlete,” because the native of Smackover, Ark., “convinced other Arkansas boys they should stay home.” Scott’s No. 12 is 1 of only 2, along with Burlsworth’s No. 77, to be retired by the Razorbacks.

7. Wear Schoonover, End (1927-1929)

A testament to Schoonover’s greatness is that a full century after playing his last game for the Razorbacks, his name still appears in the school record books for his accomplishments on both offense and defense. His 5 interceptions against Texas A&M during his senior season, one of which was returned for a 92-yard touchdown, is a record that might never be broken. The big-play end who sportswriters of the era described as “electrifying” and “incredible” also has a share of the Arkansas single-game record for receptions with 13 against Baylor that same season. His 7 touchdown catches in 1929 are still tied for 9th in school history. Schoonover was the first official All-American in the Southwest Conference and in 1967, he became the first Razorback to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

6. Loyd Phillips, Tackle (1965-1966)

As a sophomore in 1964, Phillips was a 2-way starter at tackle on a defense that shut out its final 5 opponents and helped propel the Razorbacks to a national championship. Two seasons later, he won the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football, A relentless competitor who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992, Phillips was credited with 304 career tackles (100 each in 1965 and 1967, 97 in 1966). Arkansas went 29-3 in his 3 seasons. Despite winning individual honors, Phillips was the ultimate team player. He declined to attend his Outland Trophy ceremony, instead sending the school’s sports information director to accept it for him because he believed it was a team award.

5. Billy Ray Smith, DE (1979-1982)

Smith’s father and namesake played tackle at Arkansas, where he was a team captain and an All-SWC selection in 1956 who would eventually be named to the program’s All-Century team. Like father, like son. Only better. Smith Jr. didn’t just follow in his dad’s footsteps by becoming a team captain and an all-conference performer, he took things a step further by becoming the Razorbacks’ only 2-time unanimous All-American and earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. Smith finished with 299 tackles and set a school record that still stands by recording 63 career tackles for loss – 15.5 more than anyone else in the history of the program. Many of those were sacks, though the stat wasn’t officially kept until the year after he graduated.

4. Steve Atwater, Safety (1985-1988)

Atwater was recruited by coach Ken Hatfield as a quarterback. But it didn’t take long for the staff to realize that his talents were best suited to play on the defensive side of the ball. The athletic youngster was switched to safety, where he went on to earn 3 All-Southwest Conference selections and set a school record with 14 career interceptions. But Atwater was more than just a talented pass defender. He was also a physical run-stopper who was credited with 229 tackles during his 4 seasons, to go along with 28 pass breakups. As good as he was in college, Atwater was even better as a pro. He won 2 Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos and was named to 8 Pro Bowls on his way to immortality in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

3. Lance Alworth, RB (1959-1961)

Nicknamed “Bambi” because of his slight 6-foot, 178-pound build, along with his speed and leaping ability, Alworth joins Dan Hampton as the only Razorbacks to gain entry into both the College and Pro Football halls of fame as players. One of the best all-around athletes in school history, he was the first to win letters in 3 sports in one season – running the 100-yard dash in 9.6 seconds, leading the baseball team in stolen bases and earning All-America honors as a halfback in 1961. Alworth rushed for 1,272 yards and 4 touchdowns and caught 37 passes for 645 yards and 6 scores while also playing defense. punting and returning kicks while helping the Razorbacks win or share 3 Southwest Conference championships. He led the nation in punt returns in 1960 and 1961, scoring touchdowns of 67 and 49 yards. He went on to become one of the first stars in the old AFL as a receiver for the San Diego Chargers before moving to the NFL as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. 

2. Dan Hampton, DT (1975-1978)

Before gaining national fame as a key component of arguably the NFL’s greatest defense, the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears, Hampton was a dominant force on Arkansas teams that went 35-10-2 with a Southwest Conference championship during his 4 seasons. Though it is uncertain how many sacks he might have had since it wasn’t an official stat during the time he played, the numbers that were counted were impressive. He finished his career with 237 tackles, 126 of which were unassisted. He added 32 tackles for loss and 6 fumble recoveries, earning selection to Arkansas’ All-Century team in addition to being named SWC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American as a senior. He is one of 2 former Razorbacks to be inducted into both the College and Pro Football halls of fame.

1. Darren McFadden, RB (2005-2007)

“Run  DMC” holds the Razorbacks’ records for rushing yards in a career (4,590), season (1,830) and game (321 vs. South Carolina in 2007). He is the program’s leader in all-purpose yardage with 5,881 and ranks second in school history with 41 rushing touchdowns. An explosive runner with the rare combination of speed, power and elusiveness, McFadden ran for more than 1,100 yards in each of his 3 seasons at Arkansas. McFadden and Alex Collins are the only Hogs whose names are on the SEC’s list of 1,000-yard rushers 3 times. He is 1 of only 2 players to win multiple Doak Walker Awards as the nation’s best running back, taking home the honor in 2006 and 2007. He also won back-to-back SEC Offensive Player of the Year awards, ranks third all-time among in SEC rushing and was twice runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. In addition to earning consensus All-American honors as a running back, he was also named to the first team as a kick returner in 2006. McFadden left Arkansas after his junior season and was taken by the Dallas Cowboys with the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

Brett Friedlander

Award-winning columnist Brett Friedlander has covered the ACC and college basketball since the 1980s.