Back in February this year, College Football Report came up with their list of ‘College Football Head Coach Hot Seat Tiers.’ And in the ‘Scorching Hot Seat’ category, Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman found himself. Things are going to be tough for the 2018 Joe Moore Award finalist, Pittsburg State Athletics Hall of Famer, First-Team NAIA All-American. And Pittman’s quarterback, Taylen Green, will also not be spared from the heat. After all, they have been carrying the burden of a dark past. Their inability to close out one-possession games has proved to be a major hurdle lately. As if Pittman and Razorbacks did not have enough on their plates, here comes Marcus Freeman with a fresh serving of woes. 

Pittman’s team needs a serious revamp since 2023. In that year, their former OC and QBs coach, Dan Enos‘, putrid scheme saw the Razorbacks run for 139 yards per game, which was nearly 100 yards less than the earlier seasons. However, Pittman’s efforts to make things better in 2024 went in vain. His offense had a 459.4 total yards per game average, ranking them 15th in the nation. They also ranked 28th in passing yards per game with 274.6 and 62nd in rushing yards per game with 184.8. The biggest blow came for Pittman in turnovers. The team came up with a concerning No.99 rank. Can Pittman bring himself out of the unlucky tribe in 2025?

Analyst RJ Young does not sound very confident about it. On the June 6 episode of the Adapt & Respond with RJ Young podcast, the host shared how he is under the presumption that Arkansas can get stuck at 7 wins. He started with how Pittman’s squad stooped low in his eyes after they took a 31-39 loss against Oklahoma State. Just before that, the Razorbacks came off undefeated with a 70-0 against Arkansas-Pine Buff. “Remember this is a team last year that I felt very good about, and then they take that just devastating loss to Oklahoma State, who turned out to be not be any good, but you could see what they could become.” That’s when the quarterback enters the chat and gets a bittersweet verdict. 

Taylen Green threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 81 yards in Arkansas’ 39-26 victory over Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl. While Green can generate electric plays inside and outside of the pocket, he struggled last season, taking sacks. So, one can sense how Pittman’s quarterback has a 50-50 chance of a turnaround from Young’s take. “Like Taylen Green is dumb athletic. We know this. He’s also the guy that can lead you to a win against Tennessee that Malachi Singleton game and finish off for you, but he played really well in that game – people forget this.” Young then pans his focus back to Pittman. After all, lately, an anonymous SEC coach has pulled the strings with his comment on Arkansas not seeing any improvement walking into 2025.

The quote from the Athlon Sports interview with the unnamed coach went like, “Last year, they did just enough to keep [Sam] Pittman off the hot seat, but it will be just as difficult this season. Sam has a ton of respect, but this roster isn’t going to separate them.” The biggest reason is that they do not have SEC-level talent up front on defense. Plus, Arkansas has lost 39 total players to the NCAA transfer portal since its season ended, and has only brought in 28 more. If Pittman thinks that’s enough, Young dished out some more fear. 

Turns out that the schedule would add to Pittman’s woes. “There are a lot of people that just can’t stand Sam Pittman there. I’m not one of them. I love Sam, I believe in Sam. He’s one of my favorite coaches ever. But I also recognize that if you’re Arkansas – you don’t want to be stuck in six, seven, eight-win purgatory, and every now and again, when you jump up and get nine get nine wins, you feel good about that. But in this league, given what it is from top to bottom, it’s just hard man, and this year Arkansas’s got Notre Dame on the schedule.” Now we know, that’s going to be an uphill battle.

Can Sam Pittman count on Taylen Green for a flip of luck?

Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame is expected to return one of the top defensive units in college football. Notre Dame likely won’t have an individual as dominant as Rylie Mills was for much of last season, but the depth and size of this position group are really impressive. Veterans Gabriel Rubio and Jason Onye started the Blue-Gold Game and are expected to start in the fall. Their ability to shut down the run and create turnovers makes life difficult for offenses like Arkansas, which is still retooling its identity post-KJ Jefferson.

Now, amidst all this, Pittman can see some silver lining when it comes to his quarterback, Green. He has accepted an invitation to serve as a counselor at the prestigious Manning Passing Academy. This exposure to be a part of the four-day football clinic is just the milestone that he needed to boost his morale ahead of a tough season. Green’s selection continues a strong Arkansas tradition at Pittman’s camp. He follows in the footsteps of former Razorback quarterbacks KJ Jefferson, Cole Kelley, and Austin Allen, among others. Does that mean Green is the lifeboat that Razorbacks need to keep themselves afloat in the rough sea?

For Green, who transferred to Arkansas after three years at Boise State, the opportunity to learn from the Manning family is going to perfectly align with his growing leadership role in Fayetteville. Already, Sam Pittman’s quarterback is picking up the NFL buzz. Physically, he checks every box: size, mobility, and arm talent. His 22 big-time throws ranked ninth among quarterbacks in the Power Four conferences. The hype is real, but Green’s true litmus test awaits under the bright lights against Notre Dame.