The Arkansas Razorbacks have a long and illustrious history that has seen them prepare many players for life in the NFL. Almost 300 Razorbacks have been drafted to the pro league, but how many of them have jumped from the NCAA football odds to playing in the NFL in recent years?
Hunter Henry
Born in Little Rock and with a father who played linebacker for the Razorbacks, Hunter Henry played high school football for Pulaski Academy and was regarded as one of the best prospects in the country when he joined Arkansas.
Henry is best remembered by Razorbacks for his part in the unique play against Ole Miss where he threw a blind backward pass to Alex Collins. He then joined the NFL in 2016, with the San Diego Chargers picking him.
He was one of five Razorbacks to join the pro league in this draft, and that level of consistency is something we’ve seen over the years, as Arkansas has regularly fed players to the pro league.
John Ridgeway
John Ridgeway started his college football career at Illinois State, where he played as a defensive tackle. When he entered the transfer portal, Ridgeway had plenty of offers but he chose to join the Razorbacks. He played as nose guard in his one season in Arkansas, which he finished with 39 tackles and a couple of sacks to his name.
Following this successful spell, he entered the 2022 NFL draft, where he was picked up in round five by the Dallas Cowboys. During a recent interview with a Dallas radio station, the defensive lineman admitted that he struggled academically in the past and had to focus heavily on lifting weights to compete against other players his age.
Trevlon Burks
Born in Warren, where he also attended high school, Trevlon Burks was a four-star recruit when he joined the Razorbacks in 2018. The wide receiver had a strong season in 2020, when he racked up seven touchdowns and 820 yards in just eight games.
A total of 1,104 yards in the 2021 season put Burks in the top four all-time Razorbacks for receiving yards. He decided to enter the 2022 draft and was picked by the Tennessee Titans in the second round.
Kamren Curl
Curl moved to Arkansas despite offers from college football programs all over the country. He started as a cornerback in the first dozen games in his freshman season before making the move to safety.
His big move to the NFL came in the 2020 NFL draft, although he had to wait until the seventh round before getting picked by the Washington Commanders. He joined on a four-year rookie contract and soon became the starting strong safety, posting impressive numbers for tackles.
Dre Greenlaw
Another football player who grew up in Arkansas, Dre Greenlaw went from high school at Fayetteville to the Razorbacks and then moved on to the NFL.
The San Francisco 49ers picked him in the fifth round in the 2019 draft, and the linebacker started picking up a good number of sacks and interceptions right away.
Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams almost went to Missouri for his college years, before he finally chose to become a razorback. The Texas-born running back was a four-star recruit who got his first touchdown with the very first reception he made.
Injury ruined his senior season, but he then made it to the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. After that, Williams bounced around teams in the league like the Broncos and the Saints before ending up at the Washington Commanders.
Cody Hollister
Wide receiver Hollister is from Oregon but made the move to Arkansas for college football. He joined the NFL with the New England Patriots, as an undrafted free agent following the draft.
Since then, the former Razorback has won the Super Bowl. He was with the Patriots when they won Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams, although he didn’t play due to injury. Hollister is now with the Tennessee Titans.
Other former Razorbacks in the NFL
The long list of other players who have moved from the Arkansas team to the NFL includes the likes of Montaric Brown of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Armon Watts of the Minnesota Vikings, and Deatrich Wise Jr of the New England Patriots.
In total, there are 25 NFL players who’ve come through the Arkansas program and are currently active as pros. The Razorbacks are still behind Notre Dame in the all-time list of NFL picks, as the Fighting Irish has had over 500 players move to the pro league, compared to about 270 from Arkansas.
Jack Robbins was the very first Razorback to be drafted into the NFL, when he joined the Chicago Cardinals in 1938. This year, the 2022 draft saw Treylon Burks, John Ridgeway, and Montaric Brown enter the NFL during the draft.