FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – “Talking Season” begins July 14 as SEC Media Days return to Atlanta, and the Arkansas Razorbacks are set to take the stage on Thursday, July 17. Representing the Hogs will be defensive lineman Cam Ball, quarterback Taylen Green, and linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr., alongside sixth-year head coach Sam Pittman.
Ball enters the 2025 season as one of the most seasoned veterans on the Razorbacks’ roster, having appeared in 39 games with 20 starts during his college career. He started all 13 games in 2024 as a redshirt junior, posting a career-best 47 tackles, including four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. The Atlanta native also notched two quarterback hurries and recovered a fumble. He played a key role in Arkansas’ 39-26 Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech on Dec. 27, recording five tackles and a quarterback hurry. He capped the regular season with a career-high seven tackles, including one for loss, at Missouri on Nov. 30. Ball also made a significant impact in the Hogs’ 58-25 victory at Mississippi State on Oct. 26, finishing with three tackles, a fumble recovery, and an assisted sack.
Green looks to build on a breakout 2024 season in which he totaled 3,756 yards of offense—602 rushing and 3,154 passing with 23 touchdowns—marking the second-highest single-season total in school history behind Ryan Mallett’s record of 3,795. He became just the seventh Razorback quarterback to throw for over 3,000 yards in a season. Nationally, Green ranked 13th in total offense per game (288.9), 14th in yards per completion (13.71), and 21st in total passing yards. The Lewisville, Texas, native earned Liberty Bowl MVP honors after throwing for an Arkansas bowl-record 341 yards and two touchdowns on 11-of-21 passing, while adding 81 rushing yards and a score. He became the first Arkansas quarterback since 2016 to surpass 300 passing yards in a bowl game and recorded three 300-yard games during the season, including a career-high 416 yards at Oklahoma State on Sept. 7.
Sorey Jr. emerged as one of the SEC’s top linebackers in 2024. In his first season with the Razorbacks, he started all 13 games and led the team with 99 total tackles (40 solo, 59 assisted), tying for the team lead with 9.5 tackles for loss. He also added two sacks, an interception, a pass breakup, and three quarterback hurries. Sorey Jr. ranked sixth in the SEC with 7.6 tackles per game and led the team in tackles in five contests.
Head Coach Sam Pittman is set to make his fifth appearance at SEC Media Days, after the event was canceled ahead of his first season due to the pandemic. Now entering his sixth year at the helm of the Arkansas program, Pittman is coming off his third consecutive bowl victory—becoming the only coach in Razorback history to win each of his first three bowl appearances. His sixth season matches Ken Hatfield’s tenure, with only five coaches having served longer in the program’s 131-year history.
Arkansas opens the 2025 season on Saturday, August 30, hosting Alabama A&M at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
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