Arkansas' coaching change is already paying off on the recruiting trail, and it comes at the expense of the Miami Hurricanes. Little Rock (Ark.) Central defensive lineman Anthony Kennedy Jr. committed to the Razorbacks on Monday, flipping from Miami and giving new head coach Ryan Silverfield another in-state building block in his first class.
Arkansas officially hired the former Memphis coach this week after a 2-10 season that led to Sam Pittman's firing and a seven-game losing streak under interim coach Bobby Petrino. Silverfield arrives with a 50-25 record at Memphis.
BREAKING: Class of 2026 DL Anthony Kennedy Jr. has Committed to Arkansas, he tells me for @rivals⁰⁰The 6’6 315 DL was previously committed to Miami⁰⁰“It’s always been a dream of mine to play for my home state. Can’t way to get this thing rolling!”⁰⁰https://t.co/2hbXJ55HFj pic.twitter.com/w3yf4EUyu4
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 1, 2025
3-star DL Anthony Kennedy Jr. flips from Miami to Arkansas
Kennedy had been committed to the Hurricanes since June 27 before decommitting on Nov. 27, and he is also a former Missouri pledge, making this his third, and likely final, stop in a busy recruitment.
The Rivals Industry Ranking lists Kennedy as the No. 425 overall prospect and No. 46 defensive lineman in the 2026 cycle, as well as the No. 4 player in Arkansas. He comes in at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds.
As a senior at Little Rock Central, Kennedy posted 61 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, two sacks, 14 quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles, and he is slated to play in the Military Appreciation Bowl in Frisco, Texas, later this month.
For Arkansas, the timing of his pledge is as important as the profile. Kennedy is the fourth in-state prospect to jump on board Monday, joining four-star defensive lineman Danny Beale III, four-star running back TJ Hodges and three-star linebacker Jakore Smith.
Beale is the top-ranked prospect in Arkansas and checks in as the No. 199 overall recruit and No. 23 defensive lineman nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking after reopening his recruitment when he decommitted from Oklahoma State in October. Hodges flipped from Missouri less than two months after pledging to the Tigers and is rated the No. 311 overall prospect, the No. 20 running back and the No. 3 player in Arkansas, while Smith is a three-star in-state linebacker who previously committed to Oklahoma before deciding to stay home.
For Miami, this is a notable subtraction but not a total gut punch up front. Since Kennedy committed in June, the Hurricanes have added more defensive line talent, including three-star tackle Tyson Bacon, four-star Frederic Sainteus and a late flip of top-300 defender Isaac Chukwurah from Penn State.