The five additions bring Silverfield’s initial coaching staff to 13 assistant coaches.
Cotton comes to Arkansas after spending the last two seasons with the Miami Dolphins as the assistant defensive line coach. His two seasons in the NFL came after more than a decade of coaching in the collegiate ranks. His work with the 2024 Dolphins helped the team produce a top-five defense, ranking fourth in total defense allowing 314.4 yards per game. Cotton helped defensive tackles Calais Campbell and Zach Sieler produce at a high level with Sieler leading the team with 10.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss. Campbell recorded 12 tackles for loss, second on the squad.
Cotton brings SEC experience, having spent the 2023 season at LSU as a senior defensive analyst and a year as a strength and conditioning assistant at Alabama early in his career (2013). His lone season with the Tigers was a 10-3 campaign ending with a No. 12 ranking in the final AP and Coaches polls.
In 2022, Cotton helped transform Travis Bell into an All-ASUN performer at Kennesaw State. Bell then became the first NFL Draft pick in program history when he was taken in the seventh round by Chicago in the 2023 NFL Draft. Cotton spent three seasons (2019-21) at Samford coaching defensive ends. During the spring season of 2021, he helped Nelson Jordan earn Second-Team All-Southern Conference honors after leading the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.
Cotton coached the defensive line at West Georgia in 2018 after spending two seasons at North Carolina as a defensive quality control. He earned his first on-field coaching position at Birmingham Southern in 2015 as the team’s defensive line coach after spending the 2014 season as a graduate assistant at UAB.
He was a four-year letterman at Alabama State as a defensive lineman. He served as a team captain and was named Second-Team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference as a senior. He is married to his wife, Chatil.
Johnson is no stranger to the SEC, having played at Ole Miss with coaching stops at Mississippi State and Missouri on his resume.
He spent the 2025 season with Ohio State as the program’s assistant offensive line coach. The Buckeyes’ offense has been among the nation’s best all season averaging 34.9 points per game while earning a spot in the College Football Playoff. The OSU offensive line has allowed only 11.0 sacks through 13 games this season. Luke Montgomery and Austin Siereveld were both named to the All-Big Ten second team.
Prior to Ohio State, Johnson spent two seasons at Purdue leading the offensive line. His first Boilermakers’ line helped produce the best running attack at Purdue in over a decade despite battling injury to multiple linemen during the 2023 season. The team ran for 2,029 yards – the most since 2012 – and produced consecutive 300-yard rushing games for the first time since 1968, including the most in a Big Ten game that season with 353 yards vs. Minnesota. Gus Hartwig and Marcus Mbow picked up All-Big Ten Honorable Mention recognition for their efforts.
At Missouri, Johnson was promoted in May 2021 to Assistant Head Coach and Run Game Coordinator after helping the 2020 Tigers average 135.2 yards rushing per game and score 21 touchdowns. His first o-line ranked fourth in the SEC and 30th nationally allowing only 1.6 sacks per game. The Tigers improved in the run game in 2021, averaging 179.8 yards per game with 22 scores while RB Tyler Badie set a school record with 1,604 yards, including five 200-yard games. Johnson’s OL improved in protection as well, yielding 1.4 sacks per game to rank third in the league and 20th nationally. Center Michael Maietti earned Second-Team All-America honors from Pro Football Focus along with All-SEC honors.
Johnson coached the offensive line for two seasons at Mississippi State (2018-19), helping the Bulldogs to berths in the Outback Bowl and Music City Bowl. The Bulldogs’ running game was among the best in the league both years Johnson was in Starkville, ranking second in the league in 2018 rushing yards per game and third in 2019 when RB Kylin Hill All-SEC first team honors after running for 1,350 yards and 10 scores.
Johnson’s first offensive line at MSU was anchored by First-Team All-American Elgton Jenkins, who was picked 44th overall by Green Bay in the 2019 NFL Draft.
At Duke, Johnson began his coaching career under his former college coach, David Cutcliffe. Johnson joined the staff in 2011 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach before moving to an offensive quality control role for three seasons then taking over his first on-field coaching job as the offensive line coach in 2016. He developed center Austin Davis into an All-ACC performer in 2017.
Johnson was a Second-Team All-SEC offensive lineman at Ole Miss as a senior team captain. He was a second-round selection by Minnesota in the 2005 NFL Draft before playing four seasons for the Vikings and one season for Tampa Bay.
He and his wife, Veullana, have three children – London, Meraki and Violette.
Trickett takes over the Arkansas quarterbacks after spending the 2025 season as the offensive coordinator at Jacksonville State, helping the Gamecocks to a 9-5 mark with a Salute to Veterans Bowl victory.
The former Florida State and West Viriginia QB led one of the best offenses in Conference USA averaging 408.7 yards per game to rank third in the league and scoring 28.1 points per game to rank fifth. The Gamecocks’ running attack was the best in the league and ranked fourth nationally with 246.7 yards per game led by All-America RB Cam Cook. Following the bowl win, Cook’s 1,659 rushing yards lead the FBS with his 16 rushing TDs ranking fourth nationally. Cook recorded 10 100-yard game this season, including 218 yards against Sam Houston State.
Prior to Jacksonville State, Trickett coached the tight ends and inside receivers at Georgia Southern while serving as the pass game coordinator in 2024. He spent three seasons at Marshall as the wide receivers coach in 2021 and the final two seasons as the Thundering Herd’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He produced a pair of all-conference wideouts in 2021 with Corey Gammage and Willie Johnson both earning honorable mention recognition. Marshall’s running game took off under Trickett as the offensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023, fueled by running backs Rasheen Ali and Khalan Laborn. Ali led the Herd with 1,135 yards and 15 TDs in 2023 and earned Myrtle Beach Bowl MVP honors in 2022. Laborn helped lead Marshall to an upset win at Notre Dame in 2022 with 163 rushing yards.
Trickett coached at Florida Atlantic for four seasons, leading the tight ends for the first three years and serving as co-offensive coordinator and QB coach in 2020. He coached TE Harrison Bryant to the Mackey Award in 2019 after he caught 65 passes for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns. His receptions and yards led all FBS tight ends with his touchdowns ranking fourth. Trickett was named to the AFCA 35-Under-35 list following the season, recognizing the 35 best coaches under 35 years old.
Trickett graduated from Florida State in three years, where he played for three seasons before transferring to West Virginia. With the Mountaineers, he was a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist after completing 67.1% of his passes for 3,285 yards and 18 touchdowns as a fifth-year senior.
Trickett is the youngest son of Rick Trickett, who is a longtime offensive line coach with stops at West Virginia, Mississippi State, Auburn, LSU, Florida State and currently Jacksonville State. Clint Trickett is married to his wife, Kaylee.
Wilson returns to The Hill after one season away coaching the defensive backs at Florida and working with defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. The Florida defense improved against the pass in Wilson’s lone season back in Gainesville, allowing 222.9 yards per game.
Wilson coached the Arkansas secondary during the 2023-24 seasons, helping the Hogs’ secondary become one of the most improved units on the team. In 2023, Arkansas was fourth in the league in passing yards allowed per game (202.8 ypg) and ranked third with 12 interceptions, including four pick-sixes that tied for the national lead.
Wilson played at Southern Miss before getting his start in coaching at UTSA as a graduate assistant. He is married to the former Paige Alexander and has twins, a son – Deron II – and a daughter – Dakota.
Turner will be in his fourth season at Arkansas after being retained by Silverfield to coach the Hogs’ tight ends. Arkansas’ tight ends produced in a big way for the offense in 2025 led by Second-Team All-SEC selection Rohan Jones. Jones paired with Jaden Platt to catch 40 passes for 815 yards and eight touchdowns. Jones was explosive, averaging a team-best 27.3 yards per reception.
The Cotton File
Kynjee’ is pronounced ken-jay
Hometown: Daphne, Ala.
High School: Daphne HS (Ala.)
College: Alabama State, 2012
Family: Wife – Chatil
Coaching Experience
2012 Alabama State – Student Assistant
2013 Alabama – Strength & Conditioning
2014 UAB – Graduate Assistant
2015 Birmingham Southern – Defensive Line
2016-17 North Carolina – Defensive Quality Control
2018 West Georgia – Defensive Line
2019-21 Samford – Defensive Ends
2022 Kennesaw State – Defensive Ends
2023 LSU – Senior Defensive Analyst
2024-25 Miami Dolphins – Assistant Defensive Line
Playing Experience
2008-11 Alabama State
The Johnson File
Birthdate: Dec. 1, 1981
Hometown: Coffeeville, Miss.
High School: Coffeeville HS (Miss.)
College: Ole Miss, 2004
Family: Wife – Veullana; Children – London, Meraki and Violette
Coaching Experience
2011-12 Duke – Assistant Strength & Conditioning
2013-15 Duke – Offensive Quality Control
2016-17 Duke – Offensive Line
2018-19 Mississippi State – Offensive Line
2020 Missouri – Offensive Line
2021-22 Missouri – Assistant Head Coach/Run Game Coordinator/OL
2023-24 Purdue – Offensive Line
2025 Ohio State – Assistant Offensive Line
Playing Experience
2001-04 Ole Miss
2005-08 Minnesota Vikings
2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Trickett File
Birthdate: March 19, 1991
Hometown: Tallahassee, Fla.
High School: North Florida Christian HS
College: Florida State, 2012; West Virginia, 2014
Family: Wife – Kaylee
Coaching Experience
2015-16 East Mississippi CC – Quarterbacks
2017-19 Florida Atlantic – Tight Ends
2020 Florida Atlantic – Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2021 Marshall – Wide Receivers/Pass Game Coordinator
2022-23 Marshall – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2024 Georgia Southern – Tight Ends/Inside Receivers/Pass Game Coordinator
2025 Jacksonville State – Offensive Coordinator
Playing Experience
2010-12 Florida State
2013-14 West Virginia
The Wilson File
Birthdate: July 31, 1990
Hometown: New Orleans, La.
High School: O. Perry Walker HS (La.)
College: Southern Miss, 2013
Family: Wife – Paige; Children – twins Deron Kadeem Wilson II (son), Dakota Marie Wilson (daughter)
Coaching Experience
2016-17 UTSA – Graduate Assistant/Defense
2018-19 UTSA – Cornerbacks
2020-21 McNeese – Defensive Coordinator
2022 Florida – Quality Control/CBs
2023-24 Arkansas – Secondary
2025 Florida – Defensive Backs
Playing Experience
2010-12 Southern Miss
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