Arkansas
Arkansas football positional previews: Explosive Taylen Green is unquestioned QB starter
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There are 11 weekends remaining until the return of Arkansas football.
The Razorbacks open the 2024 season in Little Rock against UAPB. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Arkansas is coming off a disappointing 4-8 campaign that saw offensive coordinator Dan Enos get fired midseason and the eventual departures of KJ Jefferson and Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders, two faces of the program.
In response, the Hogs hired Bobby Petrino and hit the transfer portal, bringing in plenty of newcomers for what feels like an all-important season for head coach Sam Pittman.
More: Taylen Green shines as Arkansas football closes spring with Red-White Game
More: Tyrone Broden caps off sensational spring in Arkansas football’s Red-White Game
Over the next month, the Southwest Times Record will run positional previews twice a week, asking two questions and providing one bold prediction.
Here’s a look at the quarterbacks entering 2024.
Is there a clear starter at quarterback for Arkansas football?
Pittman had fans and media members expecting a wide-open competition this spring, but in reality, the job always belonged to Taylen Green.
The Boise State transfer threw for 3,794 yards and ran for 1,022 across 26 games with the Broncos. He exclusively took reps with Arkansas’ first-team offense this spring and completed 17 of 22 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns in the annual Red-White Game. He was able to blend explosiveness with efficiency and leave a lasting impression heading into the fall.
Green was Bobby Petrino’s top target in the transfer portal, and it’s a safe bet the offense will be catered to the redshirt junior’s strengths. Look for Arkansas to be aggressive hunting big plays and trying to make the intermediate passing game as easy as possible for Green.
Who is next in line?
Pittman and Petrino will hope that Green stays healthy, lives up to expectations and limits the backup quarterbacks to mop-up duty in garbage time this season.
Jacolby Criswell transferred back to North Carolina after spring practices, leaving the No. 2 job to redshirt freshman Malachi Singleton. The former four-star prospect impressed coaches during the spring and usurped Criswell before his eventual transfer.
Singleton will compete with true freshman KJ Jackson to become the Hogs’ next starting quarterback whenever Green leaves the program. Jackson is a dynamic athlete who was a priority recruit during Petrino’s first high school cycle.
Fall practices and any game reps could play a factor in future quarterback competitions, but both players are ideally a year away from making a major impact on the field.
One bold prediction: Green rushes for 700 yards and 10 touchdowns
Lamar Jackson ran for 3,172 yards across his final two seasons under Petrino at Louisville. Green isn’t as dynamic a player as the former Heisman Trophy winner, but he does possess elite athleticism for a quarterback, and Petrino’s shown a willingness to turn his running quarterbacks loose.
KJ Jefferson was a terrific runner, but he never crossed the 700-yard threshold at Arkansas. The most rushing touchdowns Jefferson scored in a season were nine in 2022.
Green didn’t get to show off his abilities in the run game this spring. Pittman and Petrino saw enough on film to withhold that part of the playbook and make sure they avoided any preseason injuries to their most important player.
Come fall, the training wheels will come off, and Green will be one of the top rushers on the team.
What the coaches said this spring
“(Green) has a pro type of mentality the way he goes about his business, and he’s a good person. Let’s just start there and once you go on the field, he runs like a gazelle. He can run, run and he’s throwing the ball, he’s got some accuracy on his throws. Glad he’s on our team, but it starts with the person that he is and the work ethic that he has. Very pleased with what I’ve seen out of him.”
— Defensive coordinator Travis Williams on what it’s like to go against Taylen Green in practice.
Projected depth chart
- Taylen Green, redshirt junior
- Malachi Singleton, redshirt freshman
- KJ Jackson, freshman
- Blake Boda, redshirt freshman
- Austin Ledbetter, redshirt freshman
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Purple is the color of the month in Arkansas, and Lupus Awareness Month is bringing a busy stretch of events, including a mayoral proclamation and a smooth jazz concert featuring acclaimed saxophonist Merlon Devine.
A proclamation for Lupus Awareness Month is set for 6 p.m. in North Little Rock, with Mayor Hardwick expected to present it. Organizers encouraged lupus warriors and supporters to come out.
Anita Boone, President of the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas Inc. and a former lupus warrior, described the day-to-day reality of living with the disease: “One minute you’re feeling amazing, the next minute your body is saying we can’t do this.”
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, described during the interview as a condition where the immune system attacks the body “inside out.” It can affect organs throughout the body, including the brain, lungs, heart and kidneys. Boone also shared personal impacts, saying, “I am losing, actually, ear from hearing, just because of lupus.”
The Lupus Foundation of Arkansas is also inviting the community to a Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert this Sunday, May 17, at 3:30 at The Space with Grace event venue, 2005 Main St., North Little Rock.
Gale Davis, committee chair for the Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert shared details about the concert.
Davis said guests are encouraged to “dress to impress,” though formalwear isn’t required. The event will include a photo backdrop, light hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and sponsored tables aimed at networking. It’s also a chance for people to meet other lupus warriors, learn more about the foundation’s work, and watch a video presentation highlighting events from the past year.
The featured artist, Merlon Devine, was described as an acclaimed saxophonist known for a soulful, smooth jazz sound, with a career spanning more than two decades and performances across the country and around the world. He’s also an Arkansas native who attended Little Rock Central High School. He now lives in Southern Maryland, outside Washington, D.C.
Davis said Devine’s connection to lupus is personal. She said his father had lupus and has since died, though he didn’t die from lupus. They also said Divine had a sister who died from lupus in 1981 and that he currently has two sisters living with lupus.
She also shared that, according to his doctors, Devine was born with acute asthma and underdeveloped lungs. His latest single, released last year, is called “Mercy.”
Tickets must be purchased online and will not be sold at the door. They’re available online by clicking on the flyer. Prices are $40 for individual tickets, or $400 for a table of nine, with an option to sponsor a table.
Organizers also noted another proclamation is planned for the Little Rock side with Mayor Frank Scott tomorrow, and encouraged people to follow the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas on social media for updates.
The concert will take place this Sunday at the Space With Grace Venue in North Little Rock.
ASHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An Arkansas man died after crashing a dirt bike on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Arkansas man, formerly from Newaygo, crashed into a tree while riding a dirt bike on private property in Ashland Township near Grant on Sunday before 2:30 p.m., according to Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers.
Emergency responders tried to save his life but he died at the scene.
Troopers are still investigating but do not suspect drugs or alcohol as factors in the crash.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
MSP did not initially release any additional information.
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas softball will once again host an NCAA Regional, this time as the No. 5 overall national seed.
The Razorbacks (42-11) will be the top seed in Fayetteville and open the tournament against fourth-seeded Fordham (27-26) at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15.
Washington (36-18) is the two-seed and will face three-seed South Florida (42-15) that same day inside Bogle Park.
Arkansas is paired with the Durham Regional hosted by Duke (39-14) for a potential super regional. Arizona (35-16), Marshall (37-17) and Howard (28-17) are joining the Blue Devils in the regional.
This is the sixth consecutive season the Razorbacks will host a regional. It is also the program’s eighth straight NCAA Tournament berth under coach Courtney Deifel. Arkansas has reached the NCAA tournament 14 times, and more than half of those appearances have come under Deifel.
Arkansas ended the season No. 1 in the RPI despite finishing seventh in the SEC standings. The Hogs were eliminated by Alabama in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
Last year, Arkansas lost to SEC rival Ole Miss in the Super Regionals. The Hogs fell one win shy of reaching the Women’s College World Series for the first time in program history. They are hoping to take that elusive next step this summer and book a trip to Oklahoma City in two weeks time.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
-
Nebraska4 minutes agoTuesday’s primaries to set up key fall matchups in Nebraska
-
Nevada10 minutes agoSky Pointe sweeps Mojave, to play Desert Oasis for 4A volleyball title — PHOTOS
-
New Hampshire16 minutes agoNot For Granite: New Hampshire Man Isn’t Laughing At Anti-Cyclist Comments From State Elected Official — Streetsblog USA
-
New Jersey22 minutes ago24 hours with 3 teenage birders: Welcome to the World Series of Birding
-
New Mexico28 minutes agoSummerlike heat settles into New Mexico this week
-
North Carolina34 minutes ago
Proposed NC property tax cap, affordable housing exemption set for debate
-
North Dakota40 minutes agoNorth Dakota tourism sites get $4M after music fest declines funds
-
Ohio46 minutes agoMatt Patricia Shares Major Health Update Following Neurosurgeon Visit During Ohio State Offseason Break
