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Purdue’s SEC transfer QB brings winning mentality that ‘makes you stand a couple inches taller’

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Purdue’s SEC transfer QB brings winning mentality that ‘makes you stand a couple inches taller’


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WEST LAFAYETTE — New Purdue football quarterback Malachi Singleton wants to win and doesn’t care what he must do to make it happen.

North Cobb High School coach Shane Queen saw everything he needed in a two-game span of Singleton’s junior season. Playing top-ranked Milton in their second game in 2021 — with a national ESPN audience — the North Cobb planned to showcase its budding quarterback prospect’s passing talents.

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That strategy fell apart almost immediately.

“We went out the first drive and we felt like, man, we’re going to throw the football,” Queen said. “We had a couple receivers run the wrong routes, offensive linemen jump offsides. And our coordinator said, no, we’re going to go back to running the football.”

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Singleton ran, too — for 224 yards and five touchdowns in a 40-21 upset victory. A week later against Alpharetta, he ran only twice, because he completed 18-of-22 passes for 323 yards and three touchdowns.

Those dual-threat abilities prompted multiple programs to reach out to Singleton when the former Arkansas quarterback went into the transfer portal after his freshman season. He chose Purdue, starting a quarterback room restock under new coach Barry Odom. Former UCF quarterback EJ Colson and former Washington State quarterback Evans Chuba also signed up.

New offensive coordinator Josh Henson knows about winning with dual-threat talents, most notably 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams at USC. Queen said Singleton dealt with the running quarterback stigma as a prospect. North Cobb always believed in him as a full-service quarterback, though, folding more run-pass options into its offense over time.

“Sometimes we would have three plays called in one,” Queen said. “He’s a very cerebral football player. You tell him once, he gets it.

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“That’s what kind of player they’re getting. They’re getting somebody that’s not only competitive and has the mindset that we’re never going to lose a football game, but also one that’s going to play within what the coaches give him, and he’s going to take what the defense gives him.”

North Cobb’s 2021 team finished 10-2 and reached the second round of the Georgia state playoffs. One of Singleton’s top receivers on that team — De’Nylon Morrissette — is Purdue’s only projected returning receiver with multiple touchdown catches last season.

Singleton and Morrissette played together only for that 2021 season. Singleton, though, first started for North Cobb as a freshman when its three-year starter suffered a late-season injury.

His biggest moment thus far as a college quarterback came in similar circumstances. Arkansas starter Taylen Green suffered a fourth-quarter injury with his team trailing 14-10 against then-No. 4 Tennessee on Oct. 6.

Singleton’s entire career to that point consisted of 18 snaps of mop-up duty against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and three against Auburn. He took over in the red zone, but the Razorbacks settled for a field goal to cut the defict to one.

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Arkansas went three-and-out on its next two drives with its green quarterback. On the third, Singleton took over at his own 41 with three minutes left and completed three consecutive passes to move back into the red zone. Then he kept it himself on a zone read for a go-ahead 11-yard touchdown run.

Tennessee had allowed him to score in order to get the ball back with as much time as possible, but the Razorbacks defense secured the 19-14 victory. It was the program’s first home win over a top-five opponent in 25 years.

“The last two drives, he was phenomenal,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman told reporters after the game. “He ran (the offense) very, very well and scored the touchdown to go ahead.

“He’s been here a long time and hasn’t gotten to play. To go in there and score the winning touchdown — with the help of 10 other guys — has to be really fulfilling for him.”

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Queen said the North Cobb coaches were excitedly trading text messages while watching the game from their homes that night. Purdue hopes it puts itself in position for similar clutch moments one year after a 1-11 collapse.

Singleton’s competitiveness can be contagious, Queen says. He expects him to challenge teams and hold them accountable. He’ll also willingly take contact at 6-1, 225 pounds — something teammates tend to appreciate in their quarterback.

“What I love about him is, even in high school — and I always explained to college coaches — he didn’t care if we walked out and played the Georgia Bulldogs on Friday night. He always felt like we had a chance to win,” Queen said.

“As a coach, that makes you stand a couple inches taller. You feel the same when your quarterback, the guy who’s making those decisions, goes out there and has that mentality.”

Purdue arguably needs that win-at-all-costs attitude as much as it needs dyanamic quarterback talents. In Singleton, it hopes it found both.

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Congressional subcommittee to hold hearing in Little Rock on ‘failures’ of local housing authority | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

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Congressional subcommittee to hold hearing in Little Rock on ‘failures’ of local housing authority | Arkansas Democrat Gazette


Joseph Flaherty

jflaherty@adgnewsroom.com

Joseph Flaherty covers the city of Little Rock for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of Middlebury College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, he has worked for the newspaper since 2020.

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11 people arrested in connection with various charges in Northwest Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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11 people arrested in connection with various charges in Northwest Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette


Arrests

Benton County Sheriff’s Office

Scott Minor, 45, of Elm Street in Jefferson City, Mo., was arrested Friday on suspicion of computer child pornography and sexually grooming a child. Minor was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with a $150,000 bond set.

Bentonville

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Damond Drake, 52, of West Highland Drive in Rogers was arrested Saturday on suspicion of delivery of methamphetamine or cocaine. Drake was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with no bond set.

Fayetteville

Cornelius Anderson, 33, of Dawn Street in Fayetteville was arrested Saturday on suspicion of third-degree assault on a family member, third-degree domestic battery, first-degree criminal mischief and theft of property. Anderson remained at the Washington County Detention Center Monday in lieu of $5,000 bond.

Eduard Korshakov, 37, of Prairie Dunes Trail in Fayetteville was arrested Saturday on suspicion of aggravated assault on a family or household member, kidnapping, first-degree false imprisonment, third-degree domestic battery and interference with emergency communications. Korshakov remained at the Washington County Detention Center Monday in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Efrain Quiroz, 29, of North Shamblin Avenue in Fayetteville was arrested Sunday on suspicion of second-degree battery and second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor. Quiroz remained at the Washington County Detention Center Monday in lieu of $25,000 bond.

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Leo Ward, 21, of West Tanner Drive in Fayetteville was arrested Sunday on suspicion of aggravated residential burglary and stalking. Ward was released from the Washington County Detention Center Monday on $25,000 bond.

Rogers

John Jenkins, 21, of Arkansas 351 in Jonesboro was arrested Saturday on suspicion of fraudulent use of credit/debit card. Jenkins was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with no bond set.

Springdale

Ashlyn Neal, 19, of Powell Street in Springdale was arrested Saturday on suspicion of kidnapping, second-degree battery, endangering the welfare of a minor, resisting arrest and obstruction of government operations. Neal was released from the Washington County Detention Center Saturday on $5,000 bond.

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Jose Neal, 37, of South Powell Street in Springdale was arrested Saturday on suspicion of second-degree domestic battery, third-degree domestic battery, interference with emergency communications and resisting arrest. Neal was released from the Washington County Detention Center Saturday on $5,000 bond.

Skyler Shane, 31, of Highway 62 in Westville, Ok., was arrested Sunday on suspicion of Possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance with intent to deliver, simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm, carrying a prohibited weapon and disorderly conduct. Shane was released from the Washington County Detention Center Sunday on $3,500 bond.

University of Arkansas Police Department

Celso Adame-Gallegos, 19 of Jade Street in Springdale was arrested Friday on suspicion of possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance with intent to deliver. Adame-Gallegos was released from the Washington County Detention Center Saturday on $5,000 bond.

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Erika Kirk to Join Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for Announcement at Arkansas State Capitol

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Erika Kirk to Join Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for Announcement at Arkansas State Capitol


Arkansas leaders are set to take the stage at the State Capitol Wednesday afternoon for an announcement already drawing statewide attention.

At 1 p.m., Sarah Huckabee Sanders will appear alongside Erika Kirk, the chairwoman and CEO of Turning Point USA, at the Arkansas State Capitol.

While officials with the governor’s office have not yet released details about the announcement, the joint appearance is expected to draw significant attention from political leaders and supporters across the state.

The moment also brings renewed focus to the legacy of Erika Kirk’s late husband, Charlie Kirk, a nationally recognized conservative activist who built one of the country’s largest student political organizations aimed at mobilizing young voters on college campuses.

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In 2025, Kirk was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Authorities say the gunfire erupted during a gathering connected to student political programming, sending attendees scrambling for safety.

Kirk was rushed from the scene but later died from his injuries, sparking shock and an outpouring of reaction from political leaders, students, and supporters across the country.

In the weeks that followed, memorials and tributes appeared nationwide. In Arkansas, supporters and lawmakers honored Kirk’s life and work with a memorial exhibit displayed inside the Arkansas State Capitol, recognizing the influence he had on conservative youth activism and campus politics.

Following his death, Erika Kirk stepped into a leadership role at Turning Point USA, pledging to continue the organization’s mission and expand its outreach to students across the nation.

On Wednesday, Kirk will again be at the Arkansas State Capitol, this time standing beside Governor Sanders for a joint announcement, as leaders gather and the state waits to learn what the two will unveil.

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