FAYETTEVILLE — Four questions for four writers previewing Arkansas' quarterbacks.
Would you take Austin Allen over any other QB in the SEC?
Bob Holt: If my team ran a pro-style offense, I would take Austin Allen. Even though last season was his first time as a starter, he's a fifth-year senior who has gotten a ton or reps in practice along with some significant game experience.
It also helped him to grow up in a football family. His father, Bobby, was a college quarterback at Virginia Tech as well as a long-time assistant coach for the Razorbacks and his brother, Brandon, started for three seasons at Arkansas before Austin got his shot. So he's learned a lot from them.
I also think it's a big plus Austin Allen is working with the same offensive coordinator in Dan Enos for the third consecutive season. That continuity shouldn't be underestimated considering the high turnover rate in the SEC at the coordinator positions.
Jimmy Carter: Probably. I have an affinity for dual-threat quarterbacks and I’m a fan of Jalen Hurts, but I think if you put Allen on Alabama, he would be a Heisman candidate, too. Jarrett Stidham and Nick Fitzgerald are intriguing talents, but I think they’re a notch below at this point. I’d probably go with Allen.
Clay Henry: I'd say Austin fits the Arkansas offense as well as anyone in the SEC. Missouri's Drew Lock is extremely talented, too, but Allen is older, more mature and has the knowledge of the system Dan Enos wants to run. It's hard to just take another quarterback and drop him into something they haven't seen. So that alone suggests Allen is the one I'd take first. There wouldn't be a big jump in arm strength or running ability (with the arm strength) of any of the others in the SEC. He's ready for a big senior year as a fifth-year man with two years under Enos. So I'm comfortable in saying I wouldn't trade him for anyone else.
Matt Jones: It depends on what offense is being used. I think Allen runs what Arkansas asks him to do well, but I think there are other quarterbacks in the league who have higher upsides as a professional.
How much, if at all, is Allen’s up-and-down play late last year a concern heading into 2017?
Holt: It's not a major concern to me. He obviously learned a lot getting to start for the first time, and I believe his play later in the season was impacted by the knee injury he sustained at Auburn, no matter how much Austin Allen and the coaches may have downplayed it.
I think some of Allen's issues with turnovers also were reflective of inconsistent offensive line play. The offensive line should be better this season with six players who have starting experience, and even with losing playmakers such as Rawleigh Williams, Keon Hatcher, Drew Morgan and Jeremy Sprinkle, I think Allen will have some pretty good players around him.
Carter: It’s foolhardy to put a ton of blame on Allen for late-season slippage, even though he threw 7 touchdowns against 9 interceptions the final 6 games. He took a beating all year and wasn’t the same player after he injured his knee at Auburn. You always wonder about a quarterback’s psyche after taking a pounding like he did last year, but he was healthy and looked good in the spring. My guess is he will have a strong senior year, provided the line is improved.
Henry: If the reasons for the up-and-down play still existed, I'd say it would be a big concern. But I think the offensive line -- the main issue -- will be much improved. Better protection and the expectation of a better running game will wipe out some of the worries that Allen's miscues will pop up again in 2017.
The offense should be a strength of this team. And, Austin Allen is the strength of the offense. I expect the turnovers to fall, along with the sack totals. I don't think teams are going to hit Allen near as much as last year. He's going to be fun to watch.
Jones: He has to cut down on the turnovers. He had two interceptions in the second half at Missouri and three in the second half against Virginia Tech. Brandon Allen's interception total decreased drastically in his second year as a starter, so maybe the same will happen with Austin.
Will Austin wind up being drafted higher next spring than Brandon, who was taken in the sixth round in 2016?
Holt: I believe Austin will go higher. If he has a good season I can see Austin going in the third or fourth rounds.
Carter: Brandon was the 13th quarterback taken in his draft and Austin is ranked the No. 14 quarterback prospect by NFLDraftScout.com. He'll probably go higher if he continues to improve and has a big senior year.
Henry: I think Austin Allen will be drafted, but probably in the lower half of the draft. He could move up one or two rounds, but it's all contingent on what else happens as far as this quarterback draft and needs in the NFL. Poor play (and injuries) among NFL quarterbacks control the value teams place on that particular position. Like his brother, Austin lacks the prototypical NFL height. So that will be the drawback that keeps him from jumping to the first two or three rounds.
Jones: I think Austin has the build and mechanics to go higher in the draft, but a lot will depend on how he performs this season.
Who wins the backup QB job?
Holt: I think Cole Kelley has a higher ceiling compared to Ty Storey, but to open the season at least, I'm going to predict Storey will be the backup because he made fewer mistakes in the spring scrimmages.
Kelley has a tendency to either hit big plays or throw interceptions and too often — while media was watching t least — he tried to force the ball into tight windows.
That said, if Kelley shows in fall camp that he can take better care of the ball, he probably will win the No. 2 job.
If the coaches are looking for someone to fill in for Austin Allen and manage the game, so to speak, Storey may be the better choice early on at least.
But if Austin Allen is out for an extended period of time, Kelley's skill set and ability to make plays probably would make him the better choice to start.
Carter: I think in the end it'll be Cole Kelley. He wasn’t consistent enough in the spring and the staff probably wanted to keep the competition going into fall camp anyway, but he is the most physically gifted quarterback on the roster. His decision making needs to improve, but I’d bet he is the backup this year and starter in 2018. Ty Storey is the risk averse option, but if Kelley has a good fall camp, I think he’s the No. 2.
Henry: I think Cole Kelley has the potential to be the starter when Austin Allen graduates, but it was clear in the spring that Ty Storey made fewer mistakes. Taking care of the football is a huge part of the need for this offense. Most expect that Kelley will eventually settle in as the backup. But if it doesn't happen early in camp, it may be that Storey is the backup for another season. If I had to make a bet, it would be on Kelley, just not a big wager.
Jones: Cole Kelley looks more polished than Ty Storey, and I thought that was the case even before last season when Kelley redshirted. I think Kelley will be the starter when Allen leaves and you'll see that reflected on the depth chart this season.