Analysis: How QB Jefferson fits Arkansas' offense

KJ Jefferson

— The importance of the addition of Sardis, Miss., North Panola quarterback Kenneth “KJ” Jefferson to Arkansas’ 2019 commitment list on Friday can’t be understated.

Jefferson (6-3, 210 pounds) chose the Razorbacks over Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, North Carolina State, Baylor, Purdue, Florida Atlantic, Memphis and Indiana, with interest from Ohio State, Auburn and others.

He’s got the size, the speed, a strong arm and compact throwing motion, sprays the ball around to different receivers, the ability to make big plays when protection breaks down and definitely the production that you look for in a dual-threat prospect.

Jefferson is a player who started his first high school game as a freshman and hasn’t let go of the reins since, completing 336 of 619 passes for 6,474 passing yards for 82 touchdowns and only 17 interceptions.

Jefferson has also rushed for 2,006 yards with 17 more scores in his three years as a starter for head coach Carl Diffee.

“He has been our guy,” Diffee said. “It’s not a matter of him being a good player, he is a great one, the bread-and-butter of what we do and why we do the things that we do.”

Jefferson’s offers came rolling in after a breakout junior season in which he completed 150 of 230 passes (65.2 percent) for 3,028 yards and 36 touchdowns, with just 3 interceptions last season. He also rushed for 1,325 yards and 8 touchdowns.

A four-star prospect, per CBS’ Tom Lemming, Jefferson is a true dual-threat quarterback that should mesh perfectly with the offense that new Arkansas head coach Chad Morris and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock want to run.

While fans focus more on star rating, coaches concentrate on fit and that’s definitely what the coaches see with Jefferson as well as 2018 signees Connor Noland of Greenwood and John Stephens Jones of Highland Park in Dallas.

There was no doubt many fans hoping Arkansas would land Texas prep quarterback Grant Gunnell, one of the nation’s best whose grandfather played for the Razorbacks, but Gunnell never made a move toward visiting the Razorbacks this spring, while going to other campuses.

The new Razorback staff was busy honing in on Jefferson - who was contacted by the old Arkansas staff - as their first choice early and went to work.

It seems it was the best decision not to wait around for a quarterback who may not come. Instead, Arkansas identified its guy and went and got him.

Jefferson is a great passer, a strong runner, has very good speed and has clear leadership abilities - attributes that Noland also has shown in his time at Greenwood.

“I think Chad Morris and Coach Craddock have an offense that fits me well and I can really succeed in,” Jefferson told local media on Friday. “They made me feel like I was their guy from day one and I am very happy about how all this has turned out and how all my hard work has paid off.”

Georgia likely would have been the favorite for Jefferson had it not signed Justin Fields in the 2018 class.

The Bulldogs were candid with Jefferson that they would love to sign him, but that Fields - a five-star prospect - was their quarterback of the future.

That left an opening for Arkansas, actually the first SEC school to offer Jefferson and one that made a big impression on Jefferson early by sending the entire offensive staff to see him.

“I felt the love and how important I was to them right away,” Jefferson said. “It was real.”

Jefferson got his research in with two trips to Arkansas (March 12 and April 6), and one each to Auburn, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi State, Memphis and some others.

His second trip to Fayetteville seemed to do the trick with he and his family actually stopping by the Red-White game in Little Rock on their way home.

Jefferson admitted Friday that he had been leaning toward Arkansas all the way, but came to his final decision about a week ago after narrowing it to the Razorbacks and Missouri.

A late scholarship offer by Texas A&M earlier this week was flattering, but not enough to sway his desire to be a Razorback.

The quarterback room could be a little crowded at Arkansas in 2019 with Cole Kelley, Ty Storey, Daulton Hyatt, Noland, Jones, Jefferson and walk-ons Carson Proctor and Jack Lindsey all slated to be on the roster.

It’s hard to believe that some whittling of that list won’t take place between now and the 2019 season opener against Portland State.

Kelley and Storey head into this summer as front runners to start.

Finally, there’s an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed.

Rightly or wrongly, opposing coaches have mentioned in recruiting the fact Arkansas has not had a lot of starting black starting quarterbacks. Quinn Grovey and Greg Thomas were highly successful in the Southwest Conference, while others such as Tavarius Jackson, Robert Johnson and Pete Burks have been given the opportunity since the Razorbacks joined the SEC.

Maybe this is another step in putting that narrative behind this program and should be statement made by the new staff in that regard.

The most important thing here is KJ Jefferson is a great quarterback prospect and is going to be a Razorback, and that’s the only thing that should matter.