After visiting Arkansas twice in a less than a month, highly regarded and major quarterback target Kenneth Jefferson said the Hogs have the recruiting lead.
Jefferson (6-3, 210 pounds) of North Panola High School in Sardis, Miss., has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Ole Miss, Missouri, Mississippi State, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Indiana and others.
He visited Fayetteville on March 12 and visited the Hogs again Friday. He also traveled to Little Rock for Saturday’s Red-White game.
The Razorbacks are in good shape because of Coach Chad Morris and his staff.
“Arkansas is at the top right now because of the coaching staff and just me believing in Coach Morris and his schemes and the system he runs,” Jefferson said. “All of the coaches basically tell me good things about Coach Morris and what he has to bring to the table for me and my family, too.”
He completed 150 of 236 passes for 3,028 yards and 36 touchdowns while throwing only 3 interceptions as a junior. He also rushed 139 times for 1,325 yards and 8 touchdowns while leading the Cougars to a 13-1 record and to the Class 3A semifinals.
Jefferson was accompanied by North Panola Coach Carl Diffee on his first trip to Northwest Arkansas. He brought his mother and other family members for the latest visit.
“My first to visit I had a lot of fun, but the second time, I wanted to bring my mom so she could see how good the coaching staff was and how they treated me my first time,” Jefferson said. “I just wanted her to experience how they were going to treat her when she came up. I’m really serious about Arkansas.”
His mother wasn’t disappointed.
“She said she had a good time,” Jefferson said. “She loved the way the coaches greeted her. They just made her feel at home. They told her they were going to take care of me.”
The Hogs made Jefferson a major priority early on and it was never more evident than when the entire offensive staff visited his school Feb. 1 of the contact period.
Should he become a Razorback, he’ll be coached by offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Joe Craddock.
“Coach Craddock is a cool, laid-back kind of guy,” Jefferson said. “Loves talking about ball. Loves football. He’s very passionate about what he does and overall he’s a good coach to me.”
Jefferson plans to talk things over with his mother once they get back home.
“I’ll end up making my decision in the summer,” Jefferson said. “When I get back my mom and I will talk it over about my decision and whats best for me.”