FAYETTEVILLE — The two quarterbacks that this Sam Pittman Arkansas Razorbacks staff signed plus the inherited quarterback operating as top backup come armed to pressure a defense with their legs.
Expect the Pittman era continually pursuing quarterback dual threats. That was a long range if he ever became a head coach goal through 26 years and 10 schools while Pittman coached offensive lines.
“I wanted to be able to have a mobile quarterback,” first-year head coach Pittman said Wednesday night on his radio show. “So many guys put somebody in the box that you just can’t block. I wanted to equal that out with a mobile quarterback. Our offense allows us to do that and our personnel allows us to do that.”
Feleipe Franks, the 2020 quick fix starter and former Florida Gators starter signed as a graduate transfer, and especially redshirt freshman KJ Jefferson, inherited from the Chad Morris, and freshman signee Malik Hornsby all run on dual threat histories.
Jefferson rushed 916 yards as a high school senior in Sardis, Miss. and dashed 21 yards his first collegiate snap last season against Mississippi State.
Hornsby of Missouri City, Texas netted 1,587 yards and 17 touchdowns among his 130 carries in 2019 for Fort Bend Marshall High School.
Franks rushed 350 yards with seven touchdowns leading the 2018 Gators to a 10-3 season as the starter. A broken ankle sidelined him for 2019 after three starts.
Franks’ big arm on his big, 6-6, 228 frame renders him mostly passer portrayed, but he’s proven he can be the willing runner that Pittman wants when needed. His mobility can buy time dodging an initial pass-rush.
Mentally, Franks has responded to major Arkansas challenges since his January arrival. Leading his new team got postponed by the coronavirus pandemic cancelling all spring practice and UA on campus classes in mid-March.
“Wouldn’t it be difficult to come into a new team as a quarterback and you don’t know anybody?” Pittman said. “You’re trying to lead but you can’t lead because you can’t tell somebody, ‘Hey, Billy, you’re doing something wrong” because you don’t know the guy’s name.”
Franks’ successful August preseason asserted his impact. But it’s from rallying the offense this week following his and the offense’s struggling Sept. 4 scrimmage that Franks has “come into his own,” Pittman said.
“This week I noticed him being more vocal with the football team,” Pittman said. “The expectation of your team has to start with the head coach, but it has to trickle down and one of those positions has to be your quarterback.”
Pittman from Day One stressed coping with adversity to a team that obviously didn’t cope well these past 2-10, 2-10 seasons. Franks and Jefferson practiced what Pittman preached.
“I wasn’t pleased and they weren’t pleased but they’ve really come roaring back this week,” Pittman said. “Feleipe is playing with a lot of confidence, as well as KJ. So I think we all as a staff feel really good about our quarterback room.”