FAYETTEVILLE — Four questions for five writers about Arkansas' quarterbacks entering the 2021 season:
Where do you believe KJ Jefferson grew most in Arkansas’ first spring under Sam Pittman?
Tom Murphy: Leadership, maturity and knowledge of the offense all work hand-in-glove, in my opinion. When there’s no more Feleipe Franks and no one ahead of you on the depth chart, these things grow naturally and clearly at a stronger rate than say last spring when things were chaotic due to the pandemic.
Scottie Bordelon: I believe his confidence grew quite a bit and he went into the summer months with a greater grasp and command of the offense. Sam Pittman routinely praised the way he worked and led. I also wanted to see more precision on Jefferson's passes during spring drills, and I think coaches saw positives there. That's a big deal. Arkansas obviously wants to stretch the field vertically with some of the weapons it has. Jefferson needs to be able to hit those throws, and I think he will at an OK clip.
Seth Campbell: I think he grew in taking knowledge of the playbook and actually putting it into practice. It’s one thing to learn behind a quarterback like Feleipe Franks, but it’s another to actually put what you’ve learned into practice. The reps Jefferson got against a real defense are invaluable to his development, in my opinion.
Matt Jones: Jefferson learned to use his lower body more to affect his passing mechanics. His accuracy should improve because of better technique with his feet and his hips. As he told me earlier this year, being a better quarterback starts from the ground up.
Bob Holt: I think where Jefferson probably grew the most was growing into the position of playing quarterback. Getting first-team reps and getting used to leading the team. Obviously, he has the physical tools as a passer and runner, as he showed in his start at Missouri last season, but playing quarterback is a lot more than that. There's a maturity factor involved, and being the No. 1 guy in the spring, I think, was a big step for Jefferson.
On a scale 1-10, what is your confidence level in Jefferson being a better-than-average quarterback in the SEC this fall?
Tom Murphy: Wow, this is a tough one. Can he be better than half the starting quarterbacks in the SEC? I think so. But a lot of that has to do with how everyone else around him performs, and how he influences the rest of the offensive 11. For me, keeping his completion percentage at 55% or better is really key, and his instincts on feeling pressure, when to let routes develop for that extra split second, when to float or step up or bolt will all come into play. I think he’ll be better in that regard than Franks.
Scottie Bordelon: I'm at about a 5 as we start thinking about fall camp, and I think that's because the sample size we're working with with Jefferson right now is so small. He was terrific at Missouri last year. But can he put together big performances week after week? I'm still in a bit of wait-and-see mode, to be honest, and I'm sure others are, too. Jefferson has the talent to produce and help the Razorbacks win games, but I think we're going to see some growing pains in his first season as the guy.
Seth Campbell: Jefferson has shown flashes. With two SEC starts under his belt, one against No. 1 LSU in Baton Rouge, the speed of the game shouldn’t surprise him. His performance against Missouri last year was worthy of earning his first career victory as a starter, but it didn’t happen. My confidence level for him to be a better-than-average quarterback this year is probably at a 3. It will be his first full season as a starter, and for him to be better than average would mean that he would be a top-six starter in the SEC, and I just don’t see that happening right now.
Matt Jones: Somewhere in the middle, probably a 5 or 6. There just is not much data on which to grade Jefferson at this point. He kind of inexplicably rode the bench for most of the 2019 season as the Razorbacks had quarterback problems, and sat behind a veteran transfer for most of last year. The performance at Missouri proved Jefferson can perform at a high level against a quality defense. What hasn't been proven is whether he can consistently put together that type of game.
Bob Holt: I'll say 6 to 7. Jefferson has a lot of skills, but his game experience is very limited. He still has to prove he can be a quality SEC quarterback game in and game out. But the potential is definitely there.
What are your expectations of Jefferson as of now?
Tom Murphy: Some of my thoughts are included in the above response. I think if he keeps his completion percentage at 55% or better, keeps his dangerous throws to a minimum and matches his athletic talent to the scheme, he could be on the middle tier of SEC quarterbacks as a sophomore, with the hope he exceeds that in 2022. I’m going to say something like 21 TD passes, 13 INTs, 4 TD runs, ballpark.
Scottie Bordelon: Agree with a lot of what Tom wrote. He's got to hit passes at at least a 55% rate and limit his interceptable and wholly inaccurate throws as best he can. I'm eager to see Jefferson as a runner more than anything, I think. I expect him to be dangerous with his feet at times and be one of the team leaders in rushing scores and first down conversions on third down. I can't wait to see what he's made of against Texas.
Seth Campbell: I want to see him run the full uptempo offense that offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has run at other schools. There were glimpses of that offense last year, but with the pandemic limiting spring practice and the fact Franks wasn’t a perfect fit for the scheme, the offense seemed limited at times. I want to see Jefferson run that offense to its fullest potential. If that happens then Jefferson could exceed my expectations for him that I listed in the previous question.
Matt Jones: Assuming he stays healthy and is the primary quarterback in all 12 games, I think 3,000 yards of total offense during the regular season is a modest expectation in today's game. By comparison, Feleipe Franks had 2,311 yards — mostly passing — in nine games last season, and that was against stronger competition overall than Arkansas will face this year. Jefferson should have an opportunity against the likes of Rice, Georgia Southern and UAPB to pad his stats some, and his running ability adds an element the Razorbacks did not have at the position a year ago.
Bob Holt: I expect Jefferson to be the starter when the season opens — don't think I'm going out on much of a limb there — and to make progress in the nonconference and be ready when SEC play starts. Obviously the Texas game will be a major test. But he has the arm and legs to be a true dual-threat quarterback.
Thoughts/projections on the assumed backups Malik Hornsby and Lucas Coley? What roles do you foresee for them?
Tom Murphy: Malik Hornsby’s reading, decision making and accuracy have to come along, based on what we saw of him in the spring. Of course he’s an outstanding runner, but winning SEC quarterbacks have got to be a threat passing against all kinds of schemes and pressures. He threw into coverage too often in the Red-White spring game. I’d picture a start by Hornsby at this stage to resemble what Georgia’s D’Wan Mathis looked like here in the 2020 opener. Hopefully he can grow with limited packages this year. I think Coley has a good upside. Working with less-experienced talent, he showed some command on the field in scrimmage situations as well as decent wheels.
Scottie Bordelon: I could see them having special packages in place like Hornsby did early last season, but there's no doubt in my mind Jefferson is the guy for the job. Both guys have great potential and bring terrific traits to the room, which we might see toward the end of some of the nonconference games.
Seth Campbell: If you’re a Razorback fan you hope Hornsby and Coley don’t come up much in the conversation this year. If for some reason they do, that would mean Jefferson isn’t getting the job done or he’s hurt. With that being said, Kendal Briles tried to utilize some special packages for Jefferson last year, so that could be implemented for them. To play more, Hornsby and Coley would need to do something particularly better than Jefferson. Like last year, there was a package drawn up for Jefferson because he was mobile. If Hornsby and Coley don’t do something better than Jefferson, there is no need to take the every-down quarterback out.
Matt Jones: Based on the spring, it would be difficult to envision either pushing Jefferson for playing time this season. Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles showed some red-zone packages last year for backup quarterbacks, so it would not surprise to see either enter a game for a play or two at a time. One or both should be able to get some valuable experience leading the offense late in some games. Whoever enters in relief first is a good indication of who the coaches trust more.
Bob Holt: Those guys obviously have talent, but with their lack of experience, it won't be good if they have to play early unless it's to replace Jefferson if Arkansas has a big lead. Ideally the coaching staff can bring them along slowly and play them in low-pressure situations. It would be good to create some packages for them where they might be able to get in for special plays and gain some experience if Jefferson is injured.