DJ Williams: Arkansas' QB Competition is Legit, Not For Show

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas head coach Ryan Silverfield has made it clear that there is a competition between quarterbacks KJ Jackson and AJ Hill for the starting job this fall.

But some fans and pundits believed that declaration from Silverfield to be either a smokescreen or a way to motivate the eventual starter. Many believe that Jackson, a sophomore who started for Arkansas against Missouri in the final game of 2025 and also played against Alabama A&M, Arkansas State and Texas, has already wrapped up the starting spot.

There are some who believe it's a forgone conclusion that Hill, who followed Silverfield and offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey from Memphis, will be QB2.

Former Razorback and 2010 Mackey Award Winner DJ Williams wants to pump the brakes on that narrative, however, and believe the competition between the two QBs is the real deal.

Some believe the QB Competition is all just for show, and bringing AJ Hill over was only to motivate KJ......What do you think? #gohogs #razorbacks pic.twitter.com/U7NhxJSSi9
— D.J. Williams (@dj45williams) July 16, 2026

"I heard a comment the other day where some people believe that they know who the starting quarterback is, and all this stuff is just for show to try to get the starter to work harder," Williams said on his 4th & 5 podcast. "And that's not how this stuff works. That's not how this works.

"This isn't pre-k, kindergarten, Pop Warner football. These are grown men, and they're not worried about hurting anybody's feelings. If you have to all that just to motivate a guy to get ready to play, then they don't need to have that Razorback on the side of their helmet.

"They're not ready to go. Go somewhere else with that. It really is a legit competition day in and day out. And I think this is just another indicator that it's not figured out right now."

While it's understandable that many fans believe Jackson, who does at least have some starting experience as opposed to Hill, is well ahead in the race for the QB1 spot, it's entirely possible that the starting role is still up the air in mid-July.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson (7) rolls out to pass during the spring game at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hill has the advantage of working with Silverfield and Cramsey before coming to Arkansas, and neither quarterback has either numbers or wealth of experience to put them miles ahead of the other.

With that said, Jackson is still the favorite to land the starting role, though if the competition is legit, it could still be ongoing during Arkansas' Week 1 contest against North Alabama, where both QBs should get a chance to play meaningful snaps ahead of a massive Week 2 tilt against Utah.

"We won't have a definitive answer, probably until midway through August," Silverfield told Arkansas Razorbacks on SI last month. "Obviously, trainings are a little bit shorter this year, but of excited to see where it goes. Both guys are certainly capable.

"They both, AJ and KJ, both have fantastic skill sets, they're both leading, they're doing all those things, but no, I think it's one of the things that's going to go probably through late August, and then we'll have an answer."

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