Green has rare skills, but can he become Hogs' next Matt Jones?

Time has arrived for Arkansas' dual-threat dynamo to step up against SEC foe in Oxford

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green at the mesh point with a running back against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs in the season-opening win at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. / Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

Michael Vick set the bar pretty darn high when it came to dual threat quarterbacks. In today's lingo, he was a dog, among the most feared and productive quarterbacks in the NFL.

Cam Newton, taller and faster than Vick, but still an elusive and bullish runner, picked up that baton while winning the Heisman Trophy and the national championship with Auburn.

He was NFL Most Valuable Player in 2015 and led the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl.

Today's gold standard for a running, passing, winning quarterback is Lamar Jackson, also a Heisman Trophy winner and the NFL Most Valuable Player in 2019 and '23.

Lamar Jackson has some of the best highlights of all time pic.twitter.com/gWaUjw6WGQ

— Casual Sports Fan (@bigsportscasual) August 14, 2025

There are other promising pro quarterbacks who hope to become proven double threats like Kyler Murray, Jayden Daniels and Justin Fields.

Then, there are established passers who also pose a constant running threat, especially near the goal line, like Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts.

Arkansas thought it would contribute a big, fast, athletic quarterback to that list a generation ago. It didn't happen, but Matt Jones was still a first-round NFL draft pick — as a receiver.

Matt Jones touchdowns at Arkansas were a thing of beauty 🐗🏈 🎥 WarMachine2013 on Twitter/YouTube

Posted by The Hawg Talk on Saturday, July 26, 2025

Now the Razorbacks have a carbon copy of Jones, that freakish athlete who played QB in Fayetteville two decades ago, but never got the chance in the NFL.

Of course, that bad man is Taylen Green. Like Jones and Newton and Fields, Green has size, speed and passing potential.

Is Green the second coming of Jones or legitimate pro QB material?

Odds are, Green will be drafted as a quarterback. Times have changed and the NFL is embracing dual-threat QBs.

Plus, Green throws better than Jones.

Plus, he's in a second season with quarterback whisperer Bobby Petrino, the Hogs' offensive coordinator.

Former Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt said Green will be the key Saturday when the Razorbacks line up against No. 17 Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt celebrates with his team after their 50-48 triple overtime victory over the top ranked LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

"Taylen Green is the guy that makes it happen," Nutt said. "If Ole Miss doesn’t bottle him up, they will have a very difficult time beating Arkansas. Very elusive and throws just well enough to beat you with some explosive plays."

Green is 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds. He's faster than most receivers, as big as most linebackers or defensive ends. He can deliver the ball on a rope and on the numbers.

All he lacks is consistency. He's got a better shot at the NFL than Jones, who lacked consistent passing mechanics and accuracy.

Nutt coached Jones and sees lots of similarities between him and Green.

"Taylen Green can fly," Nutt said. "He's gotta keep getting better with accuracy and throwing because they're going to heat him up (with blitzes) when a guy can run like that.

"But he's really made some great plays and made some good throws. When you're 6-foot-5 and run a 4.4, to me it goes back to Matt Jones' days."

Nutt wasn't the only SEC coach impressed by Jones, whose athletic skills and size mirror the current Hog QB.

"After every game," Nutt said, "the other (teams') defensive coordinator would come to me and say, 'I just didn't realize he was that fast.'"

Green and all those QBs listed above have skills and instincts that can't be coached.

"Matt Jones could overcome coaching," Nutt said. "What I mean by that is, he can escape problems when they miss a block. When they blitz, he can escape that one. So you're afraid to rush because he can take off."

The jury is still out whether Green will excel this season with those split-second decisions on when to take off and run and when to just leave the pocket to buy time for a receiver to get open.

"The quarterbacks who can keep their eyes downfield keeps a defensive coordinator up all week," Nutt said. "Like Matt did with Decori Birmingham against LSU in Little Rock, the Miracle on Markham."

Jones bought time and found Birmingham in the end zone at War Memorial Stadium to beat No. 17 LSU.

The "Miracle on Markham" happened Nov. 29, 2002, when Jones led an 81-yard drive in just three plays and 25 seconds. His 31-yard to Birmingham gave the Hogs a 21-20 win and the SEC West Division title.

Jones was the No. 21 overall pick in the draft in the 2005 NFL draft. He had a couple of solid years, but got sidetracked by drugs and injuries and was soon out of the league.

How good are the Hogs? Nutt withheld judgment, correctly saying more info is needed. The showdown will Ole Miss will provide that.

"With the first two teams that (Arkansas) played, I just don’t know how good they are," Nutt said. "That’s offensively and defensively."

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