Jackson Has Taken Control of Razorbacks’ QB Battle Whether It’s Named or Not

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When Arkansas' spring practice came to a conclusion Saturday following the Red-White Game, there was no surprise a decision on the starting quarterback wasn't announced.

New coach Ryan Silverfield didn't hint at who is quarterback would be. Instead, he chose to praise both and address what they each bring to the table with different skill sets.

What Silverfield is probably doing is allowing the battle to play out over the summer as separation can occur at any time. While AJ Hill has a year of experience in offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey's system, there's no substitute for KJ Jackson's experience on the field in SEC play, even in it's a six game sample size.

What he showed under former Arkansas interim coach Bobby Petrino was above average pocket composure. There were times in his first extensive action after an injury to Taylen Green against Texas when the Longhorns would send maximum pressure off the edges to rattle a redshirt freshman, but he never took the bait.

His timing on routes is quite underrated as he anticipates where a receiver is supposed to be with a very catchable pass.

There was one play Jackson looked off his tight end Rohan Jones in the flat with a linebacker locked in on Cam Settles out of the backfield. That little bit of action allowed O'Mega Blake to break open on a 10-yard slant which turned into an extra seven yards of open field.

Of course. Texas had a 19-point fourth quarter lead at that point, so its defense wasn't nearly as aggressive as it was earlier in the game. But for Jackson to demonstrate accuracy, timing and a willingness to scramble for extra yardage provides plenty of optimism about what the former 4-star prospect brings to the Razorbacks' offense this fall.

That type of anticipation will pay off in an offensive system predicated on dump-offs in the flat, or finding the open receiver in space for chunk yardage.

He led the Arkansas offense on three scoring drives, including a 12-yard dash to the end zone where he rolled the pocket back eight yards to avoid pressure. Jackson sidestepped star linebacker Liona Lefau, shifted left to avoid another defender, and carried Lefau for another five yards before shrugging him off to dive in the end zone.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson on the field against the Texas A&M Aggies at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

Jackson completed 16-of-29 passes for 206 yards and one touchdown while rushing for another 17 yards and another score.

One week later against Missouri, he showed great pocket presence in his first career start despite having to split time with Taylen Green on senior day. Late in the first quarter, Jackson delivered a 17-strike to Blake on a seam route to tie the game at seven apiece.

There was another throw made on a crossing route to Raylen Sharpe that gained 24 yards on second-and-13 early in the third quarter to put the Razorbacks in scoring position.

Although Arkansas wasn't successful on the drive, it still showed exactly what Jackson is capable of when leading an offense.

All the 6-foot-4, 224 pound dual threat passer needs to do is control the pace of the game instead of playing hero ball with every snap.

Former Arkansas star utility back Peyton Hilis has been impressed by Jackson throughout the spring and showed confidence in his ability to lead the Razorbacks' offense if he wins the job this fall.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Image

"[Jackson] handles the game well as far as controlling the game," Hills said during a Pig Trail Nation interview. "I don't think he's going to be a guy that's going to make a lot of mistakes. I think he's going to go out there and he's going to study his playbook and he's going to get things done.

"When you have a guy like that, especially with some receivers around him, I mean, we have some size at receiver now that I'm really excited about. If those guys get on the same page, you never know what can happen."

Being on the same page is something Hillis knows considering his backfield was one of the most explosive units in college football during his senior year in 2007 season. His full body of work with the Razorbacks helped him become an NFL Draft pick, become a force for the Cleveland Browns and earn the rights to be EA Sports' cover athlete on Madden NFL 12.

While the game is starting to shift back to its ground-and-pound roots, having a capable wide receiver room makes life easier on any quarterback. That's exactly how Jackson views his group of pass catchers, a blend of familiar faces and potential impact transfers.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

"I can't help but smile when I think about [the receivers]," Jackson said. "We've got some real playmakers in that room this year. From Chris Marshall, CJ Brown, Ismael Cisse, Courtney Crutchfield, young [Antonio Jordan], Jamari Hawkins, those guys are go-getters. Truly, just get them the ball in open space and let them make plays for you. And we'll be really successful if we can do that."

There's one thing Jackson didn't do and that was over-promise. In fact, he didn't promise anything at all as there's still a bit of an unknown about what Arkansas can be this season.

The Razorbacks are coming off a disappointing 2-10 year with a new coaching staff in place and a roster full of new faces. More than anything, Jackson shows quiet leadership and humility, but also a confidence that things are on the verge of changing.

Body language speaks louder than anything else, and Arkansas' potential starting quarterback is calm, cool and collected going into OTAs (organized team activities) later this month.

Watch the full Pig Trail Nation interview with Jackson below:

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