KJ Jackson Had The Yips At Times In Arkansas' Win Over North Alabama

In second career start, Jackson struggled to settle in early but found rhythm late

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson prepares to call for the snap against North Alabama in the season opener. | Nilsen Roman

FAYETTEVILLE — KJ Jackson's first collegiate interception was very untimely.

With Arkansas leading North Alabama 14-0 in the waning moments of the first half, Jackson had an opportunity to put what had been a concerning first half behind him and go into the locker room at least with a 17-0 lead.

Instead, he sailed a pass over the head of CJ Brown and into the waiting arms of Trevion Butler.

"I forced that one, and I can't do that. I can't do that, especially when we're in field goal range and we have points," Jackson said. "I know better than that. Coach Cramsey and Coach Silverfield have been in that position plenty of times, and I got to check the ball down."

It was a very poor way to end the half for Jackson, who also nearly threw an interception on Arkansas' first drive of the season.

"Prior of half, you certainly can't make that decision to throw the ball in the end zone when you already have points and there's plenty of check-downs that are available," head coach Ryan Silverfield said.

The interception was indicative of Jackson's afternoon as a whole: head-scratching.

Trevion Butler with a HUGE pick to end the half 💪

Excellent half for the UNA defense.
Lions to receive in the second half!

📺: @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/bjWdOj8ycn

— North Alabama Football (@UNAFootball) September 5, 2026

There were times when the Montgomery, Ala., native looked timid after getting the snap. There were times where he flat-out missed open receivers downfield and hesitated to throw the ball.

In addition to his interception, he also fumbled in the second quarter, which set North Alabama up in scoring position. Only a subsequent forced fumble from Charlie Collins allowed the Hogs to escape without letting UNA get on the board.

If you only looked at the box score, you might think Jackson, who completed 24 of his 35 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns, had a solid 2026 debut. But while there were a few bright spots, the bad moments were much more notable, especially against an FCS opponent.

"Didn't start how I wanted it to, of course," Jackson said. "But you know, there were bright spots, too. Made some plays. I was happy to see myself make some plays. I was happy to see the offense make some plays. Sutton had an amazing play on a little check down. He made a linebacker miss, and it turned into a big play. So of course we’ve got a lot to fix. But I mean, at the end of the day, it was a win."

To his credit, Jackson extended several seemingly broken plays with his legs and managed the game well. He committed no turnovers in the second half and went 5-5 for 45 yards on Arkansas' first drive of the third quarter, which culminated in a touchdown toss to Jaden Platt.

THE HANDS 🙌@KJ_Jackson_25 x @JadenPlatt_ATH pic.twitter.com/4ejKWiXvaX

— Arkansas Football 🐗 (@RazorbackFB) September 5, 2026

There was pressure on Jackson to make plays on Saturday, thanks in large part to an Arkansas rushing attack that only averaged three yards per carry. But the redshirt sophomore will have to play much better over the final 11 games of the season if Arkansas is to sniff bowl eligibility, and Saturday's performance did little to quell the fears of Razorback nation.

Sign up to our free newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter) for the latest news.