Razorbacks OC Details KJ Jackson's Biggest Improvement During Fall Camp

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas quarterback KJ Jackson will be the first to tell you that one major issue he's dealt with during his football career is accuracy.

“That's been the story of my life since I've been here,” Jackson said earlier this summer. “I think last year my thing was having an idea pre-snap and getting through my reads quicker, so things don't surprise me a little bit. So, as we get more reps, I feel like it's just been better and better every single day.

“Just pre-snap reads, pre-snap looks, and then understanding to get off progressions faster and maybe see those guys before they get open, so I don't have to rush things and just use my form that’s how I've been throwing the ball since [I was] 15 years old.”

It's been a concern going back to his days at St. James High School in Montgomery, Ala., despite a prolific career that saw him pass for 130 touchdown passes, which is good for third all-time in Alabama High School Athletic Association history.

Yet for all the production, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound passer completed 62% of his attempts for 7,756 yards across three varsity seasons. He even tacked on an additional 975 yards and 17 scores on the ground, which helped place him among the top dual-threat passers in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

"Been huge strides for him [in accuracy]. Huge strides for him in that department," Arkansas offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said on Tuesday. "Both those guys did what we asked them to do when we said, ‘Here’s the five things you need to do. Here’s a couple things you need to stop doing.’ They both made amazing strides in those situations and really dialed in and focused."

Coaches tracked every pass dating back to winter workouts, with both quarterbacks completing north of 70% at one point during the spring. But as Silverfield said when announcing his decision, the job ultimately went to the quarterback who "gave them the best chance to win." Jackson proved to be that option.

"KJ did what we asked him to do,"Cramsey continued. "He improved his mechanics. Him and Coach Mitch [Stewart] really went to work on what he needed to do. Accuracy and location is strictly your feet and your shoulders. And once you get that right, the ball is going to go where your feet and your shoulders are aiming."

It hasn't always been easy for Jackson to grab the starting nod. It certainly wasn't wrapped with a cardinal red bow on top when he announced that he'd return for his junior year either.

After waiting his turn behind Taylen Green for two seasons and battling transfer AJ Hill this offseason, Jackson proved to coaches he was ready to lead the offense.

Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson (7) gets ready to throw a pass during spring practice at the Arkansas Razorbacks practice facilities. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It was a heck of a quarterback battle," Cramsey said. "They went after each other, but they went after each other in a professional manner. I don't care what those, those are some of the hardest days of your life, that meeting you have when you tell a quarterback this guy's starting, this guy's not starting.

"As happy as you feel for the guy that you're giving the nod to, you feel a lot worse for the guy you're not giving the nod to, especially when [Jackson] did everything you asked him to do and put himself in the situation that if he is the guy on Saturdays in the fall, you feel good about it. "

Jackson will get his first opportunity to prove to fans he deserved the starting job on Saturday as the Razorbacks host North Alabama at 3:15 p.m. CT. The game will air nationally on the SEC Network.

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