Silverfield Says KJ Jackson Has Been 'Tremendous' But Reiterates That QB Battle is Ongoing

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The quarterback battle at Arkansas is still yet to be won by either KJ Jackson or AJ Hill, but head coach Ryan Silverfield had plenty to say about the former Thursday at SEC Media Days.

Jackson enters the 2026 season as a redshirt sophomore and has been considered the favorite to land the starting job over Hill, who followed Silverfield and offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey from Memphis. Jackson threw for over 200 yards and a touchdown against Texas last year before starting the season finale against Missouri.

"KJ... has been tremendous," Silverfield said. "Since the day I got the job, 'Hey, how quickly can I learn the offense?' Even before he said he was coming back, he was asking, 'Can we sit down? Can we meet? Can we talk about protections?' He's so intelligent. He works his tail off so much, he cares about it. He's a leader.

"Obviously, he's got some strength with his legs as well. He's a lefty, so that's unique. It's been quite a while since I've been around a left-handed quarterback. But he does such a tremendous job. He commands the presence of the offense. We tell him the thing he needs to continue to do is make great decisions with the football. Whoever our starter is, whether it's KJ or AJ, can they put the offense in the right position to have success, and ultimately put the ball where it needs to be?"

Silverfield added that he is "pleased" with Jackson's progression and that he is "certainly" talented enough to play at the SEC level.

In regard to decision making, it's hard to say that Jackson hasn't passed that test yet. While his action during the 2025 season was relatively limited, he did not throw an interception and completed 61.1 percent of his passes (33-54). That's a higher completion percentage than Taylen Green had in both 2024 (60.4) and 2025 (60.7) and tops the marks of Brandon Allen in 2014 (56 percent), Ryan Mallett in 2009 and Matt Jones in 2003 (57.9 percent).

While his two game stint against SEC teams last season is a relatively small sample size, Jackson's lack of interceptions isn't to be ignored. If he's able to take care of the football in the same way this season, that would solve a turnover problem that has been a huge detriment to Arkansas over the past two years. As electric as Green could be at times, he also had a tendency to make occasionally baffling decisions, such as the turnover he committed against Texas that led to Jackson entering the game. Green threw 20 interceptions during his two seasons at Arkansas, including a career-high three against Auburn last year.

QB battle still ongoing, says Silverfield

While Silverfield had high praise for Jackson, he continued to reiterate that there is an ongoing battle for the starting role at UA.

Ryan Silverfield on Arkansas's QB battle between KJ Jackson and AJ Hill:

"The cupboard's not bare, we got 2 guys that are capable, but that QB situation is one we're going to let stretch because they're really neck and neck." pic.twitter.com/cu8sot4F4R
— The Chuck & Bo Show (@chuckandboshow) July 23, 2026

"The cupboard's not bare, we got 2 guys that are capable, but that QB situation is one we're going to let stretch because they're really neck and neck as they continue to compete for the job," SIlverfield said Wednesday on the Chuck and Bo Show.

With only 44 days remaining until Arkansas' season-opener against North Alabama on Sept. 5, the clock is ticking for both QBs to impress Silverfield enough to be named QB1.

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