Word Among Media, Former Coach is Jefferson Must Do the Unnatural This Season So Hogs Win

Razorback quarterback too valuable to risk, but can still run if he is willing to do this

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Jul 20, 2023 2:21 PM EDT
Original:
Jul 20, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A full 24 hours has passed since the Arkansas stepped into the spotlight in Nashville, and from out of the flood of Razorback information came a steady hum that went unnoticed by many. The idea that quietly worked its way below the surface was that Sam Pittman and Dan Enos have to find a way to make quarterback KJ Jefferson unnatural.

During Jefferson's interview, one thing he pointed out is he has goals which include making everything right with that Texas A&M game and being there for his team through all games, not missing games for injury like he did against Mississippi State and LSU last season. That was addressed several times by various media outlets in the hours that followed, starting with former Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason who was working the SEC Network desk. He was the first to voice the need for Jefferson to do the most unnatural thing he may ever do to make it happen – get down on runs to avoid contact.

"I think it's looking at the game and picking your spots, right," Mason said of how the Arkansas coaches need to manage Jefferson. "You've got to be smart. Red zone situations, less contact. Less force. Shorter areas. You look at his ability to create. Get down. You've got to be smart with your quarterback. He's got to get down. He's got to take care of himself. He's got to put that on his shoulders. His football IQ and his acumen now has to show up for this football team and he's got to protect himself."

It's a line of thinking Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has already been turning over in his head with many of his decisions going into the season. Perhaps the most important decision was to bring in offensive coordinator Dan Enos, a man who has already proven he can produce 6,000 yards of offense at Arkansas without putting the quarterback at risk the way previous offensive coordinator Kendal Briles often did.

"I think it's going to be his best season [Jefferson's] had," Pittman said. "Whether we run him quite as much as we have in the past, I don't know that."

In response to that statement, Zach Arns, one half of the Ruscin & Zach ESPN afternoon radio show out of Northwest Arkansas, expressed that it's something Pittman definitely needs to know. It may be Jefferson's goal to not miss games because of injury, but according to Arns, it's the Razorbacks' requirement that it not happen.

"Everything breaking right starts with KJ plays 12 games," Arns said. "Plain and simple. If he plays less than 10 games, you're in trouble. A lot of trouble."

Arns went on to stress just how important Jefferson is to this team as a whole, but especially it's offense.

"He is probably your most dynamic weapon in all phases as far as running, passing," Arns said. "He can do anything. You can probably throw it to him if you wanted to. Again, he's your most valuable player. You can lose Rocket Sanders for a week or two weeks and be OK. You can't lose him. So you've got to protect him, and you've got to get in his ear. 'Man, get down. Get on the ground.'"

In phrasing the initial question to Mason, ESPN's Peter Burns also echoed the importance of Jefferson to the Razorbacks' success this season.

"I got a question for you as a head coach," Burns said. "We talk about KJ Jefferson and he's going to be part of the run game because he has to be because as you said, right. You're nuts or you're crazy if you don't make him. But, as a head coach, he is QB 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. That's your guy. How do you balance? How do you make the right decision? What goes into thinking how much do I want to run him, because I need him on the field?"

Arns addressed the same premise on the air a couple of hours later, and came away with essentially the same answer as Mason. Jefferson is going to have to break away from his natural instincts and do some things he will have to force upon himself.

"You're going to have to run him, and KJ is going to have learn to get down," Arns said. "I don't care if you're 240 pounds or you're 140 pounds, you're not going to be able to take shots like that every single week over a 12-week season. You can't do it. You're going to have to learn that sometimes discretion is the better part of valor and you're going to have to dive, and, instead of getting seven yards, get five. You're gonna have to do it. You're going to have to run out of bounds. He cannot continue to take shots. He's also has to learn how to get rid of the football when the pressure is coming. Throw it out of bounds, live to fight another day.

Arns added if those lessons had been learned last season, Jefferson finishes the Alabama game, which also would have made him available the following week against Mississippi State.

"The play he got hurt on against Alabama last year was a ball he held onto too long," Arns said. "If you flip that thing away, it's third down, you go back, you're not hurt, you don't have to deal with concussion issue. He'd have been fine. He's been dinged up every year he's been here and, if that's because of the shots he takes, you've got to limit those.

Even though so many voices are stressing the need for Jefferson to stay healthy throughout the season, including Jefferson himself, Arns said he thinks it's a lesson that is going to be learned by Jefferson at some point. However, if it doesn't soak in this season, it will be yet another year where Pittman will find himself missing his starting quarterback in spots throughout the season.

"It's what all quarterbacks like him, a Cam Newton, they all learn over time, that, man, you can't take these shots, and if you do, you're not going to be around very long," Arns said. "Especially in this league with the gazelles that are coming off the edge, you just can't do it. There are linebackers and defensive linemen as big as he is. He's not running those guys over. If he gets to the second or third level, yeah, put your shoulder down and run a guy over, but you don't want to be taking on some of linebackers in this league. You're not gonna make it through 12."