Former Ohio State QB Might Be Just What Doctor Ordered for Jefferson

Common ground runs deep between new Arkansas offensive coordinator and veteran quarterback

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Oct 23, 2023 8:29 AM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – If there is a winner out of the mess that was Saturday's 7-3 homecoming loss to Mississippi State, it's KJ Jefferson.

One text that came across during the game read "If Jefferson refuses to come out of the locker room at halftime, the people of Arkansas will probably understand." His face and demeanor throughout the game made it clear the game was a low in a season of lows for a once proud quarterback who had been turned into an SEC punching bag by the Dan Enos offense.

However, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. In new offensive coordinator Kenny Guiton, Jefferson finds a kindred spirit who can relate to his game at quarterback. Guiton served as a bridge between the Jim Tressell and Urban Meyer eras (Buckeye fans don't allow mention of the Luke Fickell season in between) while battling Heisman hopefuls Terrell Pryor and Braxton Miller for playing time.

The best way to sum up Guiton's game as a Big Ten quarterback is to describe him as a smaller, quicker Jefferson. He ran the zone read to perfection, and his tape shows there are things he knows that can not only make Jefferson a better quarterback, but can help hide some of the issues with the offensive line.

He not only ran the zone read, but he ran creative versions of the option and loved to move the pocket. Option pitches went forward and backward to keep the defense off balance, and they weren't these cheap glorified hand-offs generating pass yardage. They were legitimate option pitches off a read of the defense. It's also important to note Guiton had no objections to throwing to his tight ends in college. It just opened things up more for his receivers.

Ohio St. was creative in how it used the offensive line in blocking and he ran a lot of quick-hit explosive passing plays that took pressure off the linemen when needed. He also had amazing footwork as a quarterback by his senior year. This is one area where Jefferson benefited under Enos, but it's clear Guiton has the experience to raise his game even higher if Pittman will allow him time to work with the quarterbacks.

Guiton also understood how to ride the tailback like it was a zone read to draw the defense up and then take a quick two-step drop to give himself extra space and time while his receivers got open deep. There are a lot of reasons to dislike Meyer as a person, but to see how he built onto what Guiton learned under Tressell shows a need to respect the teacher of the game he was at the time.

Of course, there's concern the moment may be too big for Guiton as he prepares to call his first game in "The Swamp" against Florida. However, there's tape to suggest that won't be an issue either.

Miller went down to injury while trailing Purdue 22-14 late. Guiton came in with ice water in his veins. He got the ball with under a minute left and drove the length of the field for the touchdown and 2-point conversion to force overtime. He then led them to a 29-22 win.

The only way Guiton can mess up is to sit back and call the Enos game plan instead of trusting himself and relying on his experience. If he can fall back on his experience at Ohio State and blend it with what the Razorbacks did the past two seasons with Jefferson and the offense, he stands a good chance to not only turn around the season, he stands to solidify quite the promotion for himself while padding his bank account at the same time.

He's had a full decade to grow into the man whom Pittman believes deserves a shot. He has two weeks to decide what that man is going to look like when the bright lights turn on.