Question About KJ Jefferson Gives Answer to When We Find Backup

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman delivered some insight on quarterback a lot of folks missed.

The question was about starter KJ Jefferson, but the answer was more on the order of backups.

Sam does that pretty well. It also goes with one of the things I have been saying for years, but a lot of the Monday morning experts tend to look over. That's because most of you don't even know what you're seeing in the spring.

"Let's say you don't tackle," Pittman said when talking about Jefferson being comfortable now and having a good spring. "I made that mistake last year. You really don't know what you have in a quarterback. You really don't.

"Not in the spring."

In other words, for all the hope and whatever anybody thinks they saw in these 15 practices with no live tackling to the ground, don't start projecting what happens in October against Alabama.

They know what they have in Jefferson.

"He played for us," Pittman said. "But he's not live. You don't know if he can make a guy miss, you don't know if he can bang off somebody. You don't know what he's like on a Saturday because you're blowing the play dead with the whistle."

He didn't mention the band playing, the crowd getting to a deafening roar and when you are on the field it's hard to really figure out anything other than roaring sound.

KJ doesn't leave a lot of questions, but it's by guess and by golly if he gets dinged up, which history says will happen. At least a play or two here and there if not an entire game somewhere along the line.

The numbers show us that happens more often that not for nearly every team, no matter how good they are.

"Imagine you don't tackle," Pittman said. "It's the same thing. You really don't know what you have if you're not out there scrimmaging. You can't really find out who can play and who can't.

"You can't allow for somebody to beat somebody out because you don't know who's going to rise in a game situation and who's not."

Yes, Jefferson had a good spring and the questions aren't about him.

But the only quarterback on the roster they know about in an SEC game is Cade Fortin and not many folks are putting him at third team right now.

Maybe the best advice for all those guessing at who's going to play in every position and who won't is just be patient.

And hope KJ doesn't get dinged up.

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