Today, we are taking a look at who's going to be the Arkansas Razorbacks' starting quarterback. The Razorbacks have senior KJ Jefferson returning for one last season, but they also got a reasonably good backup in redshirt junior Jacolby Criswell.
Criswell arrived in Fayetteville as a transfer from North Carolina, providing a bit of breeding room for a team that, in recent years, has struggled when their starting QB is sidelined.
What does the Arkansas QB depth chart look like for 2023?
Their QB depth chart also includes redshirt senior Cade Fortin, who previously played at South Florida, redshirt freshman Rykar Acebo and freshman Malachi Singleton. Singleton is a four-star recruit who was ranked fifth dual-threat QB in the nation. However, today, we are looking at the most likely Arkansas starting QB: KJ Jefferson
KJ Jefferson - Stats and strengths
Jefferson threw for 2,648 yards, with 24 TDs and five INTs last year. He also ran for 640 yards, with nine terrestrial TDs. Career-wise, he has thrown for 5,816 yards, with 48 TDs and 10 INTs over four years with the Razorbacks. He's been Arkansas starting QB since 2022.
Having finished last season with a QBR of 81.4 and a passer rating of 165.2, we can say that KJ Jefferson is a great passer of the ball. He thrives on those long passes and has fairly good accuracy, reflected by a 68% completion rate last year. His problem is durability, having gone injured several times in the past, and the need for the Hogs to protect him. As Bill King said on ESPN Arkansas last month, they need to "Bubble wrap him."
Which QB candidate's playing style fits best with the offensive system?
Although Arkansas has got an interesting backup QB in Jacolby Criswell, there isn't much of a debate about who's more attuned to their offense. The fact is that KJ Jefferson is the starting QB for Arkansas and the team is built around him.
Plus this year, Jefferson is on the watchlist for several awards, including the Manning Award, the Davey O'Brien Award, and the Maxwell Award. Some have even named him a long shot hopeful for the Heisman.
Who was Arkansas' Starting QB in the Last 5 Years?
KJ Jefferson has been Arkansas starting QB for the last two seasons. In the 2020 season, the starter was Feleipe Franks, who broke a 20-game losing streak against SEC teams for the Hogs, with a victory over No.16 Mississippi State.
Currently, Franks is a tight end for the Atlanta Falcons. In the 2019 season, Ben Hicks and Nick Starkel shared the QB duty in a very poor year for Arkansas. In 2018, Ty Storey was their starting QB in a 2-10 year.
Arkansas starting QB in 2022
As mentioned above, Arkansas' starting QB for 2022 was KJ Jefferson, who threw for 2,648 yards, with 24 TDs and five INTs, and ran for 640 yards with nine terrestrial TDs. The Hogs got an overall record of 7-6 and an SEC mark of 3-5. Jefferson led Arkansas to a second consecutive victory in the Liberty Bowl against Kansas, 55-53 in overtime.
Arkansas starting QB in 2021
In his first year as Arkansas's starting QB, Jefferson threw for 2,676 yards, with 21 TDs and four INTs, and ran for 664 yards with six rushing TDs. The Razorbacks finished with an overall record of 8-4 and an SEC record of 4-4. They closed the season with an Outback Bowl victory over Penn State, 24-10. Jefferson was named the Outback Bowl MVP.
Prediction: Who will be Arkansas' starting QB in 2023?
There isn't really much debate about who's going to be Arkansas' starting QB this year. The only way Jacolby Criswell would become Arkansas' starting QB is if KJ Jefferson goes down with an injury. Given his past injury record, there is a serious possibility that could happen and that's why the Hogs brought Criswell to Fayetteville.
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