Taylen Green becoming leader for Arkansas in 2024
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The Arkansas Razorbacks are looking to improve on a 4-8 (1-7 SEC) campaign in 2023 that fielded one of the worst offenses the Hogs had seen in recent years. The Razorbacks finished near the bottom nationally in total offense — 105th, to be exact — and something had to change.
Arkansa head coach Sam Pittman brought in former Head Hog Bobby Petrino to lead the charge on the offensive end of the ball after former offensive coordinator Dan Enos was relieved of his duties after just eight games last season.
After his arrival, Petrino snatched Boise State transfer quarterback Taylen Green out of the transfer portal, and the Lewisville, Texas, native quickly took the reins as the starting quarterback through spring practices.
"Bobby Petrino went out and handpicked him," Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said at SEC Media Days on Thursday. "He's perfect for what Coach Petrino wants to do for our offense, and he has great, great leadership skills."
Green initially ended up at Boise State coming out of high school, but the first offer he received came from Petrino while he was the head coach at Missouri State. Once Green hit the transfer portal, Petrino didn't let up on recruiting him.
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"He called me every morning," Green told reporters. "Sometimes I wasn't up, and he would text me. But I took that as that meant a lot to me. He made me a priority. That meant a lot. We met before for about two, three hours talking about ball and not even talking about ball, talking about Arkansas and how it is and stuff like that."
Arkansas senior wide receiver Andrew Armstrong echoed Pittman's comments about Green's leadership. Armstrong said since arriving at Arkansas, Green's demeanor showed what kind of leader he is.
"Taylen Green is one of the most happy guys I've been around," Armstrong said. "He's ready to play. He loves when he messes up because it helps him. It builds him. It builds him, and he's that leader that a team needs. Everybody can go to him, ask him a question about a route, and he knows everything. You can tell he's been in the playbook, and he's locked in."
Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson, who was a team captain last season and opted to return rather than go to the NFL Draft, said Green won over the locker room almost instantly after arriving on campus.
"He came in and just his sense of urgency, he has all the traits to be, I mean, a lead for a big-time SEC program," Jackson said. "I mean, that dude goes to work every day. First one in, last one out. He does all he can to perfect his craft, and he doesn't just worry about himself. He really wants to perfect his teammates as well. He is one of those players that makes players around him better."
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Last season for Boise State, Green threw for 1,752 yards and 11 touchdowns, and rushed for 436 yards with nine scores on the ground. He'll have a main corps of wide receivers at Arkansas that were also on the team in 2023, which should help with consistency and chemistry between the players.
"It's been great, he's been helping us with the plays," Armstrong said. "We playing, we're trying to be explosive this year. With Taylen Green coming in, the leader he is — he is 6-foot-6. Looking at him you can already think he is a leader. He's been great. Talking with the players, talking with the team has been exciting."
A big part of the offense's success, though, will hinge on the play of the offensive line, which was downright atrocious in 2023.
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There's a new coach in that room, too, as Eric Mateos came from Baylor and replaced Cody Kennedy, who left for the same position at Mississippi State after the 2023 season. Armstrong said the offensive line is a more close-knit group this year than last.
"Man, the O-line is one of the most together O-lines I've ever seen," Armstrong said. "They come in together on the weekend, seven days a week, in the training room together, in the pool together, doing rehab together. They're not even hurt. They're just in there doing rehab to make themselves better and making themselves better is going to make the team better, make the offense better ... I feel like the O-line has took a dramatic step."
Arkansas' season will kickoff Thursday, Aug. 29, against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The game will get started at 6:30 p.m. CT and it will be broadcast on ESPNU.