ESPN's QB tier rankings have Arkansas near bottom of SEC
Just one year removed from ranking atop the Southeastern Conference in ESPN's preseason quarterback situation tier rankings, the Arkansas Razorbacks enter the 2024 season being rated on the same level as conference foe Vanderbilt.
ESPN released its annual ranking of all 134 FBS quarterback situations in tiers, beginning with Tier 1 featuring names such as Alabama's Jalen Milroe and Texas' Quinn Ewers, and ending with Tier 20 listing schools like Ball State, Kent State and UNLV, among others.
With first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino now calling plays and Boise State transfer quarterback Taylen Green the presumable starter, ESPN put the Arkansas quarterback situation in Tier 11a, which is labeled as "Movin' on up."
Backup quarterback Malachi Singleton was also listed in the Hogs' situation. Former quarterback Jacolby Criswell was in competition with Singleton during the spring, but he has since transferred back to North Carolina. The Razorbacks also have freshman KJ Jackson and Coastal Carolina transfer Blake Boda in the quarterback room.
Five other schools were included in the same tier as Arkansas — Baylor, Cal, Indiana, Wake Forest and Vanderbilt. Just two others SEC schools — Auburn and South Carolina — were ranked in lower tiers than the Razorbacks and Commodores.
As a redshirt sophomore last season at Boise State, Green completed 57.1% of his passes for 1,752 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 436 yards and nine scores, and ESPN pointed out that Green had more rushing touchdowns (19) over the past two seasons than any other Group of 5 quarterback.
"He’s a very highly motivated young man," Petrino said April 2. "He spends more time in that building than anybody. He’s got this little routine he goes through where he takes his iPad out on the field and watches video and does his footwork. He’s just going to continue to get better and better."
Green arrived at Arkansas for the spring semester and he was the first team quarterback during all of the Razorbacks' spring practices. He displayed impressive arm strength and speed for his size (6-foot-6, 223 pounds), but it was his leadership that players and coaches praised him the most for.
“Oh man, he’s trying to get everybody going,” senior wide receiver Andrew Armstrong said March 7. “He’s reaching out, trying to get people to come up there to throw with the quarterbacks. Everybody’s trying to come in, learn the plays, having a group discussion about it, so he’s definitely filling in that role of trying to be a leader.”
ALSO READ: Taylen Green’s leadership makes strong impression in spring practice
With former signal caller KJ Jefferson entering his third season as the Hogs' starter in 2023, expectations were at an all-time high for the native of Sardis, Mississippi. ESPN rated him in Tier 2 of its ranking of all 133 FBS quarterback situations last summer, with names around him such as J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) and Jalon Daniels (Kansas).
Things didn't work out well for Jefferson under first-year offensive coordinator Dan Enos, who was fired Oct. 22 after just eight games. Jefferson completed 64.2% of his passes for 2,107 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while adding 447 rushing yards with two scores on the ground.
Now playing for head coach Gus Malzahn at Central Florida, Jefferson and the Knights check in just one tier above the Razorbacks in Tier 10. Other schools included in that tier are Louisville, Mississippi State, Washington and Wisconsin.
The 2024 season will begin for Arkansas on Thursday, Aug. 29, against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and it will be broadcast on ESPNU.