Sam Pittman and the Arkansas football team have seemingly found its workhorse running back ahead of the 2024 season, as Utah transfer Ja'Quinden Jackson continued to impress during the Razorbacks' annual Red-White spring game on Saturday at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
A 6-foot-2, 235-pound redshirt senior out of Dallas, Jackson carried the ball nine times for 68 yards and two touchdowns. He flashed his unique combination of north-and-south running with some quick-twitch elusiveness against the second-team defense, as time and time again he picked up extra yards after contact and even made a nice spin move for one of his scores.
"It’s my job to get in the end zone," Jackson said after the game. "That’s what they brought me here for. Every time, I tell myself it shouldn’t take you more than two times within 10 yards to get in the end zone. That’s just my mentality."
Throughout his three-year career, Jackson has racked up 1,358 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns with very little production in the receiving game — 61 yards on 10 receptions in total. But Jackson showcased some pass-catching potential during Saturday's game to the tune of one catch for 15 yards and a touchdown, and he thinks there's more in the tank.
"I just feel like I’m underrated when it comes to the passing game," Jackson said. "Like, a lot of people feel like I’m not a great route runner or I can’t catch. I played quarterback. Quarterbacks have to catch the ball every play, so I don’t get that. That play, we had a corner blitz, I let him know that they were coming, he saw me, dished it off and I let my playmaking ability take over."
Jackson was once a four-star dual-threat quarterback prospect out of Duncanville, Texas, and even signed with the Longhorns out of high school. After a failed stunt in Austin, Jackson took his talents to Utah where he had five games of 100+ rushing yard production. Now with the Razorbacks, Jackson's previous experience at the quarterback position has paid dividends for starting signal-caller Taylen Green.
"Like he said, he played quarterback, so he gets a lot of stuff," Green said after the game. "He understands defense. He understands fronts and all of that. It’s great to have that in the backfield with me as help. Like I said, saw Cowboy — we call it Cowboy — and there was a 1-on-1 with the defense and love that matchup. Nobody is going to tackle him 1-on-1, and he got the touchdown after that."
Arkansas has all but declared Green the starter at the quarterback position, but the running back group still features a battle between the likes of Jackson, Isaiah Augustave, Rashod Dubinion, Dominique Johnson and Braylen Russell.
It may not be consistently apparent during spring practices, but Jackson turns his game up another level when he plays in the physical environment of a game. Pittman said as much after the Red-White scrimmage.
"He's had a really good spring," Pittman said. "He's a guy that's probably even better when it's live. He looks better because he bounces off people. He uses the stiff arm a little bit more. He's got a violent stiff arm. He always seems to be moving forward. When he gets hit hard, he grins and gets up. He's just a tough kid. He was a really good get out of the portal. He was a really good get. He brings a lot to the team, as well, off the field."
Redshirt junior defensive tackle Cam Ball is a menacing presence in the trenches and has been a consistent threat for the Razorbacks during his career, so you know Jackson is an impressive ballcarrier when Ball needs help bringing him down on the field.
"I can say about him, you’re going to need more than one person to tackle him for sure," Ball said after the game. "If he wants to get an extra two, three yards he’ll get it. He’s just a solid dude, man. Better person, runs behind, pass and just an overall great player and a great addition to the team."
The Arkansas football team has officially closed its spring practice session, but there's still plenty of work to do in the transfer portal which opens up on Tuesday. The Razorbacks have five scholarships available as things currently stand, so be sure to follow along at HawgBeat's premium message board — The Trough — for regular updates on offseason additions.
