KJ Jefferson 'pressing too much' through six games
The Arkansas Razorbacks (2-4, 0-3 SEC) dropped their fourth straight game Saturday in a 27-20 loss to No. 13 Ole Miss behind another struggling effort from third-year starting quarterback KJ Jefferson and the offense.
After starting the season with five combined touchdowns and no interceptions against Western Carolina and Kent State, Jefferson has thrown at least one interception in four straight games. In the loss at Ole Miss, the Hogs' signal-caller completed 25 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, but he added two interceptions on ill-advised throws.
Coming off a 2022 season in which he threw for 2,636 yards and 24 touchdowns with another 640 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, Jefferson was named a preseason Second Team All-SEC quarterback. The high expectations could be adding to some of the pressure on Jefferson, according to head coach Sam Pittman.
"I think he’s pressing, too," Pittman said on Monday. "I think everybody could understand if he was. I think he’s pressing. It’s his senior year, a lot of things on his mind. He would be better at answering it than me, but that’s what I believe, that he’s probably pressing. He also has way more on, much more on his plate now than he ever has. It’s been, I’m sure, difficult for him."
Not all of the blame is on Jefferson alone, however. Arkansas' offensive line has allowed 23 sacks through the first six games of the season, the same amount allowed during the entirety of last year.
"I do believe that he could really thrive and shine if we just protected him a little bit better," Pittman said. "If you notice in the games, if he does have protection, we’re able to throw and catch well. When he doesn’t, not so much. I think that’s with everybody. But I think he wants to be Superman and I think he’s probably pressing a little bit too much right now to make a play."
Alongside Jefferson on the struggle bus is running back Raheim Sanders, who was named a preseason First Team All-SEC running back after rushing for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. Pittman doesn't believe the two offensive leaders' struggles have had an impact on the team's mindset.
"I know it does on them," Pittman said. "It has to when you’re not having success. It has to. I think it goes back to are you just going to get through it or are you going to fight through it? Are you going to survive? You keep fighting and things of that nature, which I think our team is doing. I know they are. I don’t have any question about that.
"But those two guys with high expectations coming into the year, the thing they’ve got to keep remember is you’ve got six, hopefully seven, games left and there’s a lot of work to be done...Rocket is different, because he’s coming off an injury. KJ, I could see that wearing on him a little bit even though he’s had some success."
Arkansas' offense currently ranks 110th in the country in total offense with an average of 332.8 yards per game. On top of that, the scoring offense ranks 52nd in the country with 31.3 points per game. Those numbers have to improve if the Razorbacks want to qualify for a bowl game by the end of the season, and it all starts with Jefferson.
The 6-foot-3, 247-pound quarterback has thrown for 1,300 yards and 12 scores while adding 136 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground. Through six games played last season, Jefferson totaled 1,463 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns with 344 rushing yards and four scores, so his numbers are down from a year ago.
Jefferson and the rest of the Hogs' offense will have a chance at redemption when they travel to Tuscaloosa on Saturday to face the No. 11 Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0 SEC). The game is set to kick off at 11:00 a.m. CT and it will be broadcast on ESPN.