Head coach Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks won't name their starting quarterback for the 2024 season until the end of the spring, but it's been apparent through the first eight practices that transfer Taylen Green has the early edge over the rest of the roster.
A 6-foot-6, 221-pound redshirt junior, Green was a dynamic signal caller for Boise State from 2022-23. In those two seasons, the Texas native racked up a combined 3,794 passing yards and 25 touchdowns through the air with another 1,022 yards on the ground and 19 rushing scores.
"I’ve loved it," Green said on Saturday. "Every single second, just being out in the community, seeing everybody, the fans and all that. Just getting to know these two people and the whole team, it’s been awesome. I’ve enjoyed my time. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
"I’m grateful you know. I’m grateful for everybody accepting me into their family. Every single team is different but there wasn’t like none of ‘Oh, he’s the new guy.’ They’re like, OK, it’s time to go. It’s time to ball. So that’s what I love."
During Arkansas' first open scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, Green received all of the first team reps and completed 10 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns. He showcased his big arm and flashed the running ability that made him such an intriguing prospect when he entered the transfer portal over the offseason. Green talked about his move from Boise to Fayetteville following his performance.
"I’ll say the whole transition, the whole process was really, really fast," Green said. "Entered the transfer portal, (Bobby Petrino) texted me and we visited. We talked ball for about two hours. He knows way more than me. So I decided to take a visit. That was my first visit and it was actually my first official visit because of COVID and everything. I couldn’t take any visits. We visited and we were watching Louisville and Lamar Jackson and all that. His vision for me was what I really fell in love with.
"The details and the knowledge he was talking about when he gets on the whiteboard. I just fell in love with this place and I prayed about it and talked to my family about it. I had other visits planned but after the visit, I knew that I didn’t need to take any more visits. This is where I was going to be. I could see myself in the red and white. That’s what I fell in love with. The visit and coach (Sam Pittman) and everybody.”
Recruited by Petrino as a high school quarterback when the now-Arkansas offensive coordinator was the head coach of Missouri State, Green said the communication between him and the Hogs' play-caller didn't take long once he decided to move on from the Broncos.
"I would say like a day or two," Green said. "Coach Petrino was texting me or calling me every morning. Sometimes I told him, ‘coach, it’s 6 a.m., 7 a.m. I’m sleeping. I’m catching up on sleep for the season.’ But I’m definitely grateful for the opportunity and blessed to be coached by arguably the best coach in America.
"I would say it was pretty active. With him being at Missouri State, I had a couple teammates on the team at the time. I was talking to coach Petrino about them. Just him being there. Like I said, it was during COVID, he believed in me even when he couldn’t see me throw. That’s what spoke out to me."
Green and the Razorbacks will practice again on Tuesday, so be sure to follow along at HawgBeat and our premium message board — The Trough — for coverage of every Arkansas spring practice.
More Arkansas Football Spring Practice Coverage:
Unofficial stats, big plays from Arkansas football's Saturday scrimmage
Arkansas still looking for workhorse at running back
