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Arkansas football coach Ryan Silverfield didn't wait for a question when he took the main podium at SEC Media Days on Thursday, July 23.
He attacked the question on everyone's mind with his opening statement, immediately diving into the quarterback battle that will define the next month for his program.
The Razorbacks are still deciding between returnee KJ Jackson and Memphis transfer AJ Hill. The duo split time with the first-team offense during spring practices, and the battle carried over to the limited summer access coaches have on the field with their players. It will hit high gear when the calendar turns to August, but Silverfield expressed confidence the Hogs will in a good place with whoever emerges as the victor.
"I have great faith in the two guys that are competing for that starting job as it sits today," Silverfield said. "KJ Jackson and AJ Hill, both are very, very intelligent. Both are very hardworking. Both have the skillset in order to lead us to a bunch of SEC wins and compete at the highest level. Thrilled with those two."
Here are some other key takeaways from what Silverfield said in Tampa, Florida, about the quarterback competition.
Fall classes on Arkansas campus begin Aug. 17, which is roughly three weeks before the season opener against North Alabama.
The early start on classes means the Hogs will have a shortened training camp. Silverfield called it shortest of his career, with nine practices before the schedule gets affected by players going to class.
Arkansas is going to cram a lot into those nine practices, and Silverfield hopes his players are diving into the playbook during summer workouts to make the fall an easy transition. However, he isn't going to rush a decision between Jackson and Hill.
"The quarterback competition, I'm just going to call it training camp all the way up until the first game, and that's the reality of it," Silverfield said. "I hope to have an answer late August, but I can't promise that."
The Arkansas coach eventually said he might not name a starter until the opening coin toss, but that felt more like a cliché joke than a realistic option.
The first-year coach brought up the Arkansas heat multiple times during SEC Media Days. Outdoor conditioning is a grind, but Silverfield has been impressed with the quarterbacks' poise in summer workouts.
“How do they think when they're tired? How do they think after running those 110s? Are they able to still command the offense? Are they still able to make accurate throws and great decisions? I think you're being able to see that," Silverfield said.
Even if they aren't doing many organized team drills, the quarterbacks are constantly being evaluated. Silverfield said he's been watching how they command player-led practices, making sure they display strong leadership over the roster.
"Those guys are being judged every single day on everything that they do," he said.
Silverfield laid out the key on-field factors that will decide who takes the opening snap of the 2026 season during his SEC Now interview with Dari Nowkhah, Nick Saban, Gene Chizik and Benjamin Watson.
"For our quarterback, what we look for in our system is a guy that can lead with efficiency," Silverfield said. "Some people say, 'Well, that doesn’t sound very sexy.' Efficiency. Yeah, that actually means putting us in the best position to have success."
Silverfield elaborated on what efficiency means to him and offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey. They are looking for a quarterback who is smart, tough and accurate. It won't come down to who has the biggest arm or who is the more athletic runner.
Arkansas will put great value into the intangibles. Silverfield rattled off a handful of situations that will be important barometers in the competition.
"Can you put us in position for our offense to have success down-in, and down-out? Maybe that’s third down, checking a protection," he said. "Maybe that’s first-and-10, taking a checkdown, or maybe that’s second-and-5, changing the run play to put us into positive yardage."
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: What Ryan Silverfield said about Arkansas football QB competition at SEC Media Days
Continue reading...
He attacked the question on everyone's mind with his opening statement, immediately diving into the quarterback battle that will define the next month for his program.
The Razorbacks are still deciding between returnee KJ Jackson and Memphis transfer AJ Hill. The duo split time with the first-team offense during spring practices, and the battle carried over to the limited summer access coaches have on the field with their players. It will hit high gear when the calendar turns to August, but Silverfield expressed confidence the Hogs will in a good place with whoever emerges as the victor.
"I have great faith in the two guys that are competing for that starting job as it sits today," Silverfield said. "KJ Jackson and AJ Hill, both are very, very intelligent. Both are very hardworking. Both have the skillset in order to lead us to a bunch of SEC wins and compete at the highest level. Thrilled with those two."
Here are some other key takeaways from what Silverfield said in Tampa, Florida, about the quarterback competition.
No timeline for Arkansas football quarterback decision
Fall classes on Arkansas campus begin Aug. 17, which is roughly three weeks before the season opener against North Alabama.
The early start on classes means the Hogs will have a shortened training camp. Silverfield called it shortest of his career, with nine practices before the schedule gets affected by players going to class.
Arkansas is going to cram a lot into those nine practices, and Silverfield hopes his players are diving into the playbook during summer workouts to make the fall an easy transition. However, he isn't going to rush a decision between Jackson and Hill.
"The quarterback competition, I'm just going to call it training camp all the way up until the first game, and that's the reality of it," Silverfield said. "I hope to have an answer late August, but I can't promise that."
The Arkansas coach eventually said he might not name a starter until the opening coin toss, but that felt more like a cliché joke than a realistic option.
What Silverfield has seen this summer
The first-year coach brought up the Arkansas heat multiple times during SEC Media Days. Outdoor conditioning is a grind, but Silverfield has been impressed with the quarterbacks' poise in summer workouts.
“How do they think when they're tired? How do they think after running those 110s? Are they able to still command the offense? Are they still able to make accurate throws and great decisions? I think you're being able to see that," Silverfield said.
Even if they aren't doing many organized team drills, the quarterbacks are constantly being evaluated. Silverfield said he's been watching how they command player-led practices, making sure they display strong leadership over the roster.
"Those guys are being judged every single day on everything that they do," he said.
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What will determine the winner?
Silverfield laid out the key on-field factors that will decide who takes the opening snap of the 2026 season during his SEC Now interview with Dari Nowkhah, Nick Saban, Gene Chizik and Benjamin Watson.
"For our quarterback, what we look for in our system is a guy that can lead with efficiency," Silverfield said. "Some people say, 'Well, that doesn’t sound very sexy.' Efficiency. Yeah, that actually means putting us in the best position to have success."
Silverfield elaborated on what efficiency means to him and offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey. They are looking for a quarterback who is smart, tough and accurate. It won't come down to who has the biggest arm or who is the more athletic runner.
Arkansas will put great value into the intangibles. Silverfield rattled off a handful of situations that will be important barometers in the competition.
"Can you put us in position for our offense to have success down-in, and down-out? Maybe that’s third down, checking a protection," he said. "Maybe that’s first-and-10, taking a checkdown, or maybe that’s second-and-5, changing the run play to put us into positive yardage."
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: What Ryan Silverfield said about Arkansas football QB competition at SEC Media Days
Continue reading...
