The old phrase goes that the most popular player on a football team is the back-up quarterback.
This is especially true in college football. If the starter is struggling, then ‘why not give so-and-so a chance?’ If the starter is playing well, then ‘the future is in good hands with so-and-so.’
Arkansas football fans discovered this wasn’t the case last year. KJ Jefferson was lost for two games in the middle of the season and neither Malik Hornsby, who had been considered by fans to be the heir apparent, nor Cade Fortin were ready. The Razorbacks lost two winnable games against Mississippi State, 40-17, and LSU, 13-10.
Fortin is still on the roster and should be third on the depth chart again, but Hornsby transferred out of the program. Now, the No. 2 job belongs to Jacolby Criswell, a transfer from North Carolina who played his high school football at Morrilton. The future reins currently belong to freshman Malachi Singleton.
The good news is that both players appear to be upgrades over what the Razorbacks ran behind Jefferson last year. As prone as Jefferson is to take off and run, injuries will remain a concern.
Criswell, especially, looks to have solidified the position.
“I feel like he is night and day from where he was in the spring,” coach Sam Pittman said of Criswell. “I felt like he knew what he was doing, then he made some checks and things of that nature that he might not have done in spring ball. Threw the ball well, he’s got a really strong ball.”
Arkansas’ hope is that Jefferson plays all 12 regular-season games. That’s the ideal scenario, but in case he doesn’t, at least his reserves look to have made things easier on the Hogs.
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