Malik Hornsby had a desire to be the Arkansas football team’s No. 1 quarterback when arrived from Fort Bend Marshall High School a few years ago. And while Hornsby likely still harbors such a desire, the dynamic athlete is discovering his abilities can a long way to helping the Hogs elsewhere, too.
Serving as the top back-up to starting quarterback KJ Jefferson, a likely All-SEC selection, doesn’t afford the opportunity for much playing time. Noticing that, Hornsby put his name into the transfer portal at the end of the season last year. A few weeks later, it was off. He was back in the fold.
Now, months later, he’s still serving as Jefferson’s No. 2, but he’s also getting carries and catching passes, using his speed and agility to add another dimension to the Arkansas offense.
“I feel like he’s a good quarterback, but I feel like you put him at any position and he’ll execute it just by his speed and his IQ of the game,” Arkansas running back Rocket Sanders said.
Hornsby carried the ball 24 times for 136 yards almost exclusively from the quarterback spot last year in limited duty. It was enough that the Razorbacks coaching staff wanted to get him on the field in even more situations than simply playing quarterback could afford him.
Thus, this spring camp. Tom Murphy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette wrote this Wednesday following the team’s practice on Tuesday.
On the first snap of a team period, Hornsby split out right, then motioned into quarterback as Jefferson moved left into the slot. Hornsby took a snap and kept the ball on a run-pass option play.
A few snaps later, Hornsby motioned right to left, pivoted around the tailback and ran back to the right. Jefferson faked a handoff and wound up throwing a swing pass to Hornsby, who bolted quickly around the edge and downfield. Later, Hornsby completed a pass to Jefferson.
Expect to see such things when fall rolls around, too, as the Razorbacks seek to replicate, or eclipse, their 9-4 season in 2021.
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