Tag: Ketron Jackson

Sam Pittman says Arkansas’ passing game needs work. Let’s examine the numbers

Arkansas’ passing numbers are mostly better in 2022 compared to 2021, but there’s one big difference.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said his team was too one-dimensional. The Razorbacks had just been drubbed by Alabama, 49-26.

KJ Jefferson has been a stalwart for the Razorbacks at quarterback the last season-and-a-half. But passing has never been strongest suit. He works in efficiency, with an air attack that works best set up by a strong running attack.

Arkansas has the running attack, but for whatever reason, the Hogs’ passing game has been underwhelming, thus Pittman’s remarks.

“Right now, we’re one-dimensional. We’ve got to be able to throw and catch and protect,” he said. “We can’t just turn around and hand the ball off and beat really good teams.”

Arkansas still has ninth-ranked rushing attack in FBS, averaging 232 yards per game. Even against the Crimson Tide, the Hogs went for 187 yards on the ground. It wasn’t enough.

Jefferson’s numbers are actually better through five this season than they were through five games last year. So what’s the problem? Let’s take a look at the numbers more closely.

First Half Recap: A tale of two quarters leaves Arkansas with slim lead over Texas A&M

Arkansas has outgained Texas A&M in the yards department, 281-152, but only leads 14-13 at the end of the 1st half.

Despite dominating the stat sheet in the first half, No. 10 Arkansas holds on to a one-point advantage over No. 20 Texas A&M, 14-13 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Arkansas holds a 280-152 advantage in the yards department, and even held Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson to 51 yards passing in the half, but the first half was all about momentum.

Arkansas opened the game by scoring two quick touchdowns, but the Aggies went on to take momentum away halfway through the second quarter thanks to a long scoring drive, and a returned fumble for a touchdown.

The Razorbacks got off to a strong start. Arkansas forced Texas A&M to punt after their first three plays and used that opportunity to strike first. [autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] broke open a 26-yard run on 3rd down and 1 from Arkansas’ 42-yard line, which set up a 32-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Ketron Jackson[/autotag] to cap a five-play, 69-yard drive with 9:44 remaining in the opening quarter to move ahead, 7-0.

The next possession worked out just as easily for the Razorbacks. After stopping the Aggies again on just three plays, Arkansas’  offense quickly moved down the field to set up another long touchdown pass with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter. This time, Jefferson was able to spot [autotag]Warren Thompson[/autotag] for a 56 yard pass to extend the lead to 14-0. The score was Jefferson’s eighth touchdown pass of the season, and Thompson’s 2nd touchdown catch of the year.

Jefferson ended the quarter as the team’s leading passer and rusher. He completed 4-of-7 passes for 99 yards and two scores while rushing for an additional 41 yards as the Razorbacks took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter. The Razorbacks accumulated 184 total yards in the quarter.

The Aggies slowed down the Razorbacks to open the second quarter. They forced Arkansas to punt on their next two possessions, and took their second possession of the quarter for a 93-yard drive, and their first score of the game. Texas A&M’s Max Johnson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Evan Stewart with 8:45 to go in the first half to trim Arkansas’ lead to 14-7.

Texas A&M’s next score came in a bizarre way. Arkansas drove the football to the Texas A&M three-yard-line. On first and goal, Jefferson attempted to dive over the line for a score. However, he made contact with the front and fumbled the football. The Aggies recovered, and returned the turnover for a 97-yard touchdown. The attempted extra point was botched, which allowed Arkansas to keep the lead, 14-13 inside four minutes remaining in the first half.

Jefferson ended the first half with 126 passing yards on eight completions. Thompson was Jefferson’s leading receiver with 52 yards on two catches. In his first game back from injury, [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] recorded four carries for 28 yards. Defensively, [autotag]Bumper Pool[/autotag] and [autotag]Myles Slusher[/autotag] lead the team with four tackles. [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Williams[/autotag] combined to record a sack in the first half.

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Arkansas loses wide receiver to transfer portal

Jaquayln Crawford is on the move after one season at Arkansas.

The wide receiver room at Arkansas is now lighter after a member of the unit has announced their intent to enter the transfer portal.

[autotag]Jaquayln Crawford[/autotag], who spent one season at Arkansas after signing with Oklahoma out of high school, is on the move again according to a report from Mason Chaote of HawgBeat.com.

Crawford signed with Oklahoma as a four-star athlete from Rockdale High School in Texas. He was the No. 8 athlete from the 2018 recruiting class, and the No. 17 prospect from the state of Texas.

Crawford transferred to Arkansas prior to the 2021 season from Oklahoma. He played in three games for the Sooners in two seasons, not recording a catch. During his only season at Arkansas, he caught three passes for 27 total yards. His longest reception was for 19 yards against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on October 23.

Arkansas will have a talented wide receiver unit in 2023, led by Oklahoma transfer [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag] and Toledo transfer [autotag]Matt Landers[/autotag], as well as returning Razorbacks in [autotag]Ketron Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Warren Thompson[/autotag].

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KJ Jefferson is among the SEC’s best quarterbacks, according to On3

The popularity surrounding KJ Jefferson continues to grow, as he ranks among the SEC’s best signal callers.

As the “talking season” stage of the College Football offseason gets closer, the hype surrounding Arkansas football continues to grow. One of the reason’s for the Razorbacks’ popularity, is quarterback [autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag].

So much so, that Jefferson is thought to be one of the best quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference. Jesse Simonton of On3 released his SEC Quarterback Power Rankings on Sunday, and Jefferson ranks among the conference’s best, checking in at No. 2. Jefferson is behind Alabama’s Bryce Young for the top spot and is ranks higher than Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, and Kentucky’s Will Levis, among others.

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Simonton believes that if Jefferson has a great season in 2022, that the sky is the limit for his future.

Jefferson is a bulldozer with limbs. The Razorbacks’ 6-3, 250-pound dual-threat talent was 3rd in the SEC in yards per attempt (9.1), had 27 total touchdowns and rushed for 664 yards. Last year was a breakout campaign for Jefferson, but he could become a true SEC star and legit NFL prospect with a monster 2022 season.

Jefferson burst onto the scene in 2021 by completing 67% of his passes for 2,676 yards and 21 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He was also 2nd on the team in rushing by carrying the football 146 times for 664 yards and scoring six touchdowns.

Arkansas looks to Jefferson to build on the success of 2021, as he will have solid receiving targets in [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag], [autotag]Ketron Jackson[/autotag], and [autotag]Malik Hornsby[/autotag], as well as a supporting cast of [autotag]Raheim Sanders[/autotag][autotag], [autotag]AJ Greene[/autotag], and [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] at the running back position.

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Four-star wide receiver Ketron Jackson commits to Arkansas over Texas

Texas took another recruiting blow on Thursday, with WR Ketron Jackson committing to Arkansas. Jackson was a primary target for Texas.

Texas took another recruiting blow on Thursday with wide receiver Ketron Jackson committing to Arkansas. A four-star wide receiver, Jackson was an in-state miss for wide receivers coach Andre Coleman.

Coming out of Royse City, Texas, Jackson is seen as a longed framed receiver with incredible hands. Listed at 6 feet, 2 inches and 186 pounds, his speed on the outside would have caused problems for Big 12 defenders.

Instead, Jackson will be heading to Fayetteville with newly hired head coach Sam Pittman. Former Baylor offensive coordinator Kendal Briles was one of Jackson’s main recruiters.

Ranked the No. 150 player in the country, Jackson is Arkansas’ highest-rated commit in its 2021 class. The Razorbacks rank No. 8 in SEC recruiting according to 247Sports.

Jackson is also the No. 25 player in the state of Texas and the No. 26 wide receiver in the class.

The Longhorns’ 2021 class contains one wide receiver. Casey Cain, a three-star out of New Orleans, Louisiana, has been committed to Texas since May.

Now, if Texas wants to add another wide receiver to its class, J.J. Henry will be the primary target. Another in-state product, Henry is a four-star from McKinney.

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Texas Football Recruiting: Where does the 2021 offensive class sit now?

Three months away from early signing day, blue-chip players are still available. Here is an update on the offensive 2021 recruiting class:

Recruiting is in an unusual place right now, with coaches and scouts having to work overtime to get information on high school athletes. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it tougher for schools to evaluate top players in the country.

Texas has done a decent job keeping up, currently sitting with the No. 15 overall recruiting class according to 247Sports. The Longhorns have commitments from four top 200 players, including five-star athlete Ja’Tavion Sanders.

Looking specifically at the offensive side of the ball, Texas has seven commits, with offensive tackle Hayden Connor being the highest rated. Tom Herman still has some work to do, needing another player or two to solidify the class.

Nearly three months away from the early signing period, blue-chip players such as Camar Wheaton, L.J. Johnson, Savion Byrd, and Ketron Johnson are still up for grabs. If Texas wants to sneak into the top 10 nationally, at least two of those players must land in Austin.

Here is your latest position by position update on the offensive recruiting class:

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Could Texas land another blue chip wide receiver?

The Longhorns recently landed a commitment from 2022 receiver Phaizon Wilson, could Ketron Jackson be the next to Austin?

Tom Herman and the Texas Longhorns recently secured their first commitment in the 2022 recruiting cycle. They landed a blue chip talent from Lancaster, Phaizon Wilson. Wilson could become the next top wide receiver for the Longhorns once he gets to campus. However another blue chip talent at the position could be coming to the Forty Acres a little sooner than 2022.

Following the 2019 season the Longhorns lost both Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay to the NFL Draft. Both players were listed as blue chip talents as four-star prospects. This year they are expected to be replaced by some combination of Brennan Eagles, Jake Smith, Jordan Whittinton, Joshua Moore and newcomer Tarik Black. It still remains unclear who will remain standing when the dust has settled.

Looking forward to the 2021 recruiting class, could the Longhorns find yet another blue chip talent for the new look Mike Yurcich offense? Billy Bowman is a part of that group and the second-highest rated commitment behind teammate Ja’Tavion Sanders. Both players are listed as athletes and both play wide out for Denton Ryan. Sanders is likely playing defensive end while there is an unknown element with Bowman.

Will Bowman play slot receiver or defensive back? Many feel it will likely be receiver since he is so dangerous with the ball in his hands as a return specialist. Outside of Bowman, there could be another receiver on the way to Austin, Ketron Jackson of Royse City is picking up steam.

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Up until recently Jackson was predicted to go with fellow Big 12 school Texas Christian or with an old rival in Arkansas. Now the Longhorns are in the mix and crystal ball predictions are giving them the edge. Texas offered him back in March and in the past 48 hours it seems like many feel like it is a done deal.

Jackson fits the mold of some of the recent Longhorn receivers such as Marquise Goodwin or John Burt. He is a football player who also competes in track. His athletic prowess could be on full display very soon under the lights of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

2021 four-star wide receiver Ketron Jackson names top seven

Kentron Jackson of has announced his top seven schools with UT making the cut. TCU joins Texas as the only other Big 12 school in his seven.

Kentron Jackson of Royse City, Texas has announced his top seven schools with the Longhorns making the cut. A four-star recruiting on all three major recruiting sites, TCU joins Texas as the only other Big 12 school in his final seven.

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