Tag: malachi singleton

Arkansas football: 2023 Depth Chart – Quarterbacks

As we near opening kickoff against Western Carolina, here’s where the Arkansas quarterback depth chart stands following fall camp.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

At least, that’s the case with Arkansas football in 2023 as [autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] returns to lead the offense for a third season.

However, Jefferson won’t have a ton of familiarity surrounding him like in years past. He will have to adjust to a new offense under [autotag]Dan Enos[/autotag], who takes the reins as Arkansas offensive coordinator for the second time.

He also has a lot of new targets in the passing game and new faces protecting him at the tackle spots. Right behind him is another new, somewhat familiar to some Arkansas fans, face in junior transfer [autotag]Jacolby Criswell[/autotag].

As we grow ever closer to opening kickoff against Western Carolina, here’s a closer look at the updated depth chart for the Arkansas quarterback room.

Back-up quarterback was a problem for Arkansas last year. In 2023, though?

Arkansas needs KJ Jefferson healthy, but if he isn’t at some point, the Razorbacks feel better about their options in 2023.

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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Arkansas football: Offseason Depth Chart – Quarterbacks

Dan Enos inherits a talented group of signal callers at Arkansas. Here’s a look at the QB depth chart entering the 2023 season.

[autotag]Arkansas football[/autotag] enters the 2023 season with plenty of new faces across the roster and the coaching staff.

One of the biggest shake-ups in the offseason was offensive coordinator Kendal Briles leaving Fayetteville for TCU and being replaced by “quarterback whisperer” [autotag]Dan Enos[/autotag]. Enos, returning for his second stint as Arkansas’ offensive coordinator, inherits one of the better quarterback rooms since [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] took over at Arkansas in 2020.

[autotag]KJ Jefferson[/autotag] is back for one last ride leading the Arkansas offense, but this year he will have some reliable depth behind him. Morrilton (Ark.) native [autotag]Jacolby Criswell[/autotag] returns to the natural state after spending three seasons at North Carolina as a back-up. [autotag]Cade Fortin[/autotag] is the back for another season and true freshman [autotag]Malachi Singleton[/autotag] rounds out a pretty talented quarterback room.

As we head into the summer portion of the Arkansas football’s offseason, here’s a closer look at each quarterback and the projected depth chart for next season.

The Summer has been kind to Arkansas Football

Arkansas Football has had one of the best summers on the recruiting trail, as they have reeled in 12 commits over June and July.

Although the month of July is still in its’ early stages, Arkansas Football has grabbed its’ share of commitments for the 2023 class.

On Independence Day alone, Arkansas received pledges from four-star receiver [autotag]Micah Tease[/autotag] and three-star offensive lineman [autotag]Paris Patterson[/autotag]. Joining those two, are the commitments of safety [autotag]TJ Metcalf[/autotag] and athlete [autotag]Dylan Hasz[/autotag], which brings their 2023 cycle total to 20 commits.

Because of their recent streak, Fansided’s Saturday Blitz has named Arkansas as one of the five college teams with recruiting momentum in July.

Saturday Blitz’s Chris Peterson says that [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] and staff’s efforts are considered underrated for the hard work that they have done to build Arkansas’ future for success.

One college football team not getting enough love for its work on the recruiting trail this summer is Arkansas football, which has 12 commitments between June and July.

The Razorbacks have been busy in the month of July so far and have landed four pledges this month and none was bigger than four-star athlete Micah Tease, who committed on Monday. He’s ranked in the top 200 (No. 152 overall) and the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder is ranked 11th among athletes and should be a dynamic addition to the passing game.

The class already features four-star QB [autotag]Malachi Singleton[/autotag], but Arkansas football also landed some help on the defensive side of the ball Monday with the commitment of three-star DL Paris Patterson, who is ranked 492 overall, as well as three-star safety TJ Metcalf (504 overall).

The Razorbacks also added athlete Dylan Hasz on defense, giving Sam Pittman his 20th commitment this cycle and the Hogs a top-10 ranking so far in 2023.

As it stands, Arkansas currently owns the No. 6 recruiting class for the 2023 cycle according to 247sports. Among the 20 commits, six are four-star recruits.

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Arkansas commit making noise at the Elite 11 finals

Malachi Singleton’s dual threat ability has turned heads all week at the Elite 11 finals

The 20 best quarterbacks of the 2023 class are wrapping up a great week of competition at the Elite 11 finals, including an Arkansas commit.

[autotag]Malachi Singleton[/autotag], a four-star quarterback pledge for the 2023 class from Acworth, Ga. has competed in California this week as part of the prestigious quarterback competition. While there, he has caught the attention of the Elite 11 coaching staff.

Each day, Singleton has climbed among the rankings. By blending junior season film with camp evaluation, Singleton has increased his ranking from No. 11 to No. 7 in just one day.

Greg Biggins of 247sports revealed that Singleton’s dual threat ability is what makes him one of the best quarterbacks at the camp:

He’s known as a dual-threat and would probably be ranked among the top running backs in this year’s class when you see what he can do in the field. This week, he’s shown he can throw the rock as well and is going to give opposing defensive coordinators a lot of headaches in a few years.

Singleton is one of three quarterbacks that have committed to an SEC program, joining Alabama commit Eli Holstein and Tennessee pledge Nico Iamaleava.

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Arkansas Football lands two commitments over weekend

Arkansas’ impressive 2023 recruiting class receives a boost thanks to receiving two commits.

This weekend has been a busy one for recruiting, as many of Arkansas’ top targets, as well as commits, visited Fayetteville.

As the weekend drew closer to an end, head coach Sam Pittman received great news in the form of landing two commits for the defensive side of the football.

Three-star defensive back [autotag]RJ Johnson[/autotag], as well as three-star linebacker [autotag]Alex Sanford[/autotag] announced their commitment while on their visit to Arkansas, which adds value to an already impressive 2023 commitment list for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas’ first commitment of the weekend is three-star defensive back RJ Johnson from McDonough, Ga.

Johnson becomes the second prospect from the state of Georgia to commit to Arkansas in a week, following Ian Geffrard’s commitment last Monday.

Johnson is the state of Georgia’s No. 65 ranked prospect, and is the fourth recruit from the state to pledge to Arkansas from the metro Atlanta area, joining Geffrard, quarterback [autotag]Malachi Singleton[/autotag], and linebacker [autotag]Everett Roussaw[/autotag].

Arkansas received more good news on Sunday morning, as linebacker Alex Sanford declared his commitment.

Sanford becomes the first commit from the state of Mississippi to choose Arkansas, and the second linebacker from the cycle to commit to Arkansas. Sanford is a three-star linebacker from Oxford, Miss., standing at 6-3, 240 pounds. He is the No. 63 ranked linebacker in the nation, and the No. 14 overall prospect from Mississippi.

Currently, Arkansas ranks No. 8 in the nation for the 2023 recruiting cycle by 247sports with 17 commitments.

Ian Geffrard calls the Hogs, commits to Arkansas

Ian Geffrard becomes the 14th commit to the 2023 recruiting class, and the third from the state of Georgia.

The nation’s 9th-ranked recruiting class for the 2023 cycle has grown in the form of an offensive lineman.

[autotag]Ian Geffrard[/autotag], a three-star offensive lineman from Mableton. Ga., announced Monday via Twitter that he has pledged to join Sam Pittman’s squad.

Geffrard’s commitment comes after taking his official visit to Arkansas last weekend. He had also taken an official visit to Auburn earlier in the month.

In an interview with 247sports, Geffard says he enjoyed his visit to Fayetteville.

“I enjoy the location and overall scene, even though it is a little far from home,” said Geffrard. “I didn’t talk much with Coach Adams (the defensive line coach) before my official visit, but I spent a lot more time with him and realized I wanted him to be my coach when I play at the next level.”

When it comes down to what ultimately set Arkansas apart, Geffard says that he likes the culture that Pittman has established, and says that he hopes to help grow the recruiting class.

“After seeing what Coach Pittman has done with the program, and seeing how fired up the current players were about it got me motivated to join and recruit to make the team’s class the best in the country.”

Geffrard is a 6-6, 350 offensive tackle that is rated as a three-star by 247sports. He is the No. 97 prospect from the state of Georgia, and the No. 97 offensive tackle in the nation. Geffrard becomes the 14th prospect from the class of 2023 to commit to Arkansas, and the third from the Peach State, joining quarterback [autotag]Malachi Singleton[/autotag] and defensive back [autotag]Everett Roussaw[/autotag].

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KJ Jefferson’s heir apparent? Malachi Singleton is officially elite

Arkansas quarterback commit Malachi Singleton is off to the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles.

Arkansas football appears to be set for the next two seasons at quarterback. KJ Jefferson even could garner some dark-horse Heisman Trophy attention if the Razorbacks’ season goes as they hope.

But it’s never too early to consider who might be next.

Right now, Malachi Singleton could be the one.

The Georgia native and Class of 2023 commit was invited to participate in the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles this summer. The event, which runs June 28-30, brings in the best amateur quarterbacks in the country for competitive drills, routes and instruction.

Singleton qualified for the event by impressing in the Elite 11 Regional in Nashville. 247Sports’ Cooper Patagna said one of Singleton’s most impressive attributes his skill throwing the deep ball.

“A dynamic runner as well, the Hogs appear to be the perfect fit for Singleton’s skill set at the next level, utilizing him in a similar role as current signal caller KJ Jefferson,” Patagna said.

Singleton is one of 12 commits in Arkansas’ 2023 class, which is ranked No. 7 in the nation.

Arkansas’ 2023 recruiting class receives bump thanks to Singleton’s commitment

Malachi Singleton’s commitment to Arkansas football gives the Hogs a bump in recruiting rankings.

Arkansas found their missing piece to an already impressive recruiting class for the 2023 cycle when [autotag]Malachi Singleton[/autotag] announced his commitment on April 25.

Because of that, Arkansas’ recruiting class for 2023 has moved up a spot from No. 6 to No. 5 according to 247sports.

With Singleton’s commitment, Arkansas is now up to 11 pledges for the 2023 cycle, tied with Penn State for second-most in the top-25. Arkansas sits behind the Nittany Lions, Georgia, Texas Tech, and Notre Dame in the current top five.

Singleton, a four-star quarterback from North Cobb High School in Acworth, Ga., brings a dual threat attack to Arkansas. In his junior campaign, Singleton completed 166 passes for 2,316 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also scored 25 additional touchdowns on the ground, rushing for 1,018 yards.

Singleton becomes the fifth four-star recruit to commit to the 2023 class, joining tight end’s [autotag]Luke Hasz[/autotag], [autotag]Shamar Easter[/autotag], and [autotag]Jaden Hamm[/autotag], as well as offensive lineman [autotag]Luke Brown[/autotag].

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Four-star quarterback Malachi Singleton commits to Arkansas

Arkansas grabs their first quarterback of the 2023 recruiting class in four-star Malachi Singleton.

One of the top recruiting classes in the 2023 cycle just found their missing piece, a reliable signal caller.

That’s what head coach [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] and the Arkansas Razorbacks received on Monday, when four-star dual-threat quarterback [autotag]Malachi Singleton[/autotag] “called the hogs”, making his commitment to the program live on CBS Sports.

Singleton, a quarterback from North Cobb High School in Acworth, Ga., completed 168 of 226 passes for 2,348 yards during his junior season in 2021 while rushing for an additional 1,037 yards. He was difficult to keep out of the end zone, as he combined to score 49 touchdowns.

Andrew Ivans of 247sports says that Singleton has a knack for making big plays:

Has plenty of experience running RPOs and is the type of quarterback that’s a threat to score almost anytime he calls his own number as he’s difficult to bring down both in the box and out in the open field. Pocket awareness is a strength at this stage in his development as his internal clock will bail him out of trouble more times than not. Shows some touch on his deep shots and understands how to step into throws in order to generate velocity.

Singleton is the first quarterback to commit to Arkansas for 2023, the class that was ranked sixth-best in the country prior to Singleton’s commitment. He is also the second player from the Atlanta-metro area to commit to Arkansas, joining linebacker Everett Roussaw of Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Ga.

Singleton ranks as the No. 24 quarterback for the Class of 2023, and the No. 19 prospect in all of Georgia. Singleton chose Arkansas over UCF, Miami, and in-state program and defending national champion, Georgia.

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