Arkansas will have a different offensive coordinator and quarterback running the show in 2024, and at SEC Media Days, it was clear that Sam Pittman believes in his new pairing. What did the Razorbacks head coach have to say about new QB1 Taylen Green?
Arkansas HC Sam Pittman Praises QB Taylen Green at SEC Media Days
After three years of KJ Jefferson starting under center and just one with Dan Enos calling the plays, Pittman decided it was time to move in a different direction. He fired Enos last November and pegged longtime offensive mastermind and five-time head coach (including a stint with the Razorbacks from 2008-11) Bobby Petrino as the next play-caller.
Then, over the next two months, Arkansas landed a commitment from Boise State transfer Green and saw Jefferson join UCF. When speaking at SEC Media Days, Pittman had nothing but glowing words to share about his new QB.
“He’s perfect for what Coach (Bobby) Petrino wants to do for our offense, and he’s got great, great leadership skills,” he said. “Taylen Green’s leadership is something special.”
Pittman also mentioned that Petrino hand-picked Green to run the offense, meaning Jefferson’s time was up in Fayetteville.
When speaking with the media in Dallas, Texas, Green shared that Petrino was actually his first collegiate offer while the new OC was the head coach at Missouri State. He also discussed what he’s liked most about working with the 63-year-old coach:
“He’ll teach you why certain runs work with certain defensive fronts, why certain concepts work with certain coverages. That’s what I like. As a player, you always want to know why. … Just understanding football and knowing why — that’s when the game slows down.
“I’m writing down in my notebook every day just pages of what he’s given to us. … I’m really grateful to have, I believe, one of the best coordinators in the country.”
It was only a matter of time, but after the Razorbacks’ annual Red and White Spring Game, Pittman officially declared Green the next starting QB for Arkansas.
“Obviously, Taylen Green is our quarterback,” he said after the game. “But after that, it’s a wide-open race, and I’m not saying any of them can’t go get Taylen — I’m not saying that — but I believe he’ll work hard to keep his position.”
Pittman wasn’t the only Razorback to heap praise on the QB at Media Days. Leading WR Andrew Armstrong, who’s posted a 118-1,784-18 receiving line over the last two years, said, “He’s ready to play. He loves when he messes up because it helps him. It builds him. It builds him, and he’s that leader that a team needs.”
“Everybody can go to him, ask him a question about a route, and he knows everything. You can tell he’s been in the playbook, and he’s locked in.”
But how will the Petrino-Green pairing look on the field?
Petrino has served as offensive coordinator for seven different collegiate programs, including last season at Texas A&M. The Aggies averaged 34.2 points per game (25th in FBS; fifth in the SEC) while averaging 403.8 yards per game despite losing starting QBs Conner Weigman and Max Johnson to injury during the season.
He’s likely best remembered for his work with Lamar Jackson at Louisville, and while he unleashed the dual-threat’s rushing ability, Jackson still threw 400+ passes in his final two seasons. Even during his first stint with the Hogs, Petrino turned the late Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson into NFL Draft picks.
Green, standing 6’6″ and 223 pounds, has the physical tools to win in the SEC, and he first burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman with the Broncos. He started the final nine games, completing 61% of his passes for 2,042 yards, 14 TDs, and just six INTs while rushing for 586 yards and 10 scores on 81 carries.
However, his numbers took a dive across the board in Year 2: 57% completion rate, 1,752 yards, 11 TDs, nine INTs, 78 carries, 436 yards, and nine scores.
Petrino has gone to work on Greens’ mechanics and understanding of the game, which he’ll need in an offense that is about to air out the football. From 2021-22, the best two offenses during Pittman’s tenure, Arkansas ran for 6,038 yards and threw for 5,832 under OC Kendall Briles.
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However, Petrino has never coached a college offense that produced more rushing than passing yards in a single season, and his QBs consistently attempt 400+ passes.
The 2024 campaign will reveal if Green and Petrino can take the Razorbacks’ offense to new heights, but Pittman’s confidence in this duo is unwavering.
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