The Arkansas quarterback race is still wide open, and Ryan Silverfield isn’t pretending otherwise.
After Sunday’s scrimmage at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Silverfield said he came away encouraged by what he saw from the group, but he stopped well short of naming a starter with 20 days left before the Sept. 5 season opener.
“I was pretty pleased with it,” Silverfield said regarding Sunday's QB play. “Some of the sacks were just timing stuff.
KJ [is again making] good decisions with the football. Hank Hendrix struggled a bit early today and then showed why he is such a touted young man.”
Jackson helped lead the way in the scrimmage, directing three scoring drives. AJ Hill and Hendrix each led two, while Braeden Fuller and Cade Trotter also guided touchdown drives.
There was one more score for the defense, too, after Tyler Scott returned an interception for a pick-six. The quarterback on that play was not identified.
Silverfield said the sacks that piled up were not all on the quarterbacks, pointing out that several came with third- and fourth-string offensive linemen on the field. Even with that context, he made it clear the battle remains unresolved.
“No, I don’t know who the quarterback is, and no one has moved in front of the other.”
He doubled down on that later, saying neither Hill nor Jackson has created separation.
“It makes our jobs a lot easier if someone separates, but they're both doing some really good things,” Silverfield said. “A lot more is going to be told, good, bad or indifferent in the next seven days... No, I don't know who the starting quarterback is and no one has [proceeded] to move in front of the other.”
The best individual moment of the day for Hill came on a 98-yard touchdown drive, highlighted by a 96-yard connection with Boise State transfer Chris Marshall. Marshall is viewed as the top candidate to be Arkansas’ No. 1 receiving threat this fall.
Jackson answered with a strong finish in the two-minute drill, steering Arkansas 75 yards before finding Monte Harrison for a 22-yard touchdown. Jackson also connected with Marshall on a 34-yard touchdown pass.
Marshall said he’s comfortable with either quarterback taking the first snap.
“Whichever [quarterback] is out there Game 1, the rest of the season, we the offense have confidence in them,” Marshall said. “And I feel like the whole team has full confidence in whichever quarterback's chosen to be our starting quarterback this year. I've caught touchdowns from both of them.”
In Other News...
Arkansas Quarterback Battle Just Got More Concerning After Saturday
The quarterback competition in Fayetteville is still very much open, and Saturdays practice did little to calm anyones nerves. KJ Jackson and AJ Hill are the two players battling for the job, and both turned in stretches that made it clear the staff still has work to do before naming a starter. Coach Mitch Stewart has been consistent about one thing: the position will be won, not handed out.
What stood out most was the lack of separation. Both quarterbacks put several throws in the wrong place, and Jacksons inconsistency on routine passes was especially noticeable during the session. For Arkansas, the concern is not just who gets the job, but whether either player can seize it cleanly enough to settle the race before the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Suddenly Has A Tough Tight End Problem To Solve
Arkansas entered camp already juggling a few injury updates, and the latest one lands hardest on a spot that usually does not offer much margin for error. Tight end Maddox Lassiter will miss the 2026 season after an injury that required surgery, coach Ryan Silverfield confirmed, adding another name to a list that already includes punter Connor Smith and defensive end JLynn Allen as season-ending absences.
For a Razorbacks offense trying to settle into a rhythm, losing a tight end who was expected to be part of the plan creates a real depth question before the games even begin. There is at least some better news elsewhere: running back Sutton Smith is still working back from a lower leg injury, but Silverfield expects him to be ready for the season opener, giving Arkansas one important piece of the backfield a clearer path toward opening day. [Read more 🡒]