FAYETTEVILLE – It’s been a long offseason for Chad Morris and the Arkansas Razorbacks following a 2-10 mark last season, but the unofficial beginning of a new season when the Hogs start spring drills on Friday.
While there are plenty of questions surrounding Morris’ second Arkansas team, fans are still most concerned with the quarterback position, which looks totally different than it did a year ago.
Gone are former starters Ty Storey and Cole Kelley, who put up some of the SEC’s lowest passing numbers last fall.
The quarterback room for this spring now features former SMU record-setter Ben Hicks, redshirt-sophomore Daulton Hyatt, and two redshirt-freshmen in Connor Noland and John Stephen Jones, both of whom saw limited action last season but were able to retain their redshirt status.
Noland is a weekend starting pitcher for Dave Van Horn’s Arkansas baseball team, so he’s likely to miss a significant amount of reps throughout the spring.
Four-star signee KJ Jefferson won’t arrive until the summer, so Hicks, who played under Morris at SMU, should have every opportunity to impress the staff and his peers.
“Having Ben Hicks here is going to help us, as also having John Stephen Jones and Connor Noland and Daulton,” Morris said on Monday. “You would expect in your second year, expect things to be better.
“I’m excited about that. I think that what we’ve seen already, from the time we got here in January to where we are right now has been far in advance of where we’ve been. I say that in regards to these guys, the extra work they put in on their own.”
While Hicks has dominated the headlines and is already considered the favorite to win the job by most, there’s no signs of resentment in the quarterbacks room.
“One of the impressive things is just listening to him and the other guys talk is, man, the continuity with him and the quarterbacks that are here,” Morris said. “Ben’s actually shared that with me. He said, ‘Man, those guys really welcomed me in.’ He’s brought a lot to their table, as well, as far as teaching them on the different looks and the reads and what we’re expecting. So, he’s been a great addition to helping coach.
“He’s coaching the quarterbacks, and he’s also coaching wide receivers when he’s out there, and they’re out there throwing on their own. Those things like that are what you ask. He’s demonstrating, is what you’re asking, and Ben sharing all that with him, how the guys have been receptive to him, it’s been good.”
Hicks may have a huge advantage in terms of game experience and knowing Morris’ offense better than the other candidates, but he’s far from a finished product.
“Ben obviously played in this system for three years, but there’s still some things he’s got to improve on and learn as well,” Morris said. “But to be able to have the guys that have been in this system that are returning, to be able to grow and kind of raise their level of knowledge and urgency of learning this offense will allow us to expand it even more. I think it all just feeds off each other. What does it do? It raises competition.”
Arkansas may soon add another competitor to the race as Texas A&M grad-transfer Nick Starkel is set to make his official visit in Fayetteville this weekend. Starkel, who will have two years of immediate eligibility remaining, is also considering Florida State.
“We’re always in the quarterback market,” Morris said. “I’ve already said that, so anytime you can continue to create competition, man, that excites you.”