Taylen Green News
Taylen Green News
Five observations from Arkansas football's first spring scrimmage
Jackson FullerFort Smith Southwest Times Record
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas football held its first scrimmage of spring practices Saturday, running a little more than 100 plays inside Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
There are just two practices remaining for the Razorbacks before the annual Red-White Game on April 19. This year's spring game won't be televised, but admission is free with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m.
Before then, here are five observations from Saturday's scrimmage.
Taylen Green is still developing chemistry with Arkansas football receivers
Five of the first 18 plays in the scrimmage were quarterback runs, and four of those scampers were passing plays where Taylen Green couldn't find anyone open down the field. That was a common theme with Green in the game as the quarterback logged a team-high 13 carries.
It's clear that the quarterback-and-receiver connection isn't quite at full speed yet, and Green was more efficient than explosive on Saturday.
He finished 15 for 21 with 173 yards and no touchdowns. His longest throw of the day was a 36-yard pass to O'Mega Blake. The Charlotte transfer caught the pass in stride on a crossing route and made a defender miss before being brought to the ground. He totaled two catches and 54 yards.
Raylen Sharpe was Green's favorite target with four catches for 48 yards, and Kam Shanks caught a pair of passes from Green over the middle of the field.
Rodney Hill stars for the offense
Rodney Hill finished the day with five carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns. His scores came on runs of 44 and 47 yards.
Hill used his speed and shiftiness throughout the day, but the 44-yard touchdown also included a strong broken tackle in the open field.
None of the other running backs really got going. Mike Washington Jr. got the start with the first-team offense and had 58 yards on 12 carries. Braylen Russell had four carries for negative-1 yard and went down with an injury midway through the scrimmage. An Arkansas spokesperson described the injury as a sprained knee.
Impressive showing from first-team defense
The offense has looked ahead throughout large portions of spring camp, but the defense won the day when it was best-on-best.
The first-team offense didn't score a single touchdown and gave up four sacks. Quincy Rhodes was a disruptive force along the defensive line, and Xavian Sorey Jr. shined at linebacker. He got home for a trio of sacks and had a late interception on Green in situational work.
In the secondary, cornerback Selman Bridges was solid in coverage aside for one missed assignment on a long completion to tight end Jaden Platt. The depth might be a problem, but Arkansas should feel better about its defensive starters than it did before the scrimmage.
Backup quarterbacks ramp up competition
The evidence of defensive depth issues showed itself with the stellar play of KJ Jackson and Madden Iamaleava.
Jackson has struggled in practices, but he was dynamic Saturday by going 13 of 18 with 126 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his scores went to CJ Brown, who had seven catches and 64 yards
By contrast, Iamaleava has been a welcome surprise on the practice fields and was 7 for 12 with 132 yards. The true freshman figures to be part of the competition in the fall with Jackson to determine the second-string quarterback.
Kicking woes reappear inside stadium
Freshman Scott Starzyk has been solid on the practice fields, but he went 2 for 5 and did not make a field goal longer than 40 yards.
Special teams coach Scott Fountain spoke to the media after the scrimmage and did not express concern, citing former star Cam Little's struggles in his first scrimmage as a freshman. Still, given last year's struggles at the position, this will be something to monitor for the rest of the year.
Redshirt junior Blake Ford wen 3 for 4 and made a 54-yard field goal.
Hog Ones: Episode 5 - Taylen Green
Kelly's Comment on Green Shows Hogs' Fans What Could Have Been
South Carolina's dual-threat quarterback vaults team into playoff contention
Daniel Shi | Dec 2, 2024
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — At the start of the 2024 season, Arkansas fans were sold a dream. Ignore quarterback Taylen Green's numbers at Boise State. Give him time and development under new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino and he will unlock a new level of Green that no one has seen before.
The regular season results are in and they aren't disastrous. Despite all the ups and downs that Green went through throughout the season, he finished fourth in the SEC with 2,813 yards and received plenty of praise of SEC coaches.
"He is long speed," LSU coach Brian Kelly said prior to LSU's 34-10 win over Arkansas. "[He's] as fast as anybody we’ll see. He’s got escapability, and he throws it better than the QB [LaNorris Sellers] from South Carolina. This is a guy that is a real threat.”
Razorback fans are also justified to have buyers remorse on the dream they were sold. Throughout the brunt of SEC play, things were so shaky that a potential replacement with backup quarterback Malachi Singleton was a constant topic of conversation on the 4th & 5 Podcast hosted by former Razorback tight end DJ Williams.
After all, it was Singleton that manufactured the game-winning drive in Arkansas' only ranked win of the season against Tennessee, not Green.
Kelly might want to amend his statement about Green being the better passer. Green has more passing yards on the season, 2,813 to Sellers' 2,274. However, in the month of November, Sellers has averaged 261.6 passing yards per game, while Green averaged 189.2 yards through the air over the same stretch.
South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) passes the ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
That's what the Razorbacks were sold with Green, development. It just hasn't occurred at nearly the rate that the Hogs needed it to field a truly competitive team. Green admitted that although there has been progress, there's still plenty of room for more improvement.
"I would say I'm a whole lot better than where I was," Green said before Arkansas' game against Missouri. "At the same time, it's still something I could be more consistent in and improve on."
247Sports had Green ranked 14th in its preseason SEC QB rankings and Sellers 15th. In its most recent rankings, Sellers is up to third while Green is still at 14th.
Since throwing for a season-low 113 yards against LSU in Week 3, Sellers compiled a 6-2 record, including three ranked wins over Texas A&M, Missouri and Clemson. South Carolina has a puncher's chance at making the College Football Playoff, with ESPN putting the Gamecocks' odds at 21% to make the field heading into conference championship weekend.
Sellers has also leapfrogged Green in the running department, becoming the top rusher among quarterbacks in the SEC, a title that once belonged to Green. He now has 655 rushing yards to Green's 521.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (16) scores the winning touchdown against Clemson during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium.
Both have had to deal with subpar offensive lines with Arkansas allowing 34 sacks while South Carolina allowed 39, but South Carolina has seen improvement as the season progressed while Arkansas has not. In November, the Gamecocks allowed just five sacks in four games while Arkansas allowed 17 in five.
One final side note to add insult to injury. Maddux Madsen, Green's replacement as quarterback at Boise State is one win away from all but a guaranteed spot in the College Football Playoff, albeit with the help of Heisman Trophy candidate running back Ashton Jeanty.
Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen (4) runs the ball against the Nevada Wolf Pack during the second half at Albertsons Stadium. Boise State won 28-21. / Brian Losness-Imagn Images
Arkansas still waits for development from multiple units of the team as the rest of college football passes them by, right to the doorstep of College Football Playoff.
The Razorbacks await its fate for a bowl game, which will be announced Dec. 8.
Taylen Green injury update: Arkansas QB heads to locker room in 4th quarter vs. Tennessee
by:Nick Schultz•10/05/24•
In the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game against Tennessee, Arkansas QB Taylen Green took a major hit and suffered a left knee injury. He tried to come back in the game, but later headed to the locker room.
ABC’s Holly Rowe reported Green was not likely to return despite re-entering the game at one point. That means it will likely be Malachi Singleton’s show the rest of the way as Arkansas looks to keep the Tennessee offense at bay.
“Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green has just come out of the injury tent,” Rowe said on the ABC broadcast. “He came down the offensive line, to all of the players and said, ‘Go finish this.’ They have taken him back to the locker room with that left knee injury. It does not look like he’ll return.”
Green previously left the game, but was standing on the sidelines with his helmet on, apparently ready to go back out. But as Arkansas kicked a field goal to end the drive, he didn’t return – instead coming back on the ensuing possession.
Green is in his first year at Arkansas after transferring from Boise State. He has become the centerpiece of Bobby Petrino’s offense in Fayetteville, entering Saturday with 1,236 passing yards and five touchdowns while adding 331 rushing yards and four touchdowns. That comes after three years at Boise State, where he spent two years as the starter and threw for 3,794 yards.
At the time of his departure, Green completed 19 of 27 passes for 266 yards for Arkansas. After he was ruled out for the game, Singleton took over – and it was off to the races from there.
Singleton played a key role in the final stretch. Arkansas marched down the field in the fourth quarter and scored the go-ahead touchdown with more than a minute left to play. Tennessee had time for one final drive, but Nico Iamaleava ran out of bounds as time expired, giving the Razorbacks the 19-14 upset victory.
It was the second Top-5 upset in the SEC on Saturday. The biggest, though, came in Nashville where Vanderbilt stunned No. 1 Alabama – setting the table for what turned out to be one of the craziest nights of the season.
Texas A&M Faces Major Challenge in 'Explosive' Arkansas QB Taylen Green
The Texas A&M Aggies are going to go up against the most challenging quarterback they have seen this seen in Razorbacks QB Taylen Green
Matt Galatzan | Sep 23, 2024
Sep 21, 2024; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Taylen Green (10) drops back to pass during the first quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images / John Reed-Imagn Images
The Texas A&M Aggies are set to take on their biggest challenge since the season opener vs. Notre Dame on Saturday when they travel to Arlington to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks in the annual Southwest Classic.
In fact, it might be their toughest task outright.
Not because Arkansas is necessarily a more talented team from top to bottom than the Fighting Irish, but because of the player they have at the most important position on the field - Boise State transfer QB Taylen Green.
Green came to the Razorbacks after three years with Boise State, and has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and four touchdowns in four games.
However, it is not his arm talent that makes him such a daunting challenge. Rather, it is his ability to make plays with his legs as well - something Mike Elko and the Aggies are hyperfocused on this week in practice.
"When a player has the ability to make explosive plays, it enhances your focus level from play to play," Elko said. "Regardless of down-and-distance, area of the field or situation, he has the ability to create a play down the field."
Thus far, Green has rushed already rushed 59 times in four games, and has amassed 325 yards and four scores while averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
While, some of the time, those runs were designed, others have been improvised from intended pass plays, making things much more difficult for the defense to predict.
So, how can the Aggies combat that type of versatility? While conventional wisdom would demand a spy on every play, according to Elko, things are a lot more nuanced than that when defending a player of Green's caliber.
"It's way more complicated than that," Elko said. "What you try to do within each of your coverage structures is figure out who the guy that needs to pay attention to them as the play develops... We're a little bit fortunate because we had some preparation for this against Notre Dame."
All that said, Green is far from the only thing the Aggies need to watch out for this Saturday, with other Weapons like Ja'Quinden Jackson and Andrew Armstrong also major players in the offense.
Suffice it to say, the Aggies are in for a major challenge.
"It's going to be a big challenge," Elko said. "We're excited for the opportunity and excited to go up there and put our best brand of football on display."
Kick off is set for 2:30 pm CT Saturday, with the game set to be broadcast on ESPN.
Transfer QB Green leads Arkansas to 70-0 win over UAPB as Hogs post largest win in almost a century
Published: Aug. 29, 2024 at 10:28 PM CDT
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Taylen Green, a transfer quarterback from Boise State, led unranked Arkansas to seven first-half touchdowns on seven possessions, and Arkansas cruised to a 70-0 win over FCS-level Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Thursday night.
Green had 219 yards passing in his one half, going 16-for-27 and two touchdowns. He ran for 88 yards on six carries and two touchdowns, including a 36-yard sideline-to-sideline scramble that ran Arkansas’s lead to 49-0 by halftime.
Arkansas’s new offensive coordinator, Bobby Petrino, the Razorbacks’ head coach from 2008-2011, called on many of the passing routes familiar to Razorbacks fans from his previous stopover. Along with Green’s passing, the Hogs gained 229 yards rushing. Ja’Quinden Jackson, a portal transfer from Utah, had two rushing touchdowns and gained 101 yards on eight carries. He also had two receptions for 20 yards.
Green found nine different Hog receivers for completions in the first two quarters.
Tyrone Broden had a 9-yard scoring reception from Green, and Ty Washington made a fingertip grab of a soft lob from Green for 23 yards to score. Rodney Hill, another newcomer to Arkansas from Florida State, scored on a 4-yard run.
Razorback backups took over as the teams played 10-minute quarters in the second half. Braylen Russell scored on a 9-yard run, quarterback Malachi Singleton ran in from 4 yards, and Tyrell Reed Jr. plowed through for a 4-yard scoring run in the final minute.
Mehki Hagens completed 11 of 23 passes for 123 yards for UAPB.
THE TAKEAWAY
Arkansas of the FBS Southeastern Conference simply had too much depth and talent for a Southwestern Athletic Conference team picked near the bottom of its FCS league’s West Division. Arkansas scored touchdowns on all 10 possessions, had no turnovers, amassed 687 total yards and had 34 first downs to UAPB’s 10, and in the first half only had to drive on average 61 yards for its scores, including a pair of 40-yard drives.
UAPB didn’t give Arkansas anything, though, never turning the ball over and committing one fewer penalty. The win was Arkansas’s largest over any opponent since a 73-0 win over Rhodes College in 1928.
UP NEXT
Arkansas moves into FBS competition on Sept. 7, traveling to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to meet Oklahoma State in an 11 a.m. game (ABC-TV).
Taylen Green becoming leader for Arkansas in 2024
Daniel Fair • HawgBeat
The Arkansas Razorbacks are looking to improve on a 4-8 (1-7 SEC) campaign in 2023 that fielded one of the worst offenses the Hogs had seen in recent years. The Razorbacks finished near the bottom nationally in total offense — 105th, to be exact — and something had to change.
Arkansa head coach Sam Pittman brought in former Head Hog Bobby Petrino to lead the charge on the offensive end of the ball after former offensive coordinator Dan Enos was relieved of his duties after just eight games last season.
After his arrival, Petrino snatched Boise State transfer quarterback Taylen Green out of the transfer portal, and the Lewisville, Texas, native quickly took the reins as the starting quarterback through spring practices.
"Bobby Petrino went out and handpicked him," Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said at SEC Media Days on Thursday. "He's perfect for what Coach Petrino wants to do for our offense, and he has great, great leadership skills."
Green initially ended up at Boise State coming out of high school, but the first offer he received came from Petrino while he was the head coach at Missouri State. Once Green hit the transfer portal, Petrino didn't let up on recruiting him.
"He called me every morning," Green told reporters. "Sometimes I wasn't up, and he would text me. But I took that as that meant a lot to me. He made me a priority. That meant a lot. We met before for about two, three hours talking about ball and not even talking about ball, talking about Arkansas and how it is and stuff like that."
Arkansas senior wide receiver Andrew Armstrong echoed Pittman's comments about Green's leadership. Armstrong said since arriving at Arkansas, Green's demeanor showed what kind of leader he is.
"Taylen Green is one of the most happy guys I've been around," Armstrong 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."
Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson, who was a team captain last season and opted to return rather than go to the NFL Draft, said Green won over the locker room almost instantly after arriving on campus.
"He came in and just his sense of urgency, he has all the traits to be, I mean, a lead for a big-time SEC program," Jackson said. "I mean, that dude goes to work every day. First one in, last one out. He does all he can to perfect his craft, and he doesn't just worry about himself. He really wants to perfect his teammates as well. He is one of those players that makes players around him better."
Last season for Boise State, Green threw for 1,752 yards and 11 touchdowns, and rushed for 436 yards with nine scores on the ground. He'll have a main corps of wide receivers at Arkansas that were also on the team in 2023, which should help with consistency and chemistry between the players.
"It's been great, he's been helping us with the plays," Armstrong said. "We playing, we're trying to be explosive this year. With Taylen Green coming in, the leader he is — he is 6-foot-6. Looking at him you can already think he is a leader. He's been great. Talking with the players, talking with the team has been exciting."
A big part of the offense's success, though, will hinge on the play of the offensive line, which was downright atrocious in 2023.
There's a new coach in that room, too, as Eric Mateos came from Baylor and replaced Cody Kennedy, who left for the same position at Mississippi State after the 2023 season. Armstrong said the offensive line is a more close-knit group this year than last.
"Man, the O-line is one of the most together O-lines I've ever seen," Armstrong said. "They come in together on the weekend, seven days a week, in the training room together, in the pool together, doing rehab together. They're not even hurt. They're just in there doing rehab to make themselves better and making themselves better is going to make the team better, make the offense better ... I feel like the O-line has took a dramatic step."
Arkansas' season will kickoff Thursday, Aug. 29, against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. The game will get started at 6:30 p.m. CT and it will be broadcast on ESPNU.
Arkansas QB Taylen Green lands new truck through NIL deal
by:Pete Nakos•07/07/24
All it took for Taylen Green to decide on Arkansas was a weekend visit in December.
The quarterback committed to the Razorbacks shortly after. He led Boise State to a Mountain West title in 2023, scoring four touchdowns and generating 316 total yards of offense as he earned the game’s Offensive MVP.
He’s gone through spring ball with Arkansas, ready to prove he can be a starting quarterback in the SEC. Green has yet to be named the official starter, however, Razorbacks’ coach Sam Pittman called him the leading candidate this spring.
He’s now inked an NIL deal with Fletcher Auto Group, facilitated by the Arkansas Edge NIL collective. As part of the agreement, Green will be driving around Northwest Arkansas in a new Ram 1500 truck with all the bells and whistles.
“Arkansas felt like the best fit for me,” Green told On3 when he committed to the Razorbacks. “From the beginning, Coach [Sam] Pittman and Coach [Bobby] Petrino had a very specific plan for me and that’s why I couldn’t be more excited to be part of this program.”
Car deals have become increasingly popular in the NIL Era. Every dealership handles deals differently, with some handing keys over for a season while others, such as Lamborghini Austin, open up the opportunity for athletes to drive a vehicle a certain amount of times. Some athletes are responsible for purchasing their own car insurance, too.
Fletcher Auto has dealerships in Arkansas and Missouri. Green has inked endorsement deals with EA Sports College Football 25 and His Huddle since landing in Fayetteville. With more than 23,000 social media followers, he’s worked with Team IFA and Excel Sports.
Taylen Green competing for Arkansas’ starting QB job
Landing the Boise State transfer answered some questions about the quarterback position for Pittman’s program. KJ Jefferson enter the portal this offseason, transferring to UCF for his final year of eligibility.
Green received portal interest from LSU, Cal, UCLA, Oregon State, BYU and more than 10 other schools but decided on Arkansas. After redshirting his freshman season at Boise State, he had a breakout year in 2022 earning College Football News Freshman All-America Second Team honors and winning the Mountain West Freshman of the Year award after throwing for 2,042 yards and 14 touchdowns along with 586 rushing yards and 10 scores on the ground.
This past season Green split reps at quarterback with freshman Maddux Madsen, posting 1,752 yards in the air, 436 yards on the ground and 20 total touchdowns. H
He impressed in the Red-White Game in April, completing 17 of 22 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns. He steps into a pivotal year for Pittman at Arkansas as the Razorbacks are coming off a 4-7 season with a 1-8 record in the SEC.
“Taylen Green is a leading son of a gun,” Pittman said in May on the Paul Finebaum Show. “He just is. He’s very, very talented, but a great player makes people around them better, and that’s something that he has. Wonderful parents, and I think that’s probably the reason why he’s such a great kid. Very, very fast, but he can really throw the football. Really had a good spring game. Our line improved in their protection, drastically from a year ago.”