By Evin Demirel
Razorbacks fans desperately want to see KJ Jefferson deliver on the field as a dual-threat quarterback.
When it comes to physical skills, the 6-3, 218-pound quarterback seems well prepared. This fall, he scorched defenses for 3,180 and 37 touchdowns against eight interceptions. The four-star Razorback commit also ran for 916 yards and seven touchdowns.
But it’s Jefferson’s ability to deliver intangibles that will ultimately set him apart. Can he inspire and motivate his teammates? If his gentlemanly smack talk of former Razorback Jonathan Nance and transfer quarterback Kelly Bryant is any indication, he’s got what it takes.
Can KJ Jefferson also be an ambassador for the Razorback football program itself?
Well, he’s off to a good start.
Jefferson spent this past weekend on the Arkansas campus for his first official visit. Running back Rakeem Boyd hosted him. They hung out with Hog commit TQ Jackson, a receiver.
“My relationship with TQ is great,” Jefferson told 247 Sports. “All of the commits are in a group chat and all of us just talk and bond. TQ and I bonded the whole visit.”
Jefferson brought both of his parents along with him and worked on getting more folks to join the Razorback family. He helped Razorback coaches and players recruit two of their remaining top targets.
Both offensive linemen are stout man-annihilators from the JUCO ranks:
1. Myron Cunningham (6’6” and 300 pounds)
UPDATE: Cunningham announced that he’s all Hog. Big get.
“Right now it’s really between Oklahoma and Arkansas,” Cunningham said after his visit. “With the visit Arkansas put in a good shot. The difference is just going to be the relationships and the environment.”
The Rivals 3-star prospect would be an immediate impact player next year for a Hogs team needing more experienced depth on the line.
“Out of all the schools that recruited me Arkansas has shown me how much they want me the whole time, really the only one,” Myron Cunningham said. “That’s definitely had some weight in my decision.”
2. Chibueze Nwanna (6’8”, 320 pounds)
UPDATE: Man does Jefferson deliver. This guy just announced he’s going to be a Razorback, too.
Louisville was originally a strong possibility for Nwanna, but Bobby Petrino’s ouster there has taken the Cardinals out of the running. It’s now down to Maryland, Nwanna’s home state, and Arkansas.
“I had a nice visit here,” Chibueze Nwanna said of Arkansas. “The people were nice. I feel like family here. So I will go home discuss it with my dad and see where it all leads out.”
“I’m basically looking for a school that I can go at, play at and be an improvement at. Because I have two more years I’m going to a school that I can basically be an improvement at and start.”
In case either Nwanna or Cunningham have any issues imagining themselves as Razorbacks, Hog commit Andrew Vest has made it easy on them with the below Tweet:
(No.71 is Cunningham , No. 60 is Nwanna and No. 2 is Jefferson)
Jefferson’s eager to turn this pic into reality. He’s going to join the team in May. “When I get up here I’m just going to have fun and compete,” he said.
“Soak up all the knowledge from the older guys and do my best to compete. I’ll be working on my footwork for the college level and mainly just having fun before I get here.”
