Taylen Green’s status for the upcoming Arkansas vs LSU game is “up in the air,” head coach Sam Pittman said Wednesday morning.
The Boise State transfer went down with an apparent knee injury late in the Razorbacks’ 19-14 upset win over No. 4 Tennessee and had to be replaced by backup Malachi Singleton, who eventually led the game-winning drive.
In an interview on the Chuck & Bo Show, Pittman indicated he was still unsure how much Green will be able to prepare for the Oct. 19 showdown with the No. 13 Tigers, which comes after an open date this week.
“We’re hoping that he’ll be ready for LSU,” Pittman said. “We’re also hoping that he’ll be ready by next week to practice. Those are still up in the air just a little bit, though. We feel confident that we can have him back, it’s just we’re not positive if that will happen, but we certainly need him.”
About two hours after his radio interview, Pittman added on the weekly SEC coaches teleconference that Green is considered “day-to-day.”
The injury occurred early in the fourth quarter when Tennessee defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott came in low and hit him in the legs as he delivered a perfect deep ball to Andrew Armstrong. Replays showed Green’s left knee being hyperextended and, even though he managed to return to the game, he lasted one snap before being replaced for good.
After the game, Pittman told reporters that the initial diagnosis was a “mild MCL” injury. However, on Wednesday’s teleconference, he revealed that there was no ligament damage and that it was instead “more of a bone bruise.” He added that Green was “very, very sore.”
Sports Doctor Gives Opinion on Taylen Green Injury
That is perhaps the best-case scenario for Taylen Green, as an ACL tear would have required season-ending surgery. Even an MCL injury – as was initially feared – could have kept him out two or three weeks, as explained by Dr. Kirk Reynolds on Monday.
An orthopedic surgeon at OrthoArkansas who specializes in sports medicine, Reynolds said most MCL tears — “95-plus percent of them” — can heal without surgery because it’s not inside the knee joint.
During his weekly spot on 4th and Five on Monday, the podcast co-hosted by former Arkansas tight end DJ Williams, Reynolds — a Searcy native who attended the UA — added that MCL injuries are graded on a 1, 2 or 3 scale, with 3 being the most severe.
“If it’s a Grade 3, he may miss some time against LSU,” Reynolds said. “The fact that he was able to walk immediately off the field, the fact that he was able to come back — he wasn’t where he needed to be, but he was able to come back and play — to me, that’s a good sign that it’s a lower-grade injury.”
The open date would give Green an extra week to heal up and, in Reynolds’ opinion, there’s “definitely a shot” he’s able to play against LSU.
However, another thing to consider is his style of play. Green is very much a dual-threat quarterback who relies heavily on his legs and athleticism. He already has 326 rushing yards this season, which ranks eighth in the SEC and trails only Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia (335) among SEC quarterbacks, plus he’s made some of his best throws while scrambling outside the pocket.
If he’s unable to return for the next game, Arkansas will turn to redshirt freshman Malachi Singleton, who earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors for his efforts against Tennessee in relief of Green.
His first couple of drives were shaky, as was his lone series at Auburn, but Singleton made plays when it mattered most, including what proved to be a game-winning 11-yard touchdown run with 1:17 remaining.
That said, Green — despite some inconsistencies throwing the ball — has proven to be the clear top quarterback since arriving out of the transfer portal before the spring.
“Malachi did a wonderful job, but Taylen’s our No. 1 quarterback for a reason,” Pittman said. “Malachi certainly earned his respect that he got because leading that last drive down there to score, that was big-time. We’re very fortunate that we have two good quarterbacks, but we obviously need Taylen back healthy.”
Other Arkansas Football Injury Updates
During his interview on the Chuck & Bo show, Sam Pittman said the biggest point of emphasis this week — the first of two open dates this year — was getting the team healthy for the back half of the season. He reiterated that on the SEC coaches teleconference.
“I think after six weeks in a row, I think everybody in this league is a little bit beat up, so this bye week comes at a perfect time,” Pittman said. “Tennessee has a very physical football team, so we are beat up, but hopefully we can get healthy.”
While the conversation about MCL injuries on the 4th and Five podcast may have been a moot point when it comes to Taylen Green, it does apply to backup running back Rodney Hill, who missed the Tennessee game with a previously undisclosed injury. On Wedneday, Pittman revealed it was an MCL injury and that he should be ready to return to practice next Monday.
Offensive lineman Patrick Kutas, who was the team’s projected starting left guard, has yet to play this season because of a back injury suffered on the second day of fall camp. Pittman said on the Chuck and Bo Show that they “hope” he’ll be available moving forward, but it’s worth noting that he was also optimistic about his impending return leading up to the opener against UAPB.
The good news with Kutas this time around is that he was actually able to practice some Tuesday and is expected to participate again Monday.
Safety Miguel Mitchell, a transfer from Florida with starting experience, was projected to be at least a key backup in the secondary, but also hasn’t played this season. Mystery has surrounded his absence, as all Pittman had previously said about him was that he was “out for now” following the UAPB game, but he indicated it was injury related on the Chuck and Bo Show, saying he “seems to be healthy and ready to go.”
Perhaps the most notable injury, outside of Green, has been to star cornerback Jaylon Braxton. The sophomore hasn’t played since the Oklahoma State game because of tendinitis, but Pittman said on the Chuck and Bo Show that “there’s a possibility” he’s able to return for the LSU game and added on the teleconference that he should be back at practice Thursday.
The injury bug has also struck Arkansas’ tight ends room, with Andreas Paaske missing the last three games with a concussion and both Luke Hasz (back) and Ty Washington (undisclosed) playing through pain against the Volunteers after being very limited during the week. It sounds like that unit is trending in a positive direction, though.
“That was probably our biggest concern going into the Tennessee game,” Pittman said on the teleconference. “I feel really good about Luke. We still have a few test results to get back for Paaske, and Ty Washington should be ready by Monday, so I think that room there will be back to full tilt by Monday.”
It doesn’t sound so encouraging for kicker Kyle Ramsey, who injured his groin during the Tennessee game and had to be replaced by Mason Shipley. Pittman said on the teleconference that it’s a “significant injury” and he’ll be out “for a while.”
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Taylen Green Stats
Despite some inconsistencies with his accuracy, Taylen Green still ranks third in the SEC in total passing yards through the first six weeks of the 2024 season.
| Category | Stat | SEC Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Completions | 107 | 3rd |
| Attempts | 189 | 2nd |
| Completion % | 56.6% | 15th |
| Yards | 1,502 | 3rd |
| Yards/Attempt | 7.9 | 11th |
| Touchdowns | 5 | t-14th |
| Interceptions | 5 | 17th |
Listen to Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman’s full interview on the weekly SEC coaches teleconference:
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Hear the full segment from Dr. Kirk Reynolds about Taylen Green’s injury at the 27:41 mark below:
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