Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson announces decision to return to Arkansas for 2023 season

Arkansas quarterback K.J. Jefferson has made his decision on whether or not he’ll declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. He announced via Instagram he’s returning to the Razorbacks next year.

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A post shared by KJ Jefferson (@kj_jefferson2)

Jefferson just wrapped up his fourth year with the Razorbacks and had another solid year in the process. He completed 68.3% of his passes for 2,361 yards and 22 touchdowns as Arkansas finished the season with a 6-6 record.

But Jefferson’s best year in Fayetteville came in 2021 when he threw for 2,676 yards and 21 touchdowns. Now, he’s running back for one more year.

His head coach, Sam Pittman, sure sounded excited about the decision, based on his Twitter.

Love this. Great player, great person, loves the hogs! Let’s get this bowl game started. https://t.co/uQTwkfv7NW

— Coach Sam Pittman (@CoachSamPittman) December 2, 2022

Jefferson is a former four-star recruit and was the No. 295 overall prospect from the class of 2019, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassmen were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.