Report: Former Arkansas football assistant hired at Austin Peay

Austin Peay has hired Ryan Yurachek as their new tight ends coach, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported. Yurachek, son of Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek, was a graduate assistant coach at Arkansas in 2021.

Yurachek has been on the Razorback coaching staff since December of 2020 after a brief stint in the NFL that saw him join the Las Vegas Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys following his graduation from Marshall, where he was a standout tight end.

During his four-year career with the Thundering Herd, Yurachek played in 51 games where he compiled 143 receptions, 1,354 receiving yards and 26 receiving touchdowns, finishing third all-time in receiving yards by a tight end in school history.

KJ Jefferson addresses sustained success at Arkansas

The Arkansas football program has had a major glow up since KJ Jefferson first arrived in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks went a combined 5-17 during his first two seasons on campus. In 2021, Jefferson’s first as a starter, they broke out with a 9-4 year. In his eyes, Jefferson believes they have what it takes to sustain that success into 2022.

Jefferson attended SEC Media Days and previewed the Hog’s upcoming season. He says he and his teammates have put a lot of work into Sam Pittman’s program in order to stay at the level they met last fall.

“I do (think we can). I mean we all just bought in and locked in. We’re all just bought into the process, are believing in each other, and being more and more confident each and every day. (We’re) just coming in and working,” said Jefferson.

Jefferson was arguably the best dual-threat weapon in the whole SEC last season. He threw for 2,676 yards and 21 touchdowns to pair with 664 rushing yards and an additional six touchdowns. The effort from he and his teammates earned them a spot in the AP Poll for ten weeks of last season. It also won them games against No. 15 Texas and No. 7 Texas A&M as well as had them close in multiple primetime matchups against the best in the SEC.