KJ Jefferson shares how he is keeping Sam Mbake's spirits high after injury

There was a lot of excitement as Fall Camp got started for Arkansas sophomore wide receiver Sam Mbake. However, a knee injury is going to cost him the 2023 season. It was a devastating blow that KJ Jefferson has tried to help him keep his spirits high amid that injury.

As Jefferson explained, it’s important for Mbake to remember that everything happens for a reason and to stay confident.

“I told him just keep his head up,” KJ Jefferson said. “Everything happens for a reason. I mean, it’s all on God’s time. So, keep your head up, remain confident, and just keep trying to boost his spirits up.”

In 2022, as a true freshman, Sam Mbake played nine games for the Razorbacks, mostly on special teams. He even briefly transitioned to defensive back, proving his versatility. This season, he was expected to make an impact on the offense itself.

KJ Jefferson continued to argue that it’s still going to be important for Sam Mbake to spend time around the team because of the positive impact he has on everyone.

“Keep him around the team, just [with] the teammates, that’s the type of guy he is. We always love interactions with Sam just because of the personality that he brings. So, just being able to stay around and just make sure you keep your spirits up and don’t get too down on yourself.”

Arkansas still has one of the most experienced backfields in the SEC, led by KJ Jefferson and Rocket Sanders. They’ll drive the offense moving forward as the Razorbacks try to make a push for the SEC West crown.

Sam Pittman on KJ Jefferson as a leader

One thing that Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman is incredibly excited about is the leadership ability of his quarterback, KJ Jefferson.

“He’s having fun, he’s really confident, really doing a nice job and leading. You know it’s easy to lead when it’s positive, hard to lead when [it’s negative] and that goes for all of us, me included. But if you want to [succeed] you better lead in either category, and he certainly has done a good job with both of those. And I didn’t mean that any other way then you don’t have to be reminded because the entire team looks at him as a leader,” Pittman said. 

“You know, he does … but I think it’ll be a big year for him because I think he still thinks he’s got a lot to prove, and he does.”