Sam Pittman details relationship with KJ Jefferson

Sam Pittman’s second season as Arkansas’ head coach and KJ Jefferson’s first as the Razorbacks starting QB exceeded expectations. The Hogs went 9-4, the AP Poll ranked them as high as eighth, and later defeated Penn State in the Outback Bowl. Pittman says so much of their success is rooted in the relationship he and Jefferson share.

Pittman opened up on his connection with Jefferson at SEC Media Days. He says it is founded upon a loyalty that was formed in a December 2020 road game at Missouri.

“Loyalty works both ways. Lot of times when we talk about loyalty, it’s you to me. Well, I’ve got to be loyal to you, too,” said Pittman. “We had an opportunity to go into the portal. This was right before the Missouri game, KJ’s first start two years ago, which we didn’t win the game but we scored 48 points. On the way back I asked (Kendal) Briles to call the same recruit that we had talked to on the way up to the Missouri game and asked him to text him and tell him we weren’t in the business for the quarterback. Loyalty works both ways. KJ knows that as well.”

Feleipe Franks missed the game with a rib injury, which opened the door for Jefferson to start. He went on to finish 18/33 for 274 passing yards and three touchdowns. Jefferson also rushed 13 times for 32 yards and an additional touchdown. That performance led right in to Jefferson being the man in Fayetteville in 2021.

Sam Pittman says Jefferson isn’t just a player he likes personally. He thinks Jefferson’s best trait is that he’s just as liked and, more importantly, respected by his teammates.

“He’s such a likeable guy. You root for him…He’s easy to root for. He’s the one guy that no defensive lineman, linebacker, they don’t come close to him at practice. Now, I’ve coached O-line, and there are a lot of guys getting around quarterbacks and they’re getting me chewed out because I’m the O-line coach but nobody gets around him,” Pittman said. “They all respect the guy, which they should. He has earned everything that he has got, and he has got a chip on his; he’s Arkansas.”

Sam Pittman, KJ Jefferson and the Razorbacks now have expectations to meet this fall. They open against Cincinnati and then play a loaded, SEC West schedule. In order to survive it, Pittman says he’ll need to extend the same loyalty he shows Jefferson to the rest of the team. They will take an ‘us against the world’ approach and rely on no one else besides those in their facility.

“We’ve all got a chip on our shoulder. There’ll be an article that comes out or somebody will say we’re third-best team in the SEC, and then somebody (or FPI) will say that we’re the seventh-best team in the West. I will show the kids the seventh-best team in the West because that’s who we are. We’re loyal, we’re hard-working and we’re tough.”