Sam Pittman reveals the biggest area of growth for KJ Jefferson this season

Arkansas football remains inside the Top 10 this week after surviving a scare against Missouri State, but now turns the attention toward a tough SEC schedule and some difficult road tests. Head coach Sam Pittman joined ESPN’s SportsCenter to discuss the state of his revamped program, which cannot be explained without mentioning quarterback KJ Jefferson.

When asked about the biggest difference Sam Pittman saw in KJ Jefferson from 2021 to 2022, the answer was clear to the coach. The biggest change came in the locker room, but one sidenote on his on-field progression also arose.

“I think it’s how the kids look at him on the team,” said Pittman. “I think, before, he was our quarterback. And obviously everybody’s going to look at the quarterback as the man. This year, he is looked at differently. He’s looked at as a strong leader, he’s looked at as the guy – when things are going south – that he can fix it. We believe that he can. He has, he’s shown that he can.

“But it’s just a respect that he’s earned from the players and the coaching staff that makes him so much different. He’s throwing the intermediate ball much better than he ever has as well.”

On and off the field, the development of Jefferson has mirrored the change in the Arkansas program over recent years under Pittman and his staff.

Sam Pittman on Week 3 win

Arkansas had to come up with its first come-from-behind victory in Week 3 versus the most unlikely of opponents in the Missouri State Bears. After a 21-point fourth quarter allowed them to separate for the 38-27 win. Sam Pittman broke down what he learned on ESPN.

“Well, we’re a resilient group,” Pittman said on SportsCenter. “I think we have a really strong culture here. Nobody panicked. You know, panic starts at the top, nobody panicked. We knew that we had an opportunity to win the game. We had to quit turning the ball over, we turned it over three times to nothing and that puts you down at about an 11% chance to win the game.

“Fortunately, we were able to do that with a really strong punt return for a touchdown late in the game, that certainly helped us.”

After making the comeback and escaping with a win, Arkansas turns its focus toward Texas A&M as SEC play opens with a throwback rivalry matchup.