Sam Pittman says Arkansas quarterbacks played well in first practice

Arkansas is one of a limited number of SEC programs that returns its starting quarterback in 2023, making fall camp quite a bit less stressful for the coaching staff.

Head coach Sam Pittman had a chance to watch his Arkansas quarterbacks go through the first practice of spring and gave a brief assessment of their play.

“I thought they did well,” Pittman said. “(Cade) Fortin had some nice throws in there.”

Fortin is a former South Florida transfer who suited up for the Hogs in 2022. He played in three games and even started a game at Mississippi State after veteran starter KJ Jefferson was banged up.

He’ll likely be the backup again this fall, though others are pushing for that role.

One of the Arkansas quarterbacks trying to work his way up the roster into more playing time is redshirt junior Jacolby Criswell. Criswell transferred to Arkansas this offseason from North Carolina, where he spent the past three seasons.

“Jacolby, we’ll have to ask KJ because he knows more about it than I do, but it seemed Jacolby was a little more relaxed or confident, I don’t know the word, today than he ever was in the spring,” Pittman said. “I feel like the summer and the guys doing the OTAs on their own helped him.”

Whether Criswell or Fortin ends up winning the backup job, the Arkansas quarterbacks are going to do their best to return to the type of form that saw the team win nine games in 2021.

So the more that are ready to play in a pinch, the better, particularly given Jefferson’s playing style. The veteran quarterback loves to run, which puts him at risk of injury in the ever-physical SEC.

Criswell coming along is a good sign for the Arkansas quarterbacks as a whole.

“Lot of it has to do with talent, lot of it has to do with what my mind’s telling me motivation wise or confidence wise,” Pittman said of Criswell. “I felt like he was night and day from where he was in the spring. I felt like he knew what he was doing and he made some checks and things of that nature that he might not have done in spring ball. Threw the ball well. Got a really strong arm.”