Taylen Green explains the key to winning teammates over as a transfer

It didn’t take long for Taylen Green to earn the trust of his Arkansas teammates after transferring from Boise State this offseason. Expected to be the starting quarterback in 2024, Green was at home in Fayetteville and felt a part of the team after only a week.

Green’s arrival represents a new start for the Razorbacks as they are set to move on from KJ Jefferson, the team’s starter since 2021. Arkansas also went 4-8 as it saw a significant drop in the fourth season for coach Sam Pittman after making and winning bowl games in both 2021 and 2022.

As the Razorbacks turn to Green as their new signal caller, he opened up on what it’s meant to him to earn fast friendship from his new teammates.

“I would say, first, be yourself,” the QB said at SEC Media Days. “Don’t be anybody that you’re not. Don’t try to be anybody you’re not because, you know, everybody will see right through it. The first thing I wanted to make sure is I’m going to be the first one there and the last one out. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work, and when it’s not, I’m laid back, having fun, joking around. I call it ‘being with the boys, being with the guys.’

“Just building that trust. That’s really it. It’s building trust and camaraderie between the team because, you know, I tell them, I have great — I’m grateful for them for just (accepting) me with open arms. There you go. Because just me being from Boise, just coming from Idaho, that’s what meant the world to me.”

Green brings a similar skillset to Jefferson with him to Fayetteville that should allow Arkansas to continue to lean on the run. Both are dual threat quarterbacks, with Green having rushed for 1,026 yards and 19 touchdowns in two seasons as a starter for Boise State.

That experience running an offense should also work in the Razorbacks’ favor, as Taylen Green is already confident in his ability as a leader. In fact, he directed the Broncos to a 44-20 victory against UNLV to win the Mountain West Conference title game this past season, accounting for four total touchdowns.

Arkansas isn’t expecting him to take it to the SEC Championship this next season, but some positive momentum for the program would be realistic. The Razorbacks are just two years removed from a 9-4 record and return leading receiver Andrew Armstrong to give Green a weapon to work with.

They will kick off the 2024 season on Aug. 29 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.