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AJ Hill isn't the answer for Arkansas, but Ryan Silverfield should play him
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- AJ Hill isn't the answer for Arkansas, but Ryan Silverfield should play him
(Brett Rojo, Imagn Images)
Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield knows KJ Jackson needs to be given every chance to cement his status as the Hogs' starting quarterback. Jackson should be the starter against Utah. He should be the starter against Georgia. He should be given the chance to grow into the position. Jackson told Silverfield after the North Alabama game that "I know exactly what I did wrong and I'm going to fix it." Jackson needs to be given the opportunity to fix what he did wrong. We can and should be clear on that point.
However, Jackson remaining the starter and getting most of the reps on game day does not mean AJ Hill shouldn't get a look from Ryan Silverfield. Hill didn't get a look against North Alabama. Some might say that if Hill plays against Utah or Georgia, it would be akin to feeding him to the wolves. Here's the response to that line of thought: Arkansas as a team is being fed to the wolves this season. It's going to be a very rough ride. It's hugely unlikely this team will make a bowl game. Might as well give players a chance to see what they can do instead of keeping them stapled to the bench all season.
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This doesn't mean starting them, but it does mean giving them opportunities. Having AJ Hill play one second-quarter or third-quarter drive against Utah and Georgia wouldn't hurt the team. Giving Hill some brief segments of live-game action against good opponents is the best way to fine-tune his game and enable him to improve. Perma-benching him does no one any good.
We can be logical about this. If Jackson comes onto the field against Utah and immediately lights it up, Silverfield would be foolish to interrupt his momentum by taking him out and putting Hill in. However, if Arkansas falls behind 14-0 in the first quarter, with the game already slipping away, having Hill play one second-quarter drive is not going to be the difference between winning and losing. Therefore, that small bit of playing time isn't going to thwart the team's overall goals and should therefore be seen as a safe move, something which will be value-positive if only because a backup will get meaningful playing time and not mop-up duty at the very end of a game.
We're not creating a QB controversy. KJ Jackson is and should be the starter. We are merely saying Ryan Silverfield can and should look for brief windows of playing time for AJ Hill so that it can truly be said that the Hogs are developing multiple quarterbacks in this rebuilding year, not merely one.
