FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Arkansas QB coach Mitch Stewart estimated that the loudspeakers attached to the Willard and Pat Walker Pavillion that blared a cacophony of crowd noise and what could only be described as banshee-esque shrieking during Arkansas' Friday practice were around 97 to 98 decibels.
The noise was, as Stewart so eloquently described it, "loud as hell."
But it was so loud for a good reason: quarterbacks AJ Hill and KJ Jackson, who are tussling for the starting job, need to know what it's like to play on the road in the SEC. And such noise generated by speakers, including one worn by strength and conditioning coach Noah Franklin, created unpleasant conditions for the two QBs that they had to work through.
The end result, Stewart and the Razorbacks hope, will be a refined starting quarterback who doesn't flinch under literal or figurative pressure.
"It just puts us in a predicament like we're gonna be in in an SEC environment when we're on the road,' Hill said. "You got to be loud. It's all about communication."
"We put them in some bad situations at times," Stewart said. "In a blitz period, we may put them in some situations where they don't have a whole lot of protection on purpose. Okay, here's [the] worst possible scenario. What's your solution? Find us a solution."
"We're going to be in hostile environments," said Jackson, who played for much of the second half last season against Texas in Austin, "And I think the whole idea is just to be calm in those situations. You know, be clear, concise communicate well, but also be calm and confident in those situations as well."
Perhaps the biggest advantage Jackson has over Hill in regard to the QB battle is that Jackson has roughly 1.5 games worth of experience against SEC opponents. He knows what it's like to stare down the barrel of an SEC defensive line, which may be more aptly described as a loaded bazooka rather than a loaded gun.
"It's great to get the first start out of the way," Jackson said, referencing the 2025 season finale against Missouri. "It was a great feeling last November, but again, that's a long ways away, and I got a blank slate now."
Speaking of blank slates, Arkansas in its entirety has one. With over 60 new players and a brand new coaching staff save for tight ends coach Morgan Turner the Razorbacks are absolutely not, for better or worse, anywhere close to their 2025 iteration.
Head coach Ryan Silverfield has been adamant that Arkansas' 2-10 2025 campaign will have no bearing on his first in Fayetteville. That was clear on Friday, when Hill gave an ambitious answer to a question regarding the QB battle and how whoever ends up as the backup will respond.
"We're both preparing like we're going to be the starter," Hill said, "Even when one of us is announced as a starter. The next guy still has to be ready and prepared like the starter, because anything can happen.
"At the end of the day, we're all a team. We're all reaching for that one goal and trying to get to Vegas in January."
If the goal is Las Vegas in January, that means only one game could be played there by the Razorbacks. That's the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as No Matter Who Wins QB Battle, Hill Sets Arkansas' Destination to Las Vegas in January .
