The Razorbacks will probably be in the market for a quarterback once this season ends, and it won’t come cheap.
Tom Murphy of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette talked through the numbers Thursday on “The Morning Rush” on ESPN Arkansas with Tye Richardson and Tommy Craft.
Arkansas will probably try to keep K.J. Jackson. Murphy also expects the Hogs to look around, and he said holding on to Jackson could mean paying “some premium value.”
Other schools have already made their moves. Murphy said teams with quarterbacks like Austin Simmons and Kamario Taylor are telling everyone their guys will be back.
Taylor’s reported deal at Mississippi State is $7.5 million, and incentives could push it to $9 million.
If you thought incentives weren’t allowed, you’re half right. Murphy said the school can offer them, but the name, image and likeness side can’t.
“It’s all muddy water, guys,” he said, and he added that money is getting shuffled around under rules nobody’s really checking.
Jackson isn’t in Taylor’s price range, in Murphy’s view.
“K.J. Jackson can’t command that; he just can’t,” he said.
Some of the numbers out there are probably agents trying to drive up the price, too. Taylor’s an exception, since Mississippi State has already shown what it looks like without him.
Then there’s A.J. Hill, who makes the decision even trickier. Murphy said general managers and entire organizations now have to figure out how much they’re willing to spend on the position.
Whoever takes the snaps will want to stay upright. Murphy said Arkansas has to bring in offensive tackles so it can show a new quarterback how he’ll be protected.
Next year can wait a few weeks. Arkansas is 3-6 and would have to win out to make a bowl, and nobody’s counting on that. South Carolina comes to town Saturday with four straight wins.
“Well, it’s three tough ones, no matter how you slice it,” Murphy said of the final stretch.
LaNorris Sellers is listed as questionable for the Gamecocks because of a bad ankle. He played on it in the second half last week when Texas A&M gave South Carolina a fight.
Murphy is curious to see the Gamecocks with a limited Sellers or no Sellers at all. Their defense is really good either way.
He compared the setup to Tennessee’s visit during its quarterback switch, when the Vols played defense and ran the ball.
South Carolina can still put up points when it needs to. It scored 42 at Oklahoma a few weeks back.
LSU is the other question mark. Murphy talked up the Tigers last week, and then they got crushed at home, which he admitted made him look a little silly. He’s sticking with them anyway and picking LSU to beat Texas at home Saturday.
There’s good news on the defensive line. True freshman Danny Beal from Cross County got his first start last week, and Murphy called it “a glimpse of the future.”
Linemen around 320 or 330 pounds who move like Beal are hard to find. “You need to stack up the Danny Beals the best you can,” Murphy said.
The last three games might also tell us who Ryan Silverfield’s staff wants to keep. Kay Lockett’s snaps have gone up lately. Murphy wrote a feature on him and Beal and likes how much they both love the game.
Cam Settles is a staff favorite who gets sent out for interviews a lot. Quincy Rhodes is the only Arkansas player on the injury report, and he’s listed as probable.
