It’s fairly easy at first glance to dismiss John Stephen Jones in the discussions around who’s going to be behind center for Arkansas most of the time this season.
Jones is shorter than everybody else, his arm is not going to evoke any comparisons with rockets or cannons and he’s not going to be in front on a lot of 40-yard dashes.
None of that matters as much these days as just simply being able to play quarterback.
“It’s all about consistency and continuing to get your guys in the end zone,” offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said after Saturday’s scrimmage. “It doesn’t matter who you’re in there with, get them in the end zone, and the best one at that right now is John Stephen.”
All of that from the player one sage (for millennials that means old) member of the media that, “he’s a midget.”
The fact of the matter is he’s taller than the quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy last year and in the ballpark with the quarterback who won it the previous year. Both were the No. 1 picks in the last two NFL Drafts.
Jones is listed at 5-feet-11, 195 pounds. Here’s how that compares with those two guys from a physical standpoint (and their NFL Combine measurements):
• Baker Mayfield: 6-0.625, 215 pounds
• Kyler Murray: 5-10, 207 pounds
If you’re still living in the past of wanting a big guy that can stand in the pocket and get pounded constantly, well, you’re not understanding how most teams (including the Hogs) want to play offense these days.
When things are done correctly, defensive linemen will be welcomed into the backfield because the quarterback ain’t gonna be there.
Yes, there is the occasional instance of a quarterback getting blown up on a scramble, but that’s on him for either not getting down or sprinting to the sidelines. Ty Storey can tell you all about that.
“Ever since high school he’s been a baller,” wide receiver Mike Woods said about Jones on Saturday. “You put him in the game, he’s going to make plays.”
Again, playing quarterback is all about getting the team into the end zone.
“No matter if (Jones) goes with the two’s or the three’s, he gets them in the end zone,” Craddock said.
Those guys were talking after Chad Morris spoke about the slow start to the 175-play scrimmage.
“He showed his ability to make plays happen when the pocket breaks down with his eyes down the field,” Morris said. “John Stephen got in on the second series and led his group down and scored.”
Like I suspected, you can talk all this stuff about technique, being big, able to throw the ball through the rain without getting it wet and through a wall until you run out of air.
Ultimately, all that matters for a quarterback is putting the ball in the end zone.
Let’s face it, if size mattered THAT much for a quarterback, Cole Kelley would still be in Fayetteville instead of down in the Louisiana bayou.
Last week, I said don’t panic about the talk of the offense being in ruins with all of the defense’s hoopla about getting turnovers.
“Last year, we were around 129 or 130 in turnovers lost,” Craddock said. “We’ve done a much better job at this point in fall camp. We’ve just got to continue to take care of the ball and we’re on the right track of doing that the first week.”
This year, it’s accurate to say there is a battle at the quarterback spot.
“We’ve got a great competition, a healthy competition going in that room,” Morris said Saturday.
All of which is why you might not want to be so quick to dismiss John Stephen. It’s in his bloodline to do better than anybody expects on the football field.
He’s a Jones. With the Razorbacks, that’s about a nearly 60-year history of over-achieving through smarts and sheer will.
His grandfather Jerry came in as an over-achieving running back from North Little Rock who ended up moving to the offensive line and was one of the key leaders in a 1964 national championship.
It wasn’t due to size (he played considerably under 200 pounds) or ability (he probably didn’t get a vote for all-anything). He just figured out a way to get the job done most of the time.
John Stephen’s dad Stephen played linebacker and special teams for four seasons. I don’t think he would consider it an insult to say he was a better student than football player, but he got to a starting spot on defense through sheer will.
Basically, he figured out how to get the job done.
It’s a good bet right now nobody knows who the starting quarterback is going to be, but the coaches have told you what the requirements are going to be, which is pretty simple … if you’re paying attention.
The guy who puts the ball in the end zone the most is going to be playing.
Right now the guy doing that is John Stephen.
And history shows betting against the Jones doesn’t usually work out well.
