Am Leaving; KJ Jefferson accepted a deal of $35.5m to depart from Razorback today after……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson announces new school on verified Instagram account

KHBS logoUpdated: 2:25 PM CST Jan 1, 2024

Infinite Scroll Enabled

 

Adam Roberts, DMM

Digital Media Manager

Nathan Smallwood

Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson has committed to the University of Central Florida Knights, according to a post on his verified Instagram account.

 

Jefferson entered the transfer portal last month. In his announcement post, he expressed that he’s grateful for the fans, his coaches, and his teammates.

 

Advertisement

UCF is coached by Guz Malzahn. He was head coach at Shiloh Christian and Springdale high schools before becoming offensive coordinator at Arkansas.

 

He was head coach at Auburn when they won the SEC Championship in 2013 and went to the BCS National Championship Game. He has been head coach at UCF for three years. The team joined the Big 12 Conference in 2023.

 

Jefferson’s Legacy At Arkansas

The three-year starter for the Razorbacks threw for 7,911 yards and 67 touchdowns over the course of his five years on the Hill. Ever the dual threat for opposing defenses, he added 1,876 yards on the ground and another 21 rushing touchdowns.

 

In 2023, Jefferson cemented his legacy as one of the greatest Razorback athletes of all time. He not only claimed the school’s records for all-time all-purpose yards and scores, but against FIU, broke the records for career passing yards and touchdowns.

 

Recommended

Richard Simmons shares he has been diagnosed with skin cancer

Jefferson’s storied career began back in 2019. The then four-star prospect from Sardis, Mississippi, chose Arkansas over a long list of suitors, including home-state squads Ole Miss and Mississippi State, as well as Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and others.

 

Things didn’t go well for Jefferson in 2019. He made only three appearances, including his first career start. Interim Head Coach Barry Lunney gave the true freshman the nod against the top-ranked and eventual national champion, LSU Tigers.

Jefferson went 7-14 for 105 yards in the game, which doesn’t sound like much, until you realize it was the first 100-yard passing performance by an Arkansas QB in five weeks.

 

The year 2020 saw lots of change for the Razorbacks. Chad Morris was gone, and Sam Pittman was the new Head Hog. That year also saw a new signal-caller take the field, in Florida transfer Feleipe Franks.

Franks brought consistency to an Arkansas QB room that had seen eight different quarterbacks, including KJ, take the field as starters.

He started in all but one of the Razorbacks’ ten games, and in that one, KJ answered the call.

 

In what was a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair, Jefferson completed 18 of his 33 passes for 274 yards, added 32 yards on the ground, and scored four total touchdowns. The Hogs ultimately fell 48-50 on that day in Columbia, but the fans had a reason to feel optimistic that the years of not knowing who would suit up at QB were well behind them.

 

KJ finally claimed the full-time starting spot in 2021 and promptly led the Razorbacks to their best season since 2011. With Jefferson at the helm, the Hogs claimed wins against each of their rivals and added a bowl victory over Penn State, finishing the season 9-4 and with a full trophy case.

 

KJ’s personal stat line that season includes the second-most accurate single-season completion percentage in program history and being the first among players to have attempted 250 passes or more. He had 2,676 passing yards, led the team in rushing, and scored 27 touchdowns.

 

The Razorbacks’ record took a step back in 2022, but Jefferson did not. His overall yardage totals dropped by 52, but he added six touchdowns and improved on his already record-breaking accuracy, completing 204 of his 300 passes. Jefferson was awarded the 2022 Liberty MVP award for his efforts in Arkansas’s 3OT win over Kansas.

 

The 2023 season saw a significant drop in Jefferson’s production. The fifth-year senior racked up several preseason accolades but failed to live up to lofty expectations. Despite passing and rushing at almost the same rate, Jefferson gained only a fraction of the yards he’d put up in previous seasons. He finished with 2,107 passing and 447 rushing yards.

 

The biggest change? Turnovers. Jefferson finished the season with eight interceptions, nearly double his previous high.

 

TOP PICKS

Amazon’s ‘Big Spring Sale’ is live. The best savings we’ve found for you so far

New ‘electrifying’ drinkware coming to Stanley this week

This Day in History: US begins war in Iraq in 2003 with explosions in Baghdad

Red-tailed hawk with a rare condition is surviving, in part, due to ‘love,’ biologist says

KHBS/KHOG FORT SMITH-FAYETTEVILLEHearst Television logo

Contact Us

News Team

Apps & Social

Email Alerts

Careers

Internships

Advertise with 40/29TV

Advertise with The Arkansas CW

Digital Advertising Terms & Conditions

Broadcast Terms & Conditions

RSS

EEO Reports

Captioning Contacts

KHBS Public Inspection File

KHOG Public Inspection File

Public File Assistance

FCC Applications

News Policy Statements

Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.