ASK MIKE: More Super Division Talk, Mike On Monte Kiffin & Who Is K.J. Jackson? Seriously?

Q. Our first topic is from robs4516 who says: All the changes with the football program has me cautiously optimistic for this season. The one thing I question is how the team chemistry plays out. Do you think that team chemistry will be better this year? Anything specific that you can point to?

A. Several things actually. I think the NIL money is distributed a lot more equally. KJ Jefferson and Rocket Sanders got most of it last season and I think there were some resentment by some of their teammates. I also think that the coaches went out of their way to establish a bond between the quarterbacks and the offensive line. Also a lot of those players who were not buying into the program, especially near the end of the season, hit the portal and were replaced by some quality talent. Those guys are fired up to prove that they are 100% bought in and ready to surprise the fans. Adding Bobby Petrino has made a huge difference with the offensive players. There were some big changes made to this team over the winter and through the spring. Team chemistry is one of the biggest.

Q. KyHog wants to know: Do a lot of our fans really not know the difference between K.J. Jackson and K.J. Jefferson? I read an online story where Jackson was saying great things about Petrino and what all he is doing for the QBs……

….But a lot of comments came from fans who thought the story was about Jefferson. Seems like we have a lot of angry fans these days who are tuned out of what’s happened since last season ended. Ignorant if you ask me.

Q. Well the names are similar but you are correct. If, as a fan, you paid attention to last spring you would know K.J. Jackson. I think a lot of Hog fans, mainly those who post on the Internet, are mad that Sam Pittman was not fired and yes, they are tuning out until the season starts. I read that article and it was very well done. KJ Jackson was one of the biggest surprises of the spring.

He won’t start because he’s a true freshman but this is a Bobby Petrino type QB if I ever saw one. He can run, throw, make great decisions and if you read some of the comments he made you’ll see that a lot of Arkansas fans and fans around the SEC are sleeping on Petrino and what he’s going to mean to this offense.

I think he’s a better version of what he was the first time he was at Arkansas and that version was pretty dang impressive. Arkansas won 29 games the last three seasons he was the head coach here. This time around he has no head coaching responsibilities. He’s building and directing the offense which has always been the part of coaching he loves the most.

Q. Marty Byrde’s proxy says: I think everyone is in agreement that the first 6 games of the football season are going to determine a lot. There should be two wins built in (we’ve said that before)…..

……Out of the other four, Auburn on the plains, OSU in Stillwater, Tennessee here and the Aggies in, well we know where. Which do you see as the most winnable of the four and which seems most unlikely for a W?

A. I’d go with Auburn and A&M. I won’t rule out Oklahoma State or Tennessee but those games will be tough because of the road environment and because both should be very good this season.

Q. Donna Jo says: In these stories about a super division for college football I’ve been reading that Arkansas might not get in. That’s sounds wrong to me. What do you think?

A. It is wrong. The stuff you’ve been reading is scare tactics for click bait by Internet sports sites. This new super division would supposedly have at least 45 teams, perhaps as many as 64. Getting in would be all about about the revenue you can generate. In 2023 Arkansas was 20th in all of college athletics in overall athletic department revenue. It’s been right around that number for a long time. There’s no way this school would drop to 46th higher by the time this super division developed. There’s a common misconception that because Arkansas appears to have an issue right now raising NIL money that the budget for athletics is hurting. That’s not the case. In fact this super division would benefit Arkansas because athletes would be paid from athletic department revenues, not from private NIL funds.

Q. jbcarol asks: Mike, do you have memories of Monte Kiffin and his time in Fayetteville to share?

A. I remember his defenses. He was a defensive genius. In 1977 Arkansas gave up an average is just 8 points a game. The Hogs held Oklahoma to 6 points in the 78 Orange Bowl. The Sooners came in averaging 35 points a game. He made some schematic changes before the game that really shut down OU offense. In three his three seasons at Arkansas the Razorbacks went 30-5.

Beyond that I remember this toddler that sometimes showed up sometimes with his mom at practice. One day a sportswriter referred to him as Widdle Wayne Kiffin. I’ve called Lane Kiffin by that nickname ever since.

Q. eddylynn wants to know: What is the number one thing you want to get from of SEC Media Days?

A. I want to see how Taylen Green handles himself in front of a large media group. I want to see Sam Pittman’s reaction to being on the so called hot seat. I want to see what Andrew Armstrong has to say about working under Bobby Petrino. What he thinks about Green as a passing quarterback. I hope Landon Jackson gets asked about the difference between the offensive line this season and last season.

Beyond Arkansas related questions I want to see if Texas dominates Media Days since it’s being held in Dallas.

Q. Courtney says: Greg Sankey (at SEC Media Days) just said athletes aren’t looking to be employees of the Universities when he has talked to them about NIL. What do you think about that?

A. I don’t doubt it. Sounds like a lot of football and basketball players have been talking to their agents. They would make less under a system where the school pays each scholarship athlete a set amount to go along with their other scholarship benefits. Frankly they’ve got it made right now. They are, in effect, pro athletes with no draft, no salary caps and unlimited free agency.

That won’t continue because Title IX lawsuits are going to force a difference system. Plus the current “no rules” system is going to destroy college sports eventually if it’s not changed.

Q. hobhog wants to know: Are there still academic requirements of players today? GPA and number of hours passed per year, etc.? I haven’t heard much about it since NIL and portal free agency.

A. Thankfully nothing has changed with the academic progress rate but with all this portal jumping I’m surprised that some athlete hasn’t tried to transfer only to find out he’s academically ineligible and therefore sues to get rid of the APR. That’s another reason why this l free agency situation has to change in college athletics.

Q. Hawgredneck says: Calipari was asked the other day about rumors that before you could legally pay players he was paying them. He said something like, If a coach had a player committed and I really wanted that player I was going to get him.

…..Was he admitting that he would pay to get that player or that he was just that good at recruiting?

A. I assume he was not going imply that he cheated so the logical answer is, he’s that confident in his own recruiting abilities. Look at it this way. Now that any coach can pay to get players if that was Cal’s secret to recruiting it should be exposed. But what did we just see? He got who he wanted. Yes, he was paying but other coaches were also making money offers to them.

It’s been said that on the summer AAU circuit whenever coach Cal enters a gym it’s like a rock star has just walked in. Parents and players notice. The media notices. Other coaches notice. This guy can flat sell himself and his program to players. What Kentucky fans have been trying to claim is that it stops with recruiting. That the man can’t coach. We’ll find out about that coming up in a few months.

Q. Sgiles asks: Did McEntire’s return to the baseball team surprise you and what will he add to the pitching staff?

A. Yes it did. Kind of came out of the blue. Can he help? Of course. His leadership alone on that pitching staff will help. Personally I thought they used him too much early in the season. To me he’s always been a two or three inning effective reliever. The bullpen should be deep again so maybe that’s how they’ll use him.

Q. RazorAlex88 asks: So Coach Courtney… what is your first dynasty for CFB25? I’m thinking of starting with NC State until I get used to the controls. Gotta bring them some ACC success and get them to the playoff!

A. Courtney is at SEC Media Days. We’ll have to save this question for next week.

Q. WVHogfan wants to know: I may be an old fogey like Mike, but what is all the excitement about the new CFB 2025 football game? After all it is just a game.

A. I just want to point out that I’m not opposed to video games. Back when they first game out, Atari and Mattel Intellivision I got into it for a while but I realized one day that I was spending too much time on that stuff so I quit. However, I would never criticize somebody else for getting excited about this new college football video game. It’s just that I would rather watch the real thing.