Bobby Petrino comfortable with Malachi Singleton

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas returned to the practice fields on Tuesday as they continue to get several injured players back.

A large number of players missed the first scrimmage due to minor injuries. Wide receivers such as Tyrone Broden and Andrew Armstrong, edge Anton Juncaj, running backs Ja’Quinden Jackson and Rashod Dubinion, cornerback Marquise Robinson and numerous others have returned to practice this week.

On Tuesday during the fastball portion of the open media session, quarterback Malachi Singleton threw an interception to safety Miguel Mitchell, a Florida transfer. Third-string quarterback KJ Jackson had a very nice completion to wide receiver Monte Harrison. Quarterback Taylen Green, with the ones, just missed a long completion that would have been a touchdown to wide receiver CJ Brown.

Following practice, Singleton talked about the interception he threw and what happened on the play.

“It was a six-man protection,” Singleton said. “They had brought somebody extra off the edge. So I was just trying to get it out quick. Ended up not seeing him. Really just honing into my progressions. Going one to two to three. Just being smart with the ball as well.”

Bobby Petrino, Arkansas’ offensive coordinator, was asked following practice if he’s comfortable with Singleton as the backup to Green?

“I am,” Petrino said. “Yeah. Malachi is doing a great job. He’s got really, really good knowledge. He delivers the ball on time, and he’s accurate with it. I don’t think we’ll ever know how good Malachi is until they have to tackle him. You know, sometimes quarterbacks, when you when you, uh, don’t tackle, once they have to tackle them, they’re a heck of a lot better. Right?

“That’s with Stefan LeFors at Louisville. Lamar Jackson. We actually put a rule in that when [Lamar] ran, you had to tackle him just so his teammates could see how special he really was.”

Petrino talked about where Singleton, who didn’t play while redshirting in 2023, has progressed since spring.

“Malachi’s really coachable and extremely intelligent,” Petrino said. “He picks things up quickly. One of the things you want as a coach is to try where it works out where you only have to tell a kid one time, and then they get it. Malachi’s that guy.

“You usually only have to tell him one time and he can carry it over to the next day, or he can carry over what you coached him to three days from now, and do it that way. It’s a lot of fun when you get a young man like that who can pick things up and adjust and be coachable like that. He knows the offense well and his timing. I think he’s still learning himself as far as throws I can and can’t make. That resulted in a few picks yesterday, but you have to do that as a quarterback. Like I said, his ability to run and scramble and keep his eyes downfield is very good.”

Singleton admitted excitement when it was announced that Petrino was returning to Arkansas.

“When he was hired, I was excited just of all the quarterbacks that he’s been able to coach that had a similar play style to myself,” Singleton said. “Just excited to get to work with him every day and work with these quarterbacks. They come to work every single day. There’s not a day I don’t learn something from them. From camp so far, I feel like I played pretty good. There’s a lot stuff I could do better, just decision-making-wise, throwing the ball a little better. Other than that, I think it’s been pretty good.”

Singleton feels that Petrino’s attention to detail is something that helps make him the coach he is and why his quarterbacks perform as they do.

“His attention to detail in everything, whether, you know, in walk throughs and we have a blitz period and he’s on us even then,” Singleton said. “Whether it’s a walk through, whether it’s full speed, whether it’s indy, whether it’s 11-on-11. He doesn’t miss a rep and that’s what we like as quarterbacks and as an offense. Every single thing we do, because we touch the ball every single play and we have that responsibility, he doesn’t shy away from that. He keeps us aware of that every single time.”

Arkansas opens the season on Thursday, Aug. 29, in Little Rock against UAPB at 6:30 p.m. and on ESPNU.”