Taylen Green back for another year to lead the Hogs

FAYETTEVILLE — Taylen Green is back for his second season as quarterback for the Razorbacks.

Green helped Arkansas to a 7-6 record including the MVP of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl win over Texas Tech. Green and the Hogs will practice Monday after several weeks of offseason work,

“I feel like it’s been really good,” Green said. “You know, just getting to know everybody. We have a lot of transfers, and just the energy that they bring. I’m coming back for my second year, so just applying what I did last year to this year. I’m excited to see everybody. It’s going to be a little different seeing different numbers and different faces on the field, but I’m excited for the opportunity to be out there and be able to compete with (Xavian) Sorey and what he can do. We all saw it last year. I feel like he’s one the best, not in the conference, in the country. I’m just blessed to go against that type of defense every single day.”

Several new wide receivers are with the team this spring including five from the transfer portal. Gone are Andrew Armstrong, Isaac TeSlaa, Tyrone Broden and others. Green was asked if he has had a chance to start developing chemistry with the new wide receivers?

“It’s been really good,” Green said. “Like you said, just seeing all new faces and trying to get chemistry with everybody. The different routes, and you know, really testing me on how much I know the offense, because I’ve got to be… Coaches aren’t out there when we’re throwing, so I’ve got to tell them the depth and when to cut, and even with the new quarterbacks. The tempo with three-step, five-step or anything that we do. Definitely testing me in my details in the offense, and me as a leader, too. All of them have really stuck out to me. Everybody’s just excited just to put the pads on. Everybody’s talking about one-on-ones, and of course 11-on-11, but really the one-on-ones.”

With Luke Hasz now at Ole Miss, Andreas Paaske returns along with some newcomers including Rohan Jones and Jaden Platt.

“I feel like everybody’s going to see the versatility that the tight end room has,” Green said. “Of course you’ve got Andreas, he’s coming back and his role, you can see him leading the tight ends and being mature and leading the freshmen. Rohan and Jaden, how they stepped in. I want to say it’s Rohan’s third school, so he knows, with the new offensive and new playbook, he knows how to study and make sure he gets the plays right. We all have a great chemistry and a great — I’d say the tight end room is one of the most joking, laughs… They’re always laughing, always having a good time. We’ve got two international players, so it’s definitely cool to see how they interact, too.”

While Green is the clear starter the backups are all inexperienced. That includes KJ Jackson, Grayson Wilson, Madden Iamaleava and Blake Boda. Green has confidence in all of them.

“Oh definitely,” Green said. “Just the details that we’ve been having in our meetings, on and off the field having questions. We just had quarterback dinner and that just really speaks to me, especially KJ’s been stepping up in the role that he has. I have to do my part. Being my last year, I have make sure that anybody is after me that’s going to take the ropes, that’s what I’m really big on, just leaving this place better than what I found it.”

While Green was a newcomer last year he’s mentoring the younger guys this season.

“I would say the same, just being a mentor and being that person freshmen look up to, I have another responsibility,” Green said. “I can’t… Each day I have to have a certain level of intensity, a certain level of energy. We had 6 a.m. lifts, but I can’t be tired because people — especially being the quarterback, we’re the leaders of the defense and offense, we have to be energy givers, not energy takers. That’s one thing I’m big on.

“I would say my confidence level is higher because it’s my second year in the offense, and just where I was just last year, my eyes was like, ‘Oh,’ with the offense and getting on the same page with (Bobby) Petrino and the different plays in the run game and different responsibilities I had to do. So I would say my confidence level is higher, but at the same time, I’ve got a lot to get better at and that’s what I’m really focused on. I’m not really content. Especially, you know, the year I had last year was good, but I could have done way better, and Coach Petrino is the first one to say that. In one of our exit meetings he was like, ‘You can do a lot better,’ and we know what to get better at.”

Green was asked the areas where Petrino wanted him to work on the most and improve.

“Really just going through the games last year and just my decision-making,” Green said. “He grades on two things, decision-making and execution. We have a full Excel grades sheet. And of course, we went through it right after the game or the day after the game, but going through it again and just taking time to ask what he was going through and why he called a certain play, what he wanted me to do, and things like that. So just taking time with that and of course limiting the turnovers and taking care of the ball. Because we have a great defense and great special teams, so I’ve got to do my job and take care of the ball and to put points on the board any way, whether that’s me running or me throwing the ball, just doing whatever I have to do.”

Green then went over the areas where he feels he worked on the most to improve.

“I would say there’s really two big things,” Green said. “Like I said, taking care of the ball, the fumbles and interceptions, and my ability to focus all four quarters. Especially when I get tired. I’ve seen my ability to think about the read or think about everything that I have to go through, that’s a really big thing that I have to get better at. Whether it’s you’re tired fourth quarter or I just had, like, a 60-yard run and I’ve got to be able to audible or call a different play. So that’s a really big thing I’m stressing is to get my stamina up and mental toughness, I would say, just to do that.”

Arkansas will practice Monday at 4:10.