Taylen Green set for first season at Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE — Taylen Green is new to Arkansas, but he’s already making his mark both as a quarterback and leader.

Green helped lead Boise State to the Mountain West title last season. He completed 121 of 212 passes for 1,752 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He rushed 78 times for 436 yards and nine touchdowns. He went through spring drills with Arkansas after enrolling in January. He was asked to give a self-scouting report on himself Thursday at SEC Media Days.

“A self-scouting report, I would say just having fun,” Green said. “You know, just taking everything in, being a sponge. Whether it’s on the field with the playbook, with the team, or off the field, I’m always are eating, always having fun. I just went mini golfing, or just hanging out with my teammates and stuff like that. Just taking everything in.”

Green chose Arkansas over other offers once he entered the transfer portal. On Thursday, Green reflected back on why he chose the Hogs.

“I will say, first, I had a relationship previously with Coach (Bobby) Petrino,” Green said. “He was my first offer coming out of high school. Hit the transfer portal, and he called me every morning. Sometimes I wasn’t up, and he would text me. But I took that as that meant a lot to me. He made me a priority. That meant a lot. We met before for about two, three hours talking about ball and not even talking about ball, talking about Arkansas and how it is and stuff like that.

“I took the visit. That was my first official visit because I was a COVID baby. Just the vision that he had and Coach Pitt had. I’m truly grateful for the belief and the vision that they have. I feel like just the opportunity with the weapons that we have offensively and a great defense, I feel like the sky is the limit for us. The only stopping — the only people stopping us is ourselves and that’s what we try to mitigate and just try to continue through the summer just to continue what we did in the spring and just to grow our chemistry and to grow our chemistry on and off the field and to grow our understanding of the offense.”

Green has made a great impression on his teammates including standout defensive end Landon Jackson. Jackson heaped praise on Green Thursday.

“I mean, I’m not going to lie,” Green said. “He won the locker room the first week he was there. He came in and just his sense of urgency, he has all the traits to be, I mean, a lead for a big-time SEC program. I mean, that dude goes to work every day. First one in, last one out. He does all he can to perfect his craft, and he doesn’t just worry about himself. He really wants to perfect his teammates as well. He is one of those players that makes players around him better.”

Green responded to what Jackson said about him.

“I would say, first, be yourself,” Green said. “Don’t be anybody that you’re not. Don’t try to be anybody you’re not because, you know, everybody will see right through it. The first thing I wanted to make sure is I’m going to be the first one there and the last one out. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work, and when it’s not, I’m laid back, having fun, joking around. I call it “being with the boys, being with the guys.”

“Just building that trust. That’s really it. It’s building trust and camaraderie between the team because, you know, I tell them, I have great — I’m grateful for them for just open — opening me with open arms. There you go. Because just me being from Boise, just coming from Idaho, that’s what meant the world to me, so yeah.”

At Arkansas, Green is replacing KJ Jefferson who transferred to UCF in the offseason.

“Honestly, I’m just focusing on just being myself and taking care of each day being the best version of myself each and every day,” Green said. “I feel like the rest will take care of itself.

“With KJ, I wish him all the best. I already know he’s going to do great things there, and he has a great opportunity there. I wish all the best for him.”

While Petrino made Green a priority at Missouri State and Arkansas, the quarterback does feel this offense fits him perfectly.

“He doesn’t even have to say anything,” Green said of Petrino. “You just have to look at his résumé and turn on the film of the different quarterbacks he had throughout his coaching career and just the development that he has and just the six, seven months that I’ve been, like, coaching — being coached by him, it’s crazy just how much knowledge and how much understanding that I got just from talking to him and just taking everything in.”

All three players that Pittman took to SEC Media Days played high school football in Texas. Green is proud to be part of an Arkansas team that will get to face the Longhorns in their first year in the SEC.

“It’s pretty cool just to be in that atmosphere of Texas versus Arkansas,” Green said. “Everybody talks about the game when they came here and they rushed the field and all that. Just the passion that both fan bases have. That’s one of the reasons why I came to Arkansas is just the passion, just — when Arkansas football is on, everybody in the state is watching. That’s what I don’t take for granted.

“That’s why we’re working so hard. That’s why I’m doing my process and taking it day-by-day. I don’t take anything for granted.”

Green and the Hogs will open the 2024 season on Thursday, Aug. 29, at 6:30 p.m. in Little Rock against UAPB. The game will be televised by ESPNU.