The Recruiting Guy

Hogs land their QB in KJ Jefferson

KJ Jefferson
KJ Jefferson

SARDIS, Miss. — Arkansas wanted highly regarded KJ Jefferson as their quarterback for the 2019 class.

On Friday, the Hogs got their man when he committed to the Razorbacks during a ceremony at North Panola High School.

“I chose to be a Razorback because of the coaching staff," Jefferson said. "I believe in Chad Morris and the offense and the system and where he comes from ... and the love I got from Arkansas.”

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Jefferson (6-3, 210 pounds) picked the Razorbacks over more than 20 scholarship offers from Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Missouri, Mississippi State, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina State, Indiana and others.

He visited Fayetteville on March 12 and visited again April 6 before making his way to Little Rock for the Red-White spring game the following day. He announced after the two-day visit that the Hogs were his leader.

"I knew it was Arkansas after my second visit up there and after I visited the spring game," Jefferson said. "I brought my mom out, and she all she talked about was Arkansas, Arkansas, Arkansas, She was saying how she had a great time there. They made sure we were OK. It was just the love she got."

Jefferson, who announced his decision in the school auditorium in front of his mother and faculty, looks forward to working with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Craddock.

"It means a lot because he's been a round a lot of great quarterbacks and coached up a lot of great quarterbacks," Jefferson said. "With me being with him, it will be a really good experience to get a feel for how he coaches."

North Panola Coach Carl Diffee said the Hogs are getting a great athlete that happens to be an outstanding quarterback.

"He's a big, physical athlete that just happens to be able to throw a football really, really well," Diffee said. "He's a very smart football player. He understands the complexities of our offense, and we’re able to do more than your average high school team because of what he knows."

Jefferson completed 150 of 236 passes for 3,028 yards and 36 touchdowns, with 3 interceptions as a junior. He rushed 139 times for 1,325 yards and 8 touchdowns while leading the Cougars to a 13-1 record and the Class 3A semifinals.

Diffee said Jefferson has progressed every year.

"He threw for almost 1,400 yards as a freshman, and then he threw for 2,600 yards as a sophomore and almost 3,200 yards this year," Diffee said. "As a freshman, he rushed for about 300, 400 yards, and then as a sophomore rushed for about 600 yards."

Jefferson is a winner, too, Diffee said.

"He started for us as a freshman, and we went 5-6, which was probably par for the course for North Panola for the last 20 years," Diffee said. "Then his sophomore year he led us to the best record in school history at 10-3 and then this past season 13-1, which ... of course was a new school record."

The interaction with Razorback fans on Twitter also helped the Hogs' cause.

"Man, I can post anything [and] Arkansas fans will come in on it," Jefferson said. "Retweet it and say 'Woo Pig.' The love from them I find really amazing."

He also got a heads-up on the Razorback fan base during his first unofficial visit to Arkansas.

"We went to a restaurant, and people I didn't even know just started hollering my name, so right then I knew I was going to get a tremendous amount of love from everyone in Fayetteville," Jefferson said.

CBS Sports Network national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rates Jefferson a 4-star prospect. Jefferson is ready to be a leader of the Razorback program when he arrives in Fayetteville.

"Coach Diffee and I talk every day after practice and before practice about being a leader and filling big shoes and becoming a man and taking responsibility and control over my decisions and my actions toward others," Jefferson said.

Now that he's a commitment for Arkansas, Jefferson is ready to recruit other skill guys and linemen to come join him.

"That’s one thing being a quarterback and committing to school is — to recruit guys around you so when all of us get on campus, see who can come in ready to work and get on the field," he said.

His message to other recruits will be simple.

"Come join me and let's take over," Jefferson said.

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