NFL
By: Randall Slifer
The Arkansas Razorbacks have a dynamic quarterback in Taylen Green. Entering his fifth year, his second with Arkansas, Green is poised to try and make a run at the Heisman trophy and get into the first round of the 2026 draft. Arkansas has built a decent team around Green in both the run and pass games, thanks to some Arkansas native commits, as well as some good portal players during the offseason. The most important thing is their improvement on the offensive line. They have acquired some excellent players through the portal, and Fernando Carmona is entering his final year with the same aspirations of being selected as high as possible in the 2026 draft. Boise State did not do a great job of developing Taylen Green, instead using his strengths on a game-by-game basis. Coming to Arkansas, Bobby Petrino has been able to construct an offense around Green that allows him to thrive, and the coaching staff has done a good job of developing him into a capable passer. Green will need to take everything he learned last year, roll it over, and build on his game in the 2025-2026 season if he wants to become a highly coveted quarterback in the NFL. The state of Arkansas is excited about what Taylen Green can do for the Razorbacks, and this can be a turning point for the organization.
Many factors contribute to Taylen’s upside and make him an intriguing prospect entering his final year. For one thing, you cannot teach someone to be 6’6 and be able to hit 23 miles per hour on a GPS. Green’s size and speed make him a menace in the run game to the point where Green only rushed 20 fewer attempts than our lead back in 2024. Green rushed for over 800 yards and eight touchdowns. Half of his rushing yards were yards gained on designed rushes, while the other half were through scrambles. He has a lot to his rushing game due to his combination of size and speed, but a vital statistic is that he has accounted for 49 first downs when rushing. That is extremely valuable in college and the NFL. When you have a quarterback who can create first downs on his own when a play is well-defended or broken, you can extend drives and keep the ball away from your opponent. One aspect of Green’s game that needs improvement when rushing is ball security. In 2024, Taylen accounted for twelve fumbles, which is too high to get into the Heisman running. I believe ball security can be controlled and improved, and Green should focus on that aspect of his game during the offseason.
Taylen Green’s passing metrics have vastly improved since coming to Arkansas. Green finished with over 3,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024. He broke personal records in attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, and adjusted completion percentage. He handled Arkansas’ RPO air raid offense well, and it fits his profile as a quarterback. Taylen does a great job reading linebackers in RPO situations and makes the right call, either handing it off to the running back or taking it himself. Green has a cannon for an arm and can throw it 60 yards, while also possessing enough power to drive a ball into a window. His ability to scramble and move the pocket to buy time and throw is an impressive facet of his game. Throwing while running to his right has some “Josh Allen” aspects to it, where he looks and feels comfortable while doing it. One aspect of Green’s game he needs to work on is decision-making. His big-time throws exceed his turnover-worthy throws, but there is some improvement to be made in that regard. Green possesses the ability to throw the football in a football-sized hole, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he should do it as often as he does throughout the season. Green can lock in on a target and possess good timing on his throw, but sometimes arm arrogance should be holstered from time to time. The NFL game these days is making sure your deep balls are more about quality than quantity, with defenses still playing a lot of two-high safeties. My optimism in Green fixing this is that this will be year two with Arkansas and Petrino. A complete understanding of the offensive system will help him understand his progressions and understand when the appropriate time is to let it rip.
Another aspect that Green can grow and develop in his game is when to bail out of the pocket. Now, it would be fair to include the offensive line play here. Arkansas’ offensive line was not horrendous, but pass protection was average at best. Looking at the top consensus quarterbacks heading into the 2025 season, Taylen Green was pressured the most out of the group. This can become part of the mental part of your game if you do not trust your offensive line. On many occasions, Green had ample opportunity to sit in the pocket and use his mental game in trusting the play call and waiting for his wide receivers to open up down the field. Green would bail too early at times and scramble and try to do it all on his own, or force the pass catchers into a situation where they are scrambling to find open space on the field. Do not get me wrong, sometimes it worked, and it worked beautifully. If Green can improve his pocket presence and pocket passing, the defense will have to respect another aspect of his game for each snap. Defenses will need to blitz less and package more defensive backs onto the field for better coverage, which will open up the run game and increase success on your scramble runs. Of course, this also increases your ability to execute efficient deep throws when they need to honor the run game and put more defenders in the box, as well. If Green improves this aspect of his game, he will be headed towards a top-ten pick in the 2026 draft.
The state of Arkansas is eagerly awaiting to see how this year unfolds, as it could be a potential turning point for the program. Suppose Taylen Green becomes a top-ten pick in the 2026 draft. In that case, this opens opportunities to acquire better talent and accept Arkansas’ SEC money, allowing us to start consistently competing in one of the toughest conferences. Arkansas fans deserve sustained success, as the state has one of the most loyal fan bases in the country. Despite the rocky road that is Arkansas football, nine out of ten people are rocking their gear every day. Taylen Green has a chance to cement himself as an unforgettable figure in Arkansas, and I cannot wait for the season to begin. Go ‘Backs!
