The junior lefty from Alabama beat out AJ Hill to be begin a new era. Jackson will take the first offensive snap under center when the Hogs open the upcoming campaign against North Alabama on Sept. 5.
Jackson and Hill battled throughout the offseason. The two quarterbacks rotated who worked with the first-team offense during the first three weeks of fall practices.Jackson brings some SEC experience as he gets ready for his first starting role in college football. He appeared in five games while starting the regular season finale against Missouri to close out the 2025 campaign. He completed 33-of-54 passing attempts for 441 yards and three touchdowns and registered 11 carries for 52 yards with two scores.
Jackson was a four-star prospect coming out of St. James High School in the class of 2024. He chose the Hogs over North Carolina and credited Sam Pittman's recruitment as a major factor in his commitment to this past offseason, following Silverfield and offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey from Memphis. He completed 19-of-32 passes for 223 yards with a touchdown and one interception during his freshman season with the Tigers. He will now be the top backup to Jackson.
Freshman Hank Hendrix has logged the most reps as the third-string quarterback in fall practices.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16
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