Arkansas football is flying under the radar a bit in 2025, in part because of relatively tame preseason expectations and in part because the Razorbacks have not been tested yet during the non-conference slate.
Arkansas has taken care of business against its lesser opponents, picking up a 52-7 win over Alabama A&M and a 56-14 win over Arkansas State, but the competition ramps up in Week 3 with a road date against No. 17 Ole Miss.
To nobody's surprise, Taylen Green has been one of the top players for Sam Pittman and company so far this season, completing nearly 72% of his passes for 561 yards and 10 touchdowns through two games. He has also racked up 192 yards on the ground and found the end zone once as a runner, so he has put all of his skills on display so far in 2025.
Green is being coached by offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who once coached Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson during his college days at Louisville. Petrino is holding Green to that standard, and it is paying off so far this season.
"[Bobby Petrino] sets me to that [Heisman Trophy] standard every single day. … He sees greatness in me."@RazorbackFB QB Taylen Green reflects on Bobby Petrino comparing him to Lamar Jackson and how it motivates him to get better every day 💪 pic.twitter.com/rtAhpwGfg7
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 10, 2025
“He sets me to that standard every single day,” Green said on SportsCenter. “Whether it's my footwork or my fundamentals throwing the ball, whether it's in the weight room. Every single say he holds me to that standard and he sees greatness in me. He's gonna let me know when I'm not hitting that standard and when I am. I love Coach Petrino and have a deep respect for him because every single day he demands perfection and greatness out of me.”
The task will obviously get a lot harder for Green and this Arkansas offense, which showed promising signs in 2024 but couldn't maintain much consistency. Including Ole Miss on Saturday, eight of the Razorbacks' final 10 opponents are currently ranked in the AP top 25, so it will take some great play from the star quarterback to build momentum during the course of this gauntlet.
Green has shown that he has the talent to be one of the top signal callers in the SEC, and Petrino clearly believes that he can be that guy. Only time will tell if he is in fact ready to take the leap to stardom.
