FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Regardless of the outcome, however many Arkansas fans show up to the Razorbacks' game against Missouri Friday need to stick around to the end.
That's because, even though it may not be his last game in a Hogs' uniform, it should be the last for Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson, and fans should be there to honor him properly as he closes a historic career leading the Razorbacks.
Before everyone's feathers get ruffled, this isn't an argument that Jefferson isn't good enough and he should just be tossed aside. That's not the case at all. His record and stats speak for themselves and would, barring another blundering coaching hire at offensive coordinator, be significantly better next season.
The reality is, it's in Jefferson's personal best interest to move on and in head coach Sam Pittman's also. They've spent years building this program back up to a place where four wins is a reason for fans to have their heads explode instead of celebrate. However, they've both grown as much as they're going to grow together.
Jefferson needs a fresh start and a chance to show he can be a star in a different environment. NFL scouts need to see that. There's nothing he can show in an Arkansas uniform that he hasn't already shown.
As for Pittman, he needs to demonstrate what kind of coach he can be without Jefferson. He hasn't known a year of coaching without Chad Morris recruits leading his team, so an opportunity to let Razorback fans and Hunter Yurachek see what he can do with the winner of a quarterback battle between Jacolby Criswell and Malachi Singleton would be ideal for fair evaluation.
If he transfers, Jefferson deserves support from Arkansas fans wherever he lands. Should he choose to go to Mississippi State to help whomever inherits the daunting task of picking up the pieces left behind by the untimely death of Mike Leach, Jefferson has earned the right to go play closer to his family while trying to dig his local college team out of a ditch without rebuke.
Even when he comes to play Arkansas, he should be shown respect. None of this traitor talk. He spent four years dedicated to the Razorbacks and this state, taking a huge beating along the way. Nothing about going to better himself makes him a traitor.
Of course, he may find a better situation outside the SEC. If he ends up at Baylor or trying to save Bret Bielema's job at Illinois under the guidance of former Arkansas interim head coach Barry Lunney, Jr., then fans may not be able to see him as much, but the well wishes should be just as plentiful.
There's always the chance Jefferson stays, but if his goal is the NFL, then that defies logic. Arkansas fans need to be there when he finally walks off that field. Even if the day comes crashing down and the Hogs get blown out while Jefferson throws a pair of picks, it doesn't wipe away everything he did to bring this program back from the point of death. That deserves to be honored.
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