Arkansas has only two scholarship quarterbacks on its starting campus KJ Jefferson and backup Malik Hornsby, but considering they’re the Pacers, the next two have pretty solid credentials. Razorbacks added Card Renfro from Ole Miss before last season and Cade Fortin From South Florida after last season. Arkansas needs to feel confident going into the season with at least one of them…
Renfro, 6-3, 197, tore his ACL during bowling practice in December and missed the entire spring. At best, he could be back for fall camp in August. Renfro brings powerful arms and running capabilities to the table. He was originally signed as a scholarship player for the Ole Miss class of 2021. After moving to wide receiver at Oxford, Renfro opted to move and landed in Arkansas.
“He said he’s getting ready for fall training camp. We’ll see,” Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendall Briers said. “Everyone heals differently. Personally I think he’s a little behind. I’d like to see him move better, but we have excellent medical staff, which Dave Polanski has done in him and his team. Good recovery.
“He’s going to be fine eventually. He’s going to take care of his body. My biggest worry is how skinny you’re going to be, just not being able to get into the weight room, and he’s the one who needs it. That’s when he comes back to Stay healthy, as long as he has the weight and the muscle to support his body. He can throw the ball and he’s really smart. It’s good to have him.
Fortin, 6-foot-3, 222, dubbed “Fortnite” by Briles, is older, initially in the Class of 2018 at North Carolina, and started two games as a bona fide rookie. He completed 23 of 65 passes for 388 yards, touchdowns and 76 yards in front of the red shirt. He entered the transfer portal and chose USF over Syracuse, Kansas and Vanderbilt ahead of the 2019 season. He dealt with injuries at USF but started two games and played seven games in two years.
“Fortnite, Cade Fortin, doing really well. If you ever get a chance to talk to him, he’s an amazing kid. Very, very smart and low maintenance“Briles said.” He’s great in the room, loves his players, he’s an experienced guy. He has played in North Carolina and South Florida and has had meaningful snaps. So, I think we stole one to get him here, and he actually had two years. Glad to have him in the room. It’s amazing how he’s at quarterback here and how smart he is to make decisions and know what we’re doing. It’s been fine. “
While Renfro’s availability is still up in the air, coaches are taking a hard look at Fortin. If they feel that Fortin is a capable quarterback who can lead them to victory, they’ll make it easier for them to play fast Hornsby at wide receiver. Jefferson also traded well, having to withdraw from the game due to injury. So if they have confidence in Fording, the whole offense will be better even if Fordin doesn’t play.
“I like Fortin. I like it. His strength is that he’s older and more mature. He’s played major college games,” the Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “He has a way of passing the ball to the players. Some quarterbacks, they just want to always shoot their best. They want to show their arms. Fortin wants to finish the pass. I really like his arm strength, he Can throw a deep ball, he can throw a short ball, but he throws the ball so that the guy can catch it, if that makes sense.
“I love everything about this kid. He really helped us. Imagine if we didn’t have him, we’d have trouble, trouble. Part of the reason we probably didn’t have a fourth back was because ‘We got him. So maybe if we didn’t get him, we’d still have three anyway. I do not know. “
