With just a month left for the college football season to begin, the teams and the players are intensifying their practice sessions and upping the ante. But there’s a quarterback in the SEC who is focusing on “playing video games” and having a “pool party.” It may be hard to fathom that a top SEC program’s QB is relaxing in his pool while the world prepares for the inevitable. He’s the same QB whom a prominent analyst and former CFB running back touts to beat QBs like Garrett Nussmeier and LaNorris Sellers.

Yes, we are talking about Taylen Green, the Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback, who is returning for the 2025 season. Last year, the QB passed for 3,154 yards and ran for another 602 yards after coming from Boise State on a transfer. However, there were also issues. Accuracy (60.45) is still a work in progress. And then the turnovers in some games. But you could still see that the ceiling is high. Moreover, the issues weren’t even his fault at times.

For one, the team had new receivers coming in after losing key wide receivers. Green was forced to work with a new group, and the lack of chemistry was quite visible in several games. That was one of the reasons why the QB was bonding with the team, playing video games, and having pool parties. It was all part of his plan to succeed in 2025.

“The receiving corps and I, we’re doing a lot of off-field things to build chemistry. Getting some food, playing video games, we just had a pool party. It helps us understand and know each other more,” said Green as he appeared at the Manning Passing Academy recently. Just imagine the level of performance once the offense figures out things.

It’s no wonder that former Louisiana-Lafayette running back Emory Hunt, who is an analyst for CBS HQ now, touts Green as having better NFL prospects than Garrett Nussmeier and LaNorris Sellers. If you’re wondering, ‘What?’ you’re not alone. Green over who? Yes, the two QBs who many scouts are considering for the top pick in the 2026 draft.

“How about we start with the best pro prospect in the SEC? That’s Taylen Green out of Arkansas at the quarterback position,” Emory Hunt told Ross Tucker on the latter’s podcast. “He has the size that they look for, and then he has the athleticism that checks off all those boxes in terms of as a runner. His arm talent in terms of being able to throw the deep ball with velocity, to be able to make different throws from different arm angles,” declared Hunt. But why the downgrade for top QBs like Garrett Nussmeier?

For Hunt, he acknowledged both Nussmeier and Sellers being outstanding QBs and having their positive points. Still, he touted Sellers’ inability to “throw with touch” consistently, which Green can do, as being one of the reasons why he isn’t high on the Gamecocks’ QB. As for Garrett Nussmeier, Hunt pointed out that the LSU QB’s accuracy against pressure is not “always the best,” and Green’s is expected to be refined this year. But that’s not all.

For sure, it’s a bold take. If you know Hunt, he’s neither going to stop speaking his mind nor take his words back. It doesn’t matter if the entire SEC disagrees with them. Naturally, he doubled down. Hunt told BoAS.com, “I’d rather be wrong by myself than wrong in a group.” Taylen Green is undoubtedly a top quarterback, but comparing him to QBs like Nussmeier, who is already touted to be a top-five draft pick, is bold. But let’s see all of it with an objective lens for once.

Will Taylen Green have the offensive pieces to succeed at Arkansas?

Arkansas faces one of the toughest schedules in college football for the 2025 season, playing against formidable teams such as Notre Dame, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. This challenging lineup makes the anticipation for Green’s return even more exciting as he prepares to come back stronger in 2025. To address the wide receiver issue, the team has recruited Ismael Cisse from Stanford and Blake O’Mega from Charlotte, among others. Additionally, other positions on the team have been revamped.

Caden Kitler comes in the offensive line along with Bubba Craig and Shaq McRoy at right tackle, among others, which points to a much improved protection for Green this year. The running game, too, looks to have been improved with returning starters like Ja’Quinden Jackson coming in after rushing for 566 yards last year. Apart from him, the team also added Rodney Hill from FSU, who will improve the rushing production. The verdict?

The team has everything this year, barring their tough schedule, for Green to succeed. “I’m focused on being more consistent and leading this team to more wins. We’ve got the pieces; it’s about putting it together,” said Green in a recent interview with ESPN in July. All in all, if Green leads Arkansas to even 9 wins, the QB will probably have his Heisman lined up.