SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS

July 18, 2024

Taylen Green

Arkansas Razorbacks

Press Conference

Q. How about a self-scouting report on the new quarterback at Arkansas?

TAYLEN GREEN: A self-scouting report, I would say just having fun. You know, just taking everything in, being a sponge. Whether it's on the field with the playbook, with the team, or off the field, I'm always are eating (laughing), always having fun. I just went mini golfing, or just hanging out with my teammates and stuff like that. Just taking everything in.

Q. How has he developed so far and what's your relationship been like this one?

TAYLEN GREEN: My relationship with KJ, we're really close. We came at the same time. I'm older, so I took the role of showing him the ropes. This is my fourth year. I just wanted to be that leader and that person to look up to like I would want when I was a freshman.

I tell him all the time, he's ahead of where I was as a freshman getting coached by one of the best coordinators in the country. I was like, don't ever take that for granted. When he talks, listen and take notes because what you do freshman, sophomore year, you're going to lean back on. You're going to -- like the things on and off the field, you're going to look back and grow from that. That's what I tell him all the time. Take everything in as a freshman, so yeah.

Q. Taylen, why did you choose Arkansas, and why do you feel like you are a good fit with this program right now?

TAYLEN GREEN: I will say, first, I had a relationship previously with Coach Petrino. He was my first offer coming out of high school. Hit the transfer portal, and he called me every morning. Sometimes I wasn't up, and he would text me.

But I took that as that meant a lot to me. He made me a priority. That meant a lot. We met before for about two, three hours talking about ball and not even talking about ball, talking about Arkansas and how it is and stuff like that.

I took the visit. That was my first official visit because I was a COVID baby. Just the vision that he had and Coach Pitt had. I'm truly grateful for the belief and the vision that they have. I feel like just the opportunity with the weapons that we have offensively and a great defense, I feel like the sky is the limit for us.

The only stopping -- the only people stopping us is ourselves and that's what we try to mitigate and just try to continue through the summer just to continue what we did in the spring and just to grow our chemistry and to grow our chemistry on and off the field and to grow our understanding of the offense.

Q. I want to ask you about one of the your targets out there, Luke Hasz. Can you talk a little bit about your relationship with him both on and off the field? How good a player is he?

TAYLEN GREEN: My relationship with him is really close. We are on the same, like, I would say, row in the locker room, so we're always talking. We always get in the locker room at similar times. We're always one of the first ones in there, so we're always talking.

We're, like, Hey, Luke. Hey, Taylen. It's really cool.

His feel for the game is unmatched. Like, he just now recently started playing football. He said freshman or sophomore year of high school he started playing football, and that's crazy. It really speaks volumes to how talented he is and how dedicated he is to this sport.

We was just joking about -- we had the receivers out, and he was, like, man, I love football, I love it. It's definitely cool to see just everybody, not even just Luke, just everybody is loving to be in the facility and loving to work.

Q. Landon said that you won the team over in your first week, and I'm just curious the kind of stuff you did to win -- as a transfer portal quarterback, what kind of stuff do you need to do early on to show that you belong with a new team?

TAYLEN GREEN: I would say, first, be yourself. Don't be anybody that you're not. Don't try to be anybody you're not because, you know, everybody will see right through it.

The first thing I wanted to make sure is I'm going to be the first one there and the last one out. When it's time to work, it's time to work, and when it's not, I'm laid back, having fun, joking around. I call it "being with the boys, being with the guys."

Just building that trust. That's really it. It's building trust and camaraderie between the team because, you know, I tell them, I have great -- I'm grateful for them for just open -- opening me with open arms. There you go. Because just me being from Boise, just coming from Idaho, that's what meant the world to me, so yeah.

Q. You're taking over from a three-year starter in KJ Jefferson who kind of became a fan favorite in Fayetteville. What's it like taking over for him, and have you had a chance to talk to him and get advice from him?

TAYLEN GREEN: Honestly, I'm just focusing on just being myself and taking care of each day being the best version of myself each and every day. I feel like the rest will take care of itself.

With KJ, I wish him all the best. I already know he's going to do great things there, and he has a great opportunity there. I wish all the best for him.

Q. How do you feel like your game fits in and maybe is complemented by a Bobby Petrino-led offense?

TAYLEN GREEN: He doesn't even have to say anything. You just have to look at his résumé and turn on the film of the different quarterbacks he had throughout his coaching career and just the development that he has and just the six, seven months that I've been, like, coaching -- being coached by him, it's crazy just how much knowledge and how much understanding that I got just from talking to him and just taking everything in.

Q. Kind of two things. The first is I know you and Andrew Armstrong are accidentally wearing the same shoe brand. Who went for that first? Then I'll ask the second one.

TAYLEN GREEN: We was about to wear the same, like, shoe. I know you see the chemistry. You see the chemistry? That's what we've been building (smiling). He just asked, what are you going to wear, and I was, like, I'm going to wear this with the shoes. He is, like, oh, I'm wearing the shoes. I was, like, well, looks like I'm going to wear these. It's perfect. I got the red, the white, and it's perfect. Arkansas red, so go Hogs.

Q. Being from Texas, for you, what does it mean that you'll be able to be a part of the renewed rivalry between Texas and Arkansas?

TAYLEN GREEN: It's pretty cool just to be in that atmosphere of Texas versus Arkansas. Everybody talks about the game when they came here and they rushed the field and all that.

Just the passion that both fan bases have. That's one of the reasons why I came to Arkansas is just the passion, just -- when Arkansas football is on, everybody in the state is watching. That's what I don't take for granted.

That's why we're working so hard. That's why I'm doing my process and taking it day-by-day. I don't take anything for granted.