The quarterback battle that began the moment Skyler Perry stepped off the field for the final time at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff continues a year and a half later.
In 2022, his senior season at UAPB, Perry threw for 1,372 yards and six touchdowns. His final appearance for the Golden Lions came in a 19-14 Turkey Day Classic victory at Alabama State that Thanksgiving.
He accounted for 74 percent of UAPB’s passing yardage that year and all but one of the Golden Lions’ passing touchdowns. UAPB has been without a clear-cut starting quarterback since Perry’s departure, something the Golden Lions will need to win games in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Three quarterbacks, including two who backed up Perry, shared playing time in 2023. None were able to win the starting job. Now, one returning quarterback will compete with two transfers and an incoming freshman to see who, if anyone, can finally win Perry’s old job.
UAPB Coach Alonzo Hampton said on national signing day in February that the Golden Lions need a quarterback who is not only talented on the field but is also a leader.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“When things are going bad, somebody has to step up,” Hampton said. “So, I’ll be honest. To me, that was our problem last year. We didn’t have a guy that could take the lead, and we didn’t have a guy that his teammates respect. So, that’s the one thing that we’ve kind of made a conscious effort, going out recruiting quarterbacks.”
Mekhi Hagens is the only quarterback returning from last year’s roster. He finished the season with the most passing attempts (117) but the lowest completion percentage (45.3 percent) of the three quarterbacks, which also included Jalen Macon and Chancellor Edwards. Macon and Edwards both departed via the transfer portal after the season.
Hagens threw three touchdown passes with four interceptions, trailing Macon and Edwards in both categories, but he was the leading rusher among the trio and led the team in rushing touchdowns with four, including the game-winning score against Texas Southern in the season finale.
UAPB signed junior college transfer DJ Stevenson in December, and he competed with Hagens during the spring. Last year at Reedley College (Calif.), Stevenson completed 58 percent of his passes for 1,729 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed 107 times for 261 yards and five touchdowns.
Stevenson had the better showing of the two at the Black and Gold spring game in late April, unofficially completing 17 of 31 passes for two touchdowns with one interception. Hagens completed, unofficially, 5 of 14 passes with an interception.
Pine Bluff High School graduate Landon Holcomb, fresh off leading the Zebras to the 5A-Central Conference title and a state semifinal appearance, will attempt to make his case for the starting job. He threw for 2,848 yards and 35 touchdowns during his senior year.
Hampton said on signing day Holcomb is the kind of player who could potentially lead the Golden Lions despite being a true freshman.
“This young man, Landon Holcomb, is an outstanding quarterback, but he’s an even better person,” Hampton said. “So obviously, we’ve been watching him since I got here. He’s a 5A all-state football player. Young man was an offensive captain, which to me, is the most important thing. That means people follow him.”
One late addition to the quarterback room came earlier this month with Huntingdon College transfer Dorian Smith committing to UAPB. In limited playing time as a freshman with the Division III school in Alabama, Smith completed 16 of 24 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns. Most of that came in his lone start, a 56-8 win at Greensboro (N.C.) College.
UAPB’s quarterbacks are coached by new offensive coordinator Tony Hull. He came to UAPB this offseason from Grambling State, where he spent one year as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He inherited a Tiger offense which had been the only one in the SWAC not to produce a 1,000-yard passer in 2022 after two quarterbacks split playing time.
In its first year with Hull, Grambling jumped from the 11th-ranked passing offense in the SWAC to fifth. Myles Crawley was the second-leading passer in the conference, completing 60.2 percent of his passes for 2,313 yards and 16 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
Hull showed at Grambling he can quickly turn around an offense, particularly at quarterback. His challenge this season is to do the same thing for UAPB.