According to Joe Schad, USC quarterback Ricky Town said on Friday that he will transfer to Arkansas. The composite 4 star QB from Ventura, California was a highly sought after recruit coming out of high school, and came very close to committing to Alabama before deciding to stay in California and be a Trojan.
The circumstances around his decision to transfer before ever playing at USC are still being discussed in Los Angeles as this transfer happened quickly for both the school and for Town. He only visited Arkansas before making his decision. Perhaps the history that Bret Bielema has with transfer QBs swayed Town to Arkansas. He will enroll this week and will take the last scholarship in the 2015 class, joining another 4 star QB from Charleston, Arkansas, Ty Storey.
It doesn’t seem that long ago for Hog fans that the quarterback position was not considered a strength. Brandon Allen was a young kid that was under his 3rd head coach and 2nd offensive coordinator when Bielema and Jim Chaney arrived. Allen was just starting to get his feet under him when an injury sidelined him and Hog fans saw how bleak the depth chart was with A.J. Derby coming in as the backup. (Editor’s note: A.J. Derby would become an incredible tight end for the Hogs, and is currently on the Patriots IR. We wish him a swift recovery and a long career as a dynamite receiving tight end.)
Fast forward to August 21, 2015, and the Razorbacks have an absolutely stacked QB roster, and with the addition of Town, the future quarterback battles could be a sight to see. The starting QB job belongs to Brandon Allen. He is the most experienced starting QB in the SEC, and is poised for an All-SEC caliber year with the addition of JoJo Robinson and Dominque Reed to his receiving corp.
Nov 1, 2014; Starkville, MS, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Austin Allen warms up before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Next year, Austin Allen and Rafe Peavey will be battling for the starting job. Austin Allen, who is Brandon’s younger brother, was a highly recruited 4 star QB himself. Peavey, a 4 star QB on 247, was a highly recruited dual threat QB from Missouri. Both QB’s have had solid showings in the spring practice this year as the battle for the #2 spot on the roster. Allen is a traditional pro style QB, very similar to his brother. The competition between these two QB’s could be one of the toughest decisions that Dan Enos and Bielema will have to make in regards to the offense next year.
Ty Storey was another highly recruited QB. Storey held offers from 5 SEC schools, but only ended up receiving around 10 offers because he quickly announced his intention to be a Hog. A dynamic QB, Storey’s senior year was legendary as he lead Charleston to a state championship. He threw for 4,159 yards with 53 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. If he does redshirt this year, he’ll have plenty of time to develop behind Allen and Peavey and take the reigns as sophomore or junior as the heir apparent to the Hogs offense. Until today, that is.
Ricky Town had an impressive high school career, racking up national awards and honors. His addition to the Arkansas roster in the same class as Storey sets up another QB battle for the future that was unexpected, but Hog fans should welcome. If the QB roster remains as it is right now, the Hogs will have some serious competition for the position for the next 4 or 5 years, and competition brings out the best in athletes. While this will probably come as a shock to Storey, the addition of Town will prove to be good for the program. You can never have too many talented quarterbacks. The only concern Hog fans should have now is that with the added competition, one of the QBs on the roster decides to take his talents somewhere else where he could play immediately. While that is a concern for the future, as it stands right now, Arkansas has one of the most impressive QB rosters in the conference.
Oh, and in case you forgot, meet 2016 QB commit Cole Kelley.
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