FAYETTEVILLE — Being a goldfish, as Ted Lasso might say, is one of the most important traits an athlete can have.

As Arkansas offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey explained Tuesday, having a short memory is an area in which QB KJ Jackson needs to improve in.

The inconsistent play from Jackson this season is a big reason why Arkansas is staring down the barrel of a losing season entering Week 11. He showed flashes of brilliance on Arkansas' second-to-last drive against Auburn, when he took the Razorbacks down the field and threw the game-tying touchdown to Antonio Jordan.

But Jackson went 14-30 on the afternoon at Auburn and has thrown eight touchdowns and six interceptions this season. He hasn't been awful, but he certainly hasn't played to the level he's needed to on a consistent basis, either.

"As a person, you have to be able to forget about what just happened," Cramsey said. "So in that drive, he hit a big play down the shoot. Life was good. You know, if the first play isn't good for him, we got to get that out of his head and be able to move on and just play the next snap. You know, that's something we talk about a short-term memory with him, with everybody. That's kind of where the inconsistency comes, where he has to just go play that next snap, believe in himself, and go do that.

"And not everything's going to be perfect. You got to understand that, you know, not everything. Some guys, when when you have a guy like KJ who puts so much pressure on himself and demands so much of himself, you love that from a kid, but you got to be able to have the confidence to deal with that too... Next step, and and that that's where the inconsistency comes from a little bit with them in the mindset of the game."

Cramsey said Jackson also has to do a better job of trusting his reads.

Looking forward to the future

Jackson has two more years of eligiblity, and it's hard to believe Arkansas wouldn't at least try to keep him around and have him be involved in the competition for the starting job in 2027, even if the Razorbacks try and get a QB out of the transfer portal.

Cramsey was asked Tuesday how the final three games of 2026 could impact Arkansas' decision-making at QB moving forward.

"It's enormous," Cramsey said. "There's no more important position in all sports. And when you talk about the inconsistencies and the and the ups and downs and the goods and the bads — when it's good, we're good. When it's bad, we're bad. That's a joy of that position. I've said a couple times in here, you can go to the high school level up in Bentonville High School. You can go up to NFL level. You know, when the quarterback plays well, that team's going to win most likely.

"It's all on the quarterback. It's all about the present. All about the now. So yes, he has to he has to take it one snap at a time. He has to continue to show improvements and cut out those cut out those those negative plays and just continue on a on a continual climb as we go."