Kirby Smart has plenty of things left to sort out on his own football team, but the fact three Georgia opponents have named their starting quarterbacks likely created some sort of ripple in the football building.

After all, advance scouting is part of the game, though it’s likely the Bulldogs’ staff had already pulled film on the recently named starting QBs at Arkansas (KJ Jackson, Florida (Aaron Philo) and Alabama (Keelon Russell).

The Razorbacks are the first of those three teams on Georgia’s schedule, as the Bulldogs will travel to Fayetteville for a noon game on Sept. 19.

Again, Smart’s game-planning is centered on learning what his team does best and which personnel packages maximize Georgia’s talent.

Further, there’s an opening game with Tennessee State (3 p.m., Sept. 5) and a second home game with Western Kentucky (12:45 p.m., Sept. 12) before the Razorbacks are next up on the schedule.

Georgia is anywhere from a 14.5 to 16.5-point favorite in the game, per various oddsmakers.

But for those looking ahead to the SEC opener, it’s worth a closer look at Arkansas with Jackson under center — presuming he’ll hold the job over Memphis transfer AJ Hill through games against North Alabama (Sept. 5) and at No. 21 Utah (Sept. 12).

“I’m excited for (Jackson’s) role as QB1 with the future of our program,” Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield said, per a Ft. Smith Southwest Times Record report. “He’s done an excellent job.

“So has AJ Hill and all of our quarterbacks leading up to today. In that decision, it wasn’t an easy decision, but a very confident one we made as a staff.”

Jackson was recruited by former Georgia assistant and Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman out of St. James High School in Montgomery, Ala., in the class of 2024, choosing the Razorbacks over North Carolina.

Jackson appeared in five games last season, including a start against Missouri in Arkansas final regular season game.

Jackson was 11-of-17 passing for 126 yards and a touchdown in the 31-17 loss to Missouri, and he also carried the ball four times for 14 yards in the loss.

Jackson said his competition with Hill was spirited and led to both players improving.

“We’re going to need both of us to be a successful football team,” Jackson said, “and to win all the games that we want to win this fall.”

Hill, a sophomore, transferred from Memphis, following his head coach and offensive coordinator (Tim Cramsey), after completing 19 of 32 passes for 223 yards with a touchdown and interception last season.

Hill, a 6-foot-4, 232-pounder, played for Houston County in Warner Robins where he was rated the No. 187 player in the nation in the 2025 Class and No. 26 player in Georgia according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Hill is one of 44 incoming transfers for the Arkansas program, which also signed 25 players accounting for the No. 46-ranked incoming freshman class, per the 247Sports Composite.

The Razorbacks, who lost 67 players to the transfer portal, per On3, landed an incoming transfer class that ranked No. 7 in the nation.

Maurice Gleaton Jr., a former track star at Georgia who attended Langston Hughes High School, left Athens for Arkansas to join the football team.

Gleaton Jr., a silver medalist in the 100 meters at the 2025 U-20 USA Championships, is 5-10, 160 and was ranked the No. 245 receiver in the portal.

Arkansas has transfers with football experience from several SEC schools, including Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn and Kentucky.

But the key transfer could be another former Memphis player in the form of tailback Sutton Smith, a former standout at Walton High School in Marietta.

The 5-10, 180-pound Smith is on the Doak Walker Award (running back) preseason watch list after logging 102 carries last season for 669 yards, in addition to making 20 catches for 109 yards,

Smith also returned five kicks for 155 yards, including a 99-yard touchdown, and 15 punt returns for 125 yards.

Smith missed practice time this fall with a lower-leg injury, but he scrimmaged on Saturday and is expected to be healthy in time to play against North Alabama in Arkansas’ opener, per On3.