UCF, former Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson briefly booked, sentenced to community service for reckless driving

UCF and former Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson voluntarily turned himself in on a misdemeanor reckless driving charge in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Wednesday afternoon. After appearing before a judge, he was sentenced to five days of community service, according to a Fayetteville District Court spokesperson.

Court records show Jefferson was released 21 minutes after his booking. The “misdemeanor commitment” — the specific jargon for the process Jefferson went through being booked and released in short order — is a common process.

Jefferson played four years at Arkansas, eventually becoming the centerpiece of the Razorbacks offense in recent seasons, before transferring to UCF this winter.

Jefferson is still expected to be the starter for the Knights on opening day come fall.

UCF head coach Gus Malzahn recently discussed his decision to add Jefferson this offseason

Jefferson comes in with high expectations as the No. 73 overall player and No. 17 quarterback according to On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings. UCF coach Gus Malzahn has long been aware of what Jefferson brings to the table, even recruiting him when he coached at Auburn.

He joined On3‘s Andy Staples on Wednesday, where he explained why Jefferson has the “perfect skillset” to excel in the Knights’ offensive scheme.

“I’m really excited about KJ,” Malzahn said. “I recruited him out of high school, but Bo Nix was the same age. Obviously we weren’t gonna take two quarterbacks. So I had my eye on him and, being from Arkansas, a lot of my friends are huge Arkansas fans. So when he went in the portal, he was our No. 1 guy.

“With what we like to do offensively, it doesn’t get any better than his skillset. I think he has the perfect skillset to thrive in our league and in our offense.”

Jefferson was a three-year starter for the Razorbacks, leading them to back-to-back bowl victories in 2021 and 2022 before going just 4-8 this past season. He ended his career in Fayetteville as the school’s career leader in passing yards (7,911) and touchdowns (67).

Jefferson also showed himself to be among the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 247 pounds, he isn’t afraid to put his body on the line to gain a few extra yards either. In fact, he actually led Arkansas in rushing during the 2021 and 2023 seasons, ending his career with 1,876 yards and 21 touchdowns.

It’s that dual skillset that leads Malzahn to believe Jefferson is a perfect fit for his offense. Having worked with dual-threat QBs like Cam Newton and, at UCF, John Rhys Plumlee, the coach prefers to have a signal caller who can run as well as throw.

“There’s been great quarterbacks to come through the University of Arkansas,” Malzahn said. “So that says a lot, but he’s willing to run. When we were recruiting him he said, ‘coach, whatever I need to do to help us win, I’m gonna do.’ John Rhys, he really developed his self into a passer, too. He’s a really good fit for what we like to do.”