QB Wilson To Return To Arkansas

11 wins and a No. 5 national ranking isn’t quite enough for Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Tyler Wilson, who announced Friday morning that he will stay at Arkansas for the 2012 season.

“I have decided to stay at Arkansas for the 2012 season because I am extremely excited for what this team has the opportunity to accomplish and to finish earning my degree,” Wilson said. “Although my goal is to play in the NFL, I believe I can benefit greatly from another year of working with Coach [Bobby] Petrino and Coach Paul Petrino. I am excited to be able to spend one more season at a university where the leadership shows a tremendous amount of support and the passion of the fans is the best in the country.”

The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL Draft is Jan. 15, so Wilson, 6-3, 215, took the decision close to the wire. Word is the paperwork he received on his potential draft status was extremely positive, making the decision that much more difficult.

“After the feedback I received, the decision was difficult to make. Ultimately, the chance to complete my academics and play one more season as a Razorback were compelling reasons for me to remain in Fayetteville,” Wilson said.

The first-team All-SEC quarterback will be a redshirt senior next season. He played as a true freshman but was granted a medical redshirt after being diagnosed with mononucleosis early in the season. After that 2008 season, Wilson sat behind starter Ryan Mallett for two seasons until Mallett declared for the NFL Draft after the 2010 season.

This season, Wilson led the Razorbacks to only their third 11-win performance in UA history while completing a school-record 277 passes. He finished his redshirt junior year with 438 attempts (63.2 percent), 3,638 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.

“This past year was great for us with 11 wins and a top-five finish and we want to build on that. The group of players we have returning has high expectations and wants to work hard to compete for championships.”


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