GREENWOOD — Greenwood Class of 2026 quarterback Kane Archer is set to start for the Bulldogs this season.
Archer, 6-1, 201, played in eight games in 2022. Greenwood had an established senior starter in Hunter Houston. Archer completed 53 of 87 passes for 709 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions. He rushed 22 times for 129 yards and four touchdowns for an 11-3 team.
Archer and the Bulldogs are in the middle of drills with the spring game set for Thursday, May 25. On Tuesday, Archer talked about how it’s going so far.
“It’s going good,” Archer said. “Coach (Austin) Moreton is getting the offensive line right. We’re putting in some new plays for receivers and (wide receiver) Grant (Karnes) just got back from baseball so it’s going good.”
Archer obviously wanted to play more in 2022, but he understood the Bulldogs had an older quarterback. He talked about how he made the most of the situation and turned it into a positive.
“Yeah it’s like Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers you sit behind somebody and you learn a bunch,” Archer said. “It’s hard to just go into a new team not knowing the playbook just jump out there starting immediately. Learning the playbook, sitting behind somebody and watching them do it for a year definitely helped for sure. Definitely helped.”
Arkansas is one of Archer’s offers and has a new offensive coordinator in Dan Enos. The Arkansas coach was at Greenwood’s first practice on May 8.
“He’s a good guy,” Archer said. “He came down here the first spring practice. He’s a cool guy. I like him.”
Archer knows starting for Greenwood brings pressure one might not have elsewhere because the expectation each season is a state championship. The Bulldogs came up one game short last season falling to Pulaski Academy 42-35 in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium. Greenwood had downed the Bruins 33-23 earlier in the regular season at Greenwood. Archer talked about where he needs to improve the most this season.
“I would say probably pocket passing,” Archer said. “I need to learn to step into it a little bit more. Even when I’m getting pocket pressure I can’t back away from my throws. I have to step into them a little more.”
Archer gained offers from Arkansas, Michigan and Missouri in the eighth grade. He has only added to that list and it’s still growing. Kentucky offered on May 3. Tennessee, Toledo and UNLV have also recently offered. He has 15 offers in all and the list will continue to grow.
“It’s going good,” Archer said of recruiting. “I’m going to USC this summer, I’m going to Arkansas (June 11) this summer, a Michigan camp, a TCU camp and about eight of us here are going to a camp.”
Click here for a video of offseason work.
