Arkansas coach Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Dan Enos have repeatedly insisted that there’s a four-way, open competition at the quarterback position to replace the departed Brandon Allen, who threw for 3,440 yards and a school-record 30 touchdowns in 2015.

Though Brandon’s little brother, Austin, enters the 2016 season with the most experience as a rising junior, Bielema believes that the others vying for the vacant position have enough talent to stay in the running through spring.

According to WholeHogSports.com, Bielema is prepared to watch this “healthy” position battle play out all the way into the summertime, saying that there is no clear-cut standout at the moment.

He’s okay with that.

“I really believe at the quarterback position you need to have one guy, but when that guy comes, be it 10 days out from our opener, it’ll be all right,” Bielema said. “I want the best guy in that position, and I want the second-best guy behind him, and the third-best behind him and see the chips kind of fall out where they will.

“Am I going to be disappointed if there is a clear-cut guy? No, not at all. If there’s a guy that jumps out, stands out and proves it … on more than one or two occasions, he’ll be that guy.”

Allen might be the favorite, but he’ll have to fend off redshirt sophomore Rafe Peavey, redshirt freshman Ty Storey, and former USC transfer Ricky Town, who has four years of eligibility, for right under center in 2016.