FAYETTEVILLE — With senior big play receiver Jared Cornelius out for the season, the Arkansas Razorbacks obviously seek big plays from other sources.
They’ve got junior college transfer Jonathan Nance leading with 9 catches for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns.
They potentially have two others: redshirt freshman Jordan Jones of Smackover and sophomore T.J. Hammonds of Little Rock's Joe T. Robinson going into Saturday’s nonconference game with New Mexico State at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Cornelius had a knack for big plays receiving and big plays running. His 25 carries netted 188 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2016.
In Arkansas’ 50-43 overtime SEC opening loss to Texas A&M, Jones stunned the Aggies running two jet sweeps for 30 and 20 yards.
Hammonds, recruited as a running back and moved to receiver last spring, netted 118 yards on 19 carries rushing last season. This season he has 30 yards on 4 carries, including 8 off a jet sweep against Texas A&M.
Regarding Jones, 6-1, 185, Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said, “He has tremendous speed. He's a very long player. He's actually got very good hands on deep-ball throws as well.”
Nance and Jones provide “two guys you can line up as vertical threats,” Bielema said.
Hammonds can jet sweep, too and would have netted more than 8 yards had it been “as blocked as clean” as the Jones sweeps, Bielema said.
“T.J. had his his best week of practice and was involved in the game plan really, really good,” Bielema said.