Who is Arkansas’ No. 1 receiver entering fall camp?
Clay Henry: It's a great question because there doesn't seem to be one that has taken hold of that position. It might be La'Michael Pettway. He is the biggest and fastest of the receivers. He may be ready to emerge as the go-to guy.
Matt Jones: There are different expectations from the different positions within the group. I don't think there is any doubt Jared Cornelius is the leader of the group, both vocally and in past production, and there is going to be a lot expected of him in the slot. I think La'Michael Pettway and Jonathan Nance have the most big play potential.
Dudley Dawson: In terms of passes caught, I'm not so sure that it won't be tight end Cheyenne O'Grady. But as for the receiver with the most catches, I'll take Jonathan Nance to do so again after leading the team with 37 catches last season. I do not discount incoming graduate transfer Chase Harrell, who is a big target with speed.
Scottie Bordelon: I think as of right now it’s Jonathan Nance then La’Michael Pettway in terms of production. Jared Cornelius is the obvious leader in that group, but the other two are the top receivers on the roster. I think Pettway is in for a strong season. He’s got to be the guy who can go get balls in the boundary. Nance is the team’s leading returning receiver and is one of the country’s best at hauling in the deep ball, according to Pro Football Focus’ numbers. This offense will take shots, and Nance will be the target for quite a few of them.
Jared Cornelius has not played in every game in a season during his Arkansas career. Does he finally play a full schedule? And what can be expected of him if healthy?
Clay Henry: Jared Cornelius has to get healthy and play before I'll be a believer that he can be a major contributor. The injuries that he's had are major. Often, athletes don't recover and play at top level again after a ruptured Achilles' tendon. So I am just not sure what can be expected of Jared. He's a wonderful player when healthy, a difference maker. He made the play to blow open the LSU victory in Baton Rouge three years ago. If that Jared Cornelius returns full speed and can run the jet sweep in this offense, look out. But I just am not so sure we'll ever see that again.
Matt Jones: His injuries haven't been limited to one area, so it isn't like he has something that has been recurring. Last year he tore his Achilles and in 2015 he broke his arm. Those are freak things. I expect him to average at least a few catches per game. The slot receiver is a heavily used position in the Chad Morris offense.
Dudley Dawson: He sure seems happy and healthy when I've seen him on campus this summer. I'll take no on him playing every game because of that injury history, but I do think he will have a very good year.
Scottie Bordelon: It’s hard for me to imagine him playing a full 12-13 games. He’s just been so injury prone. He can’t seem to catch a break really, going back to his broken arm, then his back issues then a non-contact injury against A&M in Arlington. For his sake I hope he remains healthy, but his track record doesn’t give me a whole lot of confidence he will.
Arkansas’ leading receiver will have Over/Under 7 touchdown catches. And who will it be?
Clay Henry: I'd say La'Michael Pettway. Or, it might be a tight end. That wasn't part of the question and this is about wide receivers, but I think tight ends are going to be a big part of the red zone package for this offense.
Matt Jones: I think that is an achievable number for a player like Jared Cornelius, who in the past has had a nose for the end zone and probably will get a lot of targets from the slot.
Dudley Dawson: I think Cheyenne O'Grady will have around 10, but again in terms of receivers, I'll actually take Jordan Jones getting in the end zone the most because of his speed and versatility.
Scottie Bordelon: Over, and La’Michael Pettway.
A guy who gets forgotten at times at receiver is Deon Stewart. He finished last season second on the team with 33 catches for 404 yards. Can he duplicate a season like 2017, and if so, what would that mean for the offense?
Clay Henry: Deon Stewart is a threat and will be great in space. His skills seem perfect for this offense. He wasn't great in the spring, but maybe he'll emerge after a summer of workouts that lead to improved timing. He's quick and light and could make plays. He just needs to stay healthy.
Matt Jones: Stewart stepped up when Jared Cornelius was injured. Will he be targeted as much this season? I'm not sure.
Dudley Dawson: Especially with more plays and passes being thrown under this new staff, I think he can duplicate that. It would be big for the offense. He may be small, but he is a playmaker who seemingly runs great routes.
Scottie Bordelon: I go back and forth on Deon Stewart. He had a decent 2017 season, but got a lot of his targets after Jared Cornelius went down. He’s speedy, no doubt, and if there’s anything this staff likes it’s speed. I imagine we’ll see Deon on the field a lot on offense and on special teams. I don’t think he matches last season’s numbers this fall, though.
What are your expectations for La’Michael Pettway and Mike Woods? Pettway was the star of Arkansas’ spring game, and Woods turned heads prior to his setback last weekend.
Clay Henry: These are two receivers headed in different directions. Pettway seemed to always be in Bret Bielema's doghouse. He seemed to develop into the player everyone imagined about the mid point of last spring and was super in the spring game. He is a guy others look to in that wide receiver room. Michael Woods opened spring like he was an NFL prospect as a true freshman. His hands were the rage of camp. But he hit the wall late in spring practice. Then, got the arrest over the summer. Can he find his way back to those early days of spring practice, or does he continue to spiral the wrong way? Both of these players are good-looking prospects. I expect that Pettway is the one who has the better year.
Matt Jones: I think Pettway could be Arkansas' next high draft pick from the receiver position. He has the size and speed that you look for in a feature receiver, and he has shown the capability to make some great catches. The next step is to take those big practices to the game. Woods is a freshman, so I wonder how well he'll adjust to the defenses in his first year.
Dudley Dawson: I think this is the year when Pettway (6 catches, 92 yards last season) finally puts it together. I know the staff loves Mike Woods, who I'm sure will bounce back from his legal issue and have a big year at whatever point he gets on the field.
Scottie Bordelon: I’m predicting Pettway will lead the receivers group in touchdown grabs. He’s so physically impressive and things seemed to really click for him as spring ball wound down, as evidenced by his strong spring game performance. He might be a breakout year candidate across the entire league.
As for Mike Woods, I think he bounces back and has a decent freshman year. When spring began, Woods’ name seemingly always came up when we talked with quarterbacks or receivers. He made a lot of plays, and I think he’ll make some big ones this season. He’s got to be sure to hang on to the balls thrown to him. I remember 2-3 drops in the spring game that would have gone for chunk plays or scores.