FAYETTEVILLE — A weird thing happened with the Arkansas Razorbacks’ wideout unit between 2021 and 2022.
Position coach Kenny Guiton lost 78% of his group’s catches, 80% of its receiving yards and virtually all of its vocal leadership with the departures of Treylon Burks, Tyson Morris and De’Vion Warren.
And yet the options in the pass game seem extensive and varied for quarterback KJ Jefferson heading into the fall.
The acquisition of new talent to add to holdovers Warren Thompson, Ketron Jackson Jr., Jaedon Wilson, Jaquayln Crawford, Bryce Stephens and Landon Rogers is a prime example of how Coach Sam Pittman’s staff has ramped up recruiting efforts the last three years.
Guiton added great speed and length to the room with the pickup of a pair of transfers in 6-3 Jadon Haselwood from Oklahoma and 6-5 Matt Landers from Toledo (and Georgia prior to that), plus freshmen in 5-11 Isaiah Sategna, 6-2 Quincey McAdoo and 6-3 Sam Mbake.
Haselwood, who has already turned in spectacular catches through the first four days of camp, is taking on more of a leadership role with the vacuum of veteran leadership, and it’s not something he’s very familiar with.
“To be honest, I’m not,” Haselwood said when asked if he’s vocal by nature. “That’s just something for me stepping out of my comfort zone. I know what we need, and I know sometimes I have to be the one to do it, even though I don’t want to.
“But that’s just a role I have to play as a teammate, and that’s just me getting better and making the team better.”
Guiton said he’s seeing that facet of Haselwood’s game in addition to natural pass-catching skills for the former five-star prospect from suburban Atlanta.
“No. 1, by far, would be Jadon Haselwood,” Guiton said. “I mean, he’s stepped in, an older guy who’s played some ball at another place, another conference. He’s stepped in. A really, really smart guy who understands what’s going on around him. He steps up and he talks.”
Coach Sam Pittman said last week that Haselwood had told them he felt he hadn’t really tapped into his potential, despite leading Oklahoma with 39 receptions and 6 receiving touchdowns last year. Haselwood confirmed that on Tuesday.
“I was saying those numbers weren’t good to me, first off,” he said. “I feel like I’m here where I fit, I am here where I belong. I feel like I’m way more appreciated here, and I’m more, like, the coaches put me in more positions to contribute.”
Haselwood’s one-hand catch against tight coverage from Jalen Catalon has been the catch of camp thus far.
“That’s what I told him he has to be,” Guiton said. “He’s that guy. That guy that when we give you a chance you go and make the play. It’s not ‘almost,’ it’s not 50-50, it’s my ball in the air. That’s what you’ve got to be.”
Speaking at SEC Media Days, junior quarterback KJ Jefferson touted Jackson as the wideout who has made the most strides this summer. Jackson, coming off knee surgery and not looking fully comfortable last year, caught 5 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. He is the second-leading returner at wideout behind Thompson, who had 19 receptions for 304 yards and 2 scores.
“I feel like I’d be better by being more comfortable out on the field,” Jackson said. “Last year, I didn’t feel comfortable at all coming off an injury, not really being comfortable in my body. And, like, with the playbook this year, everything’s slowing down for me, so just knowing the game, learning the game, I’ll be better.”
Guiton said Jackson symbolizes the wideouts in that he’s competing hard.
“That’s what Ketron has done since he stepped on campus last spring,” Guiton said. “The jump that he’s made from then to now, man it’s awesome to see. He’s such a good dude that he’s going to say ‘yes sir’ to anything you say and try to go get it done, try to go execute it.
“Those are the best players, the ones that can hear it, see it, and actually translate it to the field. He’s that type of guy, he’s doing that. He’s reaping benefits from it right now.”
Haselwood and Jackson laughed among themselves when asked who the three fastest receivers were.
“We don’t really know,” Haselwood said, before adding, “I like Matt though.”
Added Jackson, “I would say Matt, probably Bryce and Isaiah.”
Haselwood chimed back in, “Matt looks like he’s not even trying.”
Landers had a big year with 20 catches for 514 yards and 5 touchdowns and an average of 25.7 yards per catch. His speed is somewhat unique for a receiver of his 6-5 stature.
“It’s just different when you’ve got a guy that long, that tall, that fast and can track the ball,” Guiton said. “He’s added to our room something different. I actually think it’s picked up other guys, as well, to say ‘look at that.’ He’s jumped into it, he’s eager to learn every day.”
Cornerbacks Malik Chavis and Hudson Clark touted Landers as one of the toughest covers thus far.
“He’s a very long, very good guy,” Chavis said. “He can run and he can catch, so the deep ball, the 50-50 ball, yeah, I like Matt.”
Clark added Landers is good at gaining separation.
“He’s got pretty big strides,” he said. “He’s definitely a new type of receiver we’ve seen this fall camp. So he’s been good for us.”
Haselwood, Jackson, Landers and Thompson, who have probably logged the most reps with the first offense in camp, might comprise the tallest group of starting wideouts in Arkansas history.
An X-factor at the spot is quarterback Malik Hornsby, whose reps at wideout in the spring were eye opening. Hornsby isn’t meeting with the receivers, but he’s working on a package of plays to get on the field if he doesn’t beat Jefferson out at quarterback.
“I mean, he’s different out there,” Guiton said. “He’s a guy that we want to throw him out there, be smart about it all and let him get a chance to go affect the game, because he has that ability in whatever he’s doing.”
Hornsby delivered a perfect deep ball in the camp opener to Wilson for a touchdown, displaying his improvement at quarterback.
Sategna’s speed as a wideout who can take the top off defenses and potentially work in the return game is another intriguing factor for the Razorback coaching staff.
Wide Receivers At a Glance
RETURNING STARTERS None
LOSSES Treylon Burks (12 starts in 2021), Tyson Morris (13), De’Vion Warren (11), Kendall Catalon, Darrin Turner, J.D. White
WHO'S BACK Warren Thompson (3), Ketron Jackson Jr., Bryce Stephens, Jaedon Wilson, Landon Rogers, Jaquayln Crawford
WHO'S NEW Jadon Haselwood, Quincey McAdoo, Sam Mbake, Isaiah Sategna, Matt Landers, Malik Hornsby (QB)
WALK ONS Harper Cole, Chris Harris, Kalil Girault, Kamron Bibby
ANALYSIS The competition to make the travel roster is going to be fierce. What the Razorbacks might lack in returning experience they could make up for in length and speed. The potential starters Thompson, Haselwood, Jackson and Landers are all 6-2 or taller, and the trio of Landers, Stephens and Sategna have speed to burn. If Jefferson can find a comfort level with a top target and guys he trusts on deep routes, the Razorbacks could be every bit as productive through the air as last season. The potential for Hornsby to impact games is real.