FAYETTEVILLE — Who will Arkansas and quarterback KJ Jefferson turn to at receiver following the departure of Treylon Burks?
The Razorbacks, ahead of the 2022 season, have a large void to fill. Selected by the Tennessee Titans with the No. 18 overall pick in the NFL Draft in April, Burks is far from an ordinary talent.
The Warren native may very well be the greatest pass catcher the program has ever seen.
But Arkansas lost more than just its go-to weapon. The Razorbacks entered spring drills this year minus three of their top four receivers in terms of yardage from a 9-4 season in 2021.
Tyson Morris and DeVion Warren were Nos. 2 and 4 in that regard with 337 and 243 yards, respectively. Warren Thompson, a second-year player from Florida State who began his time at Arkansas as a walk-on then earned a scholarship, is the team’s top returning receiver.
After him, there are question marks. There is great optimism, however, in Jadon Haselwood, a prize receiver transfer from Oklahoma. And there are great expectations for the 6-3, 211-pound receiver, who has the gifts to lead the Razorbacks on the perimeter.
In his last year as a Sooner, he finished third on the team in receiving yards (399) and had team highs in receptions (39) and touchdown catches (6).
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“He creates mismatches,” Jefferson said. “I just make sure I get him the ball a little and put it in the air and just let him make a play. I know he’ll come down with it. Just having somebody like that on my team with Burks leaving, he’s picking up the slack he left. The only thing we’ve just got to work on now is timing, and making sure we’re both on the same page and thinking alike.
“He has a mindset that if he don’t catch it then nobody will. Overall, though, I feel like he’s the guy that you can just put the ball in his area and he’ll go make a play.”
Haselwood had a connection to Arkansas through third-year running backs coach Jimmy Smith, who was his high school coach at Cedar Grove in Ellenwood, Ga. Smith led the program to multiple state championships.
While in the transfer portal, he reached out to Smith. The Razorbacks had an in.
“He was kind of like a role model in my life in high school,” Haselwood said. “He kind of grew me up and made me who I am today. I just came to him for advice, and he didn’t even really put that pressure on me to even look toward any other school.”
Haselwood also knew Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman given he was committed to Georgia early in his high school career. He touts himself as a veteran, a proven player and a leader having been a part of Oklahoma teams that succeeded on a national level.
“I kind of know football a little bit,” Haselwood said with a smile. “I came from a totally different offense, but I feel like this one is easier to learn, especially with Coach (Kendal) Briles. And then everybody knew I was coming here pretty much when I came on my visit.
“We talked ball and I kind of wrote stuff down. That’s how I learn. I write stuff down and I just remember it.”
Haselwood is in tune with himself. He considers himself a perfectionist with a short attention span. That, and time spent around 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, is why he jots down essential information.
He played for Newton’s 7-on-7 team in high school and the two formed a relationship. The group was structured, holding pre-practice meetings to tap into a next-level mindset.
“If I write things down that means I’ve got to be paying attention,” Haselwood said. “When you write things down, of course you’re going to get it. You can go back and look at it whenever you need to and whatnot.
“It’s just something I figured out about myself.”
Haselwood, too, was intrigued by the success of Burks and the thought of stepping up and into his role as Arkansas' No. 1 playmaker. Though he said in the spring he was only trying to get in where he fit in in regards to the offense, Haselwood isn’t shy about the kind of threat he is.
One comparison he made was to DeAndre Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowl performer and the NFL’s touchdown catches leader in 2017.
“He showed flashes of being a big-time player,” Briles said of Haselwood this spring. “He does have heavy hands as far as blocking. We feel good about him on the perimeter blocking. We feel good about his pass-catching ability.
“He is a guy we can lean on. He will have a big role.”
Arkansas safety Jalen Catalon, who is full-go for the upcoming season following shoulder surgery last fall, believes Haselwood has brought a different mentality and level of athleticism and physicality to the receivers room.
“Before games, I just overstudy,” Haselwood said. “I’m just looking over my plays. I get anxious. I don’t want to mess anything up. I hate to drop balls, I hate to have (missed assignments).
“I just totally lock in, watch film and make sure everything is on point.”
A version of this story first appeared in the Hawgs Illustrated Football Preview issue