Wide receivers, tight ends should be solid units

FAYETTEVILLE — The wide receiver and tight end rooms at Arkansas will definitely have several new faces in 2025, but overall it appears both will be solid.

In addition, it appears quarterback Taylen Green is building good chemistry with both groups. Green returns at quarterback after being named the MVP of the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

Several wide receivers are off to the NFL Draft or hit the transfer portal. On Thursday, Sam Pittman talked about the wide receivers.

“They’re really talented, you know?,” Pittman said. “Hard working. With (Raylen) Sharpe and (Kam) Shanks, you think that you might be able to run a few more option-type routes. Maybe a few more screens, things like that with those guys. Ismael Cisse, he’s been really impressive. The guy we got from Stanford, along with (O’Mega) Blake. (Courtney) Crutchfield has gotten in better shape. Gotten better in the weight room as that’s come on. I know what you said there, and it’s true, but I think depth wise, we’ve got to see who’s (Andrew) Armstrong or who’s (Isaac) TeSlaa. But depth-wise, I think we’re, I know we are, we’re deeper at wide receiver than we were a year ago.”

Andreas Paaske returns to the tight end room.

“We’re much deeper at tight end,” Pittman said. “Rohan (Jones) is really, super athletic. I mean, he can fly. Jaden Platt, great addition along with Jeremiah Beck. I think there, we’re much deeper than we were. I think we can get into 12 and be comfortable. I think we can get into 13.”

Ja’Quinden Jackson is off to the NFL, but Braylen Russell and others return at running back in addition to an addition from the transfer portal.

“The addition of Mike Washington at running back, big time,” Pittman said. “Braylen Russell is in the best shape of his life. I don’t know if you’ve seen him walking around, but he’s significantly leaner and in good shape. I know we lost a lot of production, but in no way am I concerned about being productive offensively.”

Another reason for Pittman’s optimism on offense is the return of Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator.

“If you even look at bringing Bobby back for his second year and you look at where he was here in 2008 versus 2009, they averaged 14 more points a game, and 50 more yards a game,” Pittman said. “Passing and rushing was up. Turnovers went down 10 in his second year here when he was the head coach, running the offense. I think that part of it, I guess if you can’t tell, I’m really high on the people that we have offensively. And defensively, I am as well, we just got to figure out the totality of the depth on defense.”

Pittman also talked about how Green is building chemistry with the players he will be throwing to in the fall.

“Well, you have to get them out there and you have to be led, and Taylen’s got to lead that,” Pittman said. “They have to have the want-to enough to do it on their own. Two of the three receivers were seniors. Three of the four were seniors. You’re gonna lose them, so you’re gonna have to replace three of the four, no matter if there was a portal in life or not. We knew that going in. It’s no different than when we replaced whomever when we got TeSlaa and Armstrong. So with the reputation of Bobby and with having Taylen coming back, I think it made us go out and get whom we wanted at wide receiver. It made it a lot easier than if we didn’t have a quarterback coming back and we didn’t have Bobby Petrino. I think it made a little bit easier to because we had both those things.”

Arkansas’ first spring practice is Monday.