Wide receivers poised for big leap – Selambe

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There are 10 weekends remaining until the return of Arkansas football.

The Razorbacks open the 2024 season in Little Rock against UAPB. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) on Thursday, Aug. 29.

Arkansas is coming off a disappointing 4-8 campaign that saw offensive coordinator Dan Enos get fired midseason and the eventual transfers of KJ Jefferson and Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders, two faces of the program.

In response, the Hogs hired Bobby Petrino and hit the transfer portal, bringing in plenty of newcomers for what feels like an all-important season for head coach Sam Pittman.

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Over the next month, the Southwest Times Record will run positional previews twice a week, asking two questions and providing one bold prediction. We tackled the quarterback and running back positions earlier this week.

Here’s a look at the wide receivers entering 2024.

Are there clear starters at wide receiver for Arkansas football?

There are two obvious leaders in the room. Andrew Armstrong had a team-high 764 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season and returns with a chance to boost his NFL Draft stock in 2024.

The opposite outside receiver — Tyrone Broden — had the most impressive spring of any player on the roster. He was Taylen Green’s favorite target throughout the preseason camp and appears destined to dwarf last year’s numbers of 15 catches for 109 yards.

The starting spot at slot receiver is wide open. Jaedon Wilson opened the spring with the first team but battled injuries. Isaiah Sategna took over and looked sharp, while Isaac TeSlaa and freshman CJ Brown also had their moments. The wild cards are Jordan Anthony and Davion Dozier, who are two freak athletes looking to carve out a role this fall.

Can Bobby Petrino maximize Isaiah Sategna?

Sategna was a four-star recruit, and according to 247sports, one of the best 150 players in the country coming out of Fayetteville High School in 2022. He’s has moments of brilliance, including an 88-yard punt return for a touchdown against BYU, but he hasn’t yet developed into a reliable receiver in the SEC.

That evolution feels like an all-important task in Petrino’s first season with the Hogs. Sategna has the speed and elusiveness to turn any catch into a home run. Arkansas needs to do a better job getting him the ball in space and making Sategna a focal point of the offense.

The Natural State native caught 15 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns in 2023. Those numbers need to double — or even triple — in 2024.

One bold prediction: CJ Brown makes a start as a true freshman

Coaches and teammates fell in love with Brown during spring camp. The three-star prospect out of Bentonville High School turned heads with his route-running and playmaking, but Pittman consistently applauded his maturity after just stepping on campus.

Perhaps it’s an injury, or maybe Brown just works his way to the top of the depth chart, but the true freshman will make at least one start in 2024 and set himself up for a sterling career in Fayetteville. Brown led all receivers in the spring game with 109 yards, turning a short pass into a 75-yard touchdown with the second team.

What the coaches said this spring

“There’s a bunch of them, but Andrew Armstrong and Broden have been the guys that have, I don’t know. You guys have been at practice. Seems like they’ve taken their game to a new level here. Broden just needed confidence. Now, he was hurt and things of that nature, and he kind of got behind a little bit on learning and things of that nature because of his injury. As you’ve seen, he’s very talented and at this point in time, I feel really good about our receiving core guy.”

— Sam Pittman on his wide receivers improvement over the offseason.

Projected depth chart

Andrew Armstrong, redshirt senior; Tyrone Broden, redshirt senior; Isaiah Sategna, redshirt sophomore.
Isaac TeSlaa, senior; CJ Brown, freshman; Jaedon Wilson, redshirt, junior.
Davion Dozier, redshirt freshman; Dazmin James, redshirt freshman; Jordan Anthony, redshirt sophomore.