Tag: Jadon Haselwood

Top six players to watch in Arkansas-Cincinnati on Saturday

Here is a look at the best players to look out for during one of the best College Football opening weekend games.

The best thing about college football is watching the emergence of new players. And with the new transfer portal acting as an amateur-level free agency, we’ll also see new faces in new places.

No. 23 Arkansas and no. 22 Cincinnati offer new players making their first start in college football and transfers hoping to make noise in their new home.

The Hogs are looking to begin the season on a positive with the toughest schedule in college football. For a betting fan, the odds are in their favor, with a 59% chance of winning, along with the historical dominance the SEC has on non-conference opponents in opening games.

But with high expectations come unwarranted pressure, and the question is can the top players for the Hogs handle it?

The Bearcats, on the other hand, are playing with church money. Luke Fickell is bringing a young team into Fayetteville, but Cincy has shown over the last couple of years that they are a good football program.

Razorbacks Wire’s Taylor Jones predicts the 2022 season

Do the Razorbacks capitalize on last season’s eight-win regular season campaign? Razorbacks Wire’s Taylor Jones says yes.

The buzz surrounding Arkansas Football this season is electric, with good reason.

In just two seasons at the helm, head coach [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] has returned the Razorbacks to the days of relevancy that they enjoyed under Houston Nutt and in the early days of Bobby Petrino. Coordinators [autotag]Barry Odom[/autotag] and [autotag]Kendal Briles[/autotag] are also staying for their third season, which will help further the development of Pittman’s system.

Several impact players return as well, including K.J. Jefferson at quarterback. In addition to passing for 2.676 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, he also led the team in rushing with 664 yards. He should receive help in the rushing game with running backs Raheim Sanders and A.J. Green.

Who are his expected targets in the receiving corps? Look for transfers [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag] and [autotag]Matt Landers[/autotag] to fill a huge void left by Treylon Burks, who caught 41% of Jefferson’s passes last season.

Defensively, Jalon Catalon returns following an injury that he suffered during the Ole Miss game last season. The Razorbacks reload at linebacker with Bumper Pool and transfer Drew Sanders, which should make that unit among the nation’s best.

What is the potential of this team? I expect to see the talent translate to nine wins this season. Granted that everyone stays healthy, and contributes the way that they are expected to, Arkansas will take a step forward in 2022.

‘Loves to compete’: Jalil Farooq slated to start for the Oklahoma Sooners

After providing a glimpse of his ability in the Alamo Bowl, Jalil Farooq is set to make the first start of his career against the UTEP Miners.

In the aftermath of the 2021 season, the Oklahoma Sooners lost the top four players in receptions. [autotag]Michael Woods[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremiah Hall[/autotag] left for the NFL, while [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag] and [autotag]Mario Williams[/autotag] found new opportunities via the transfer portal.

But that doesn’t mean the Oklahoma Sooners don’t have talent in their wide receiver room. Oklahoma brings back its leader in receiving yards from the last two seasons, [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag]. Mims was underutilized by the previous coaching staff, especially in the second half of the season.

Returning to the field after missing nearly all of 2021 is the guy that tied with Mims for the team lead in receptions in 2020, [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag]. Wease brings back his dynamic yards after the catch ability that helps turn short receptions into big gains.

But the receiving talent doesn’t stop there.

One of the big takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners Alamo Bowl win over Oregon was the performance of [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag]. Farooq, who had played sparingly during his freshman season, had a memorable performance that provided a glimpse of his future with the Sooners.

Against the Ducks, Farooq had three receptions for 64 yards, including a total of 48 yards after the catch.

He’s carried that over into a fabulous spring and fall camp and has earned an opportunity to start for the Sooners in Week 1 vs. UTEP.

“I think the thing with ‘Lil, man, is he’s continued to mature, one,” Lebby said in his week on media availability. “He’s been the same guy in the building every single day. He’s got this huge future, and I think he’s just now starting to figure it out. And the guy loves to compete. He loves to play football. And, to me, he’s shown what we’re all about as a unit, as a team. He’s worked incredibly hard. He’s been the same guy. He’s been accountable. He’s been dependable. He’s been tough. And so those things have put him in a position to go do some fun things this fall.”

And this is part of the fun that Farooq provides on the field. His speed and ability to break tackles in the open field give Oklahoma another playmaker in the passing game.

A trio of Theo Wease, Marvin Mims and Jalil Farooq are going to put a lot of pressure on opposing secondaries. While Mims and Wease are more established names, it will not be long before defenses will have to account for Farooq as well. And that will open things up even more for the Sooners’ passing attack.

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Arkansas’ motivated wide receivers ready to prove doubters wrong

Warren Thompson thinks Arkansas’ wide receiver group is getting short shrift.

Treylon Burks. Treylon Burks. Treylon Burks.

Arkansas’ current group of wide receivers love their former teammate. But at this point, they may be tired of hearing his name.

Burks, who led the Hogs in catches, yards and touchdowns last year en route to a first-round draft selection, has left a hole in Arkansas’ wideout group. The losses of Tyson Morris and De’Vion Warren hurt, too. The thing is, Arkansas’ wide receivers feel like they bring plenty to table and can keep the Razorbacks’ passing game up to snuff.

“When we heard that wide receivers were the biggest question mark, we took that personally,” Warren Thompson said.

Thompson has been perhaps the most mentioned player during fall camp by coach Sam Pittman. He had 19 catches for 304 yards last year, both the third-highest totals among the receivers. At this point, though, after everything the media has seen, projections are for him to practically double that output.

Jadon Haselwood wasn’t exactly a slouch at Oklahoma last year, either, leading the team in touchdowns. Matt Landers has played at both Georgia and Toledo before landing in Fayetteville during the offseason. Plus, Ketron Jackson Jr. was the top recruit in Arkansas’ whole class a season ago.

Between those top four and perhaps the most depth the unit has had in five or six years, Thompson and Co. have a reason to feel positive.

Our writer, Kendall Hilton, expect big production in Arkansas’ stat predictions

Some college football fun predicting the Razorbacks’ stat leaders.

The college football season is slowly approaching, and it’s time to start having fun.

Everyone loves preseason predictions. The media drives its coverage based on predictions. Fans use predictions during debates with friends at the bar. The fantasy sports industry is built on predictions.

We’ve already made some predictions about the upcoming Razorbacks season. Check out our positional depth chart predictions if you’re not caught up yet.

KJ Jefferson has been the star of the preseason so far for the Hogs, recently being announced as one of 30 quarterbacks named to the Manning Award Watch List. Safety Jalen Catalon is expected to be one of the top defensive backs in the country this season.

The running backs and wide receiver groups are deep, so we’ll see the production spread evenly across the board, but I am predicting a big season from Jaden Haselwood. And the defensive line needs someone to step up to build some momentum on the defensive line.

Our editor, E. Wayne, has already laid out his stat prediction for this season, so without any further delay, here are my season stat predictions.

Arkansas loses wide receiver to transfer portal

Jaquayln Crawford is on the move after one season at Arkansas.

The wide receiver room at Arkansas is now lighter after a member of the unit has announced their intent to enter the transfer portal.

[autotag]Jaquayln Crawford[/autotag], who spent one season at Arkansas after signing with Oklahoma out of high school, is on the move again according to a report from Mason Chaote of HawgBeat.com.

Crawford signed with Oklahoma as a four-star athlete from Rockdale High School in Texas. He was the No. 8 athlete from the 2018 recruiting class, and the No. 17 prospect from the state of Texas.

Crawford transferred to Arkansas prior to the 2021 season from Oklahoma. He played in three games for the Sooners in two seasons, not recording a catch. During his only season at Arkansas, he caught three passes for 27 total yards. His longest reception was for 19 yards against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on October 23.

Arkansas will have a talented wide receiver unit in 2023, led by Oklahoma transfer [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag] and Toledo transfer [autotag]Matt Landers[/autotag], as well as returning Razorbacks in [autotag]Ketron Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Warren Thompson[/autotag].

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Pittman: Wide receivers have gone from “We’ve got a concern” to “Somebody else has a concern”

Arkansas’ wide receiving corps has been the most pleasant surprise of fall camp so far.

When Arkansas football’s fall camp first opened, the biggest question both locally and nationally was how the wide receivers would look without Treylon Burks.

At first, the answer was, well, wait and see. After a couple of weeks, though, Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman is thrilled with how far the group has come.

“Our wideouts right now are playing really well,” Pittman said. “We’ve got big wideouts and we’ve got quarterbacks getting (passes) to them. We’re able to protect and that’s a good thing.”

Warren Thompson caught a touchdown pass and Fayetteville High product Isaiah Sategna has especially been noticeable, Pittman said. A pair of transfers – Jadon Haselwood from Oklahoma and Matt Landers from Toledo – have combined to give the Hogs perhaps as much depth at wideout as the team has had in several years.

“That unit there has went a little bit in the first eight practices from, ‘Man, we’ve got a concern,’ to, ‘Man, somebody else has got a concern about our guys.'”

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Jadon Haselwood showing leadership in WR room

Jadon Haselwood feels like he has found a home in Fayetteville, and the Hogs found a new leader in the wide receiver room. 

[autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag] feels like he has found a home in Fayetteville, and the Hogs found a new leader in the wide receiver room.

“I feel like I’m here where I fit, I am here where I belong,” Haselwood told media. “I feel like I’m way more appreciated here, and I’m more, like, the coaches put me in more positions to contribute.”

Second-year wide receiver coach, [autotag]Kenny Guiton[/autotag], proclaimed the non-vocal Hasselwood as the “vocal leader” of the wide receiver room. Guiton’s first season finished with [autotag]Treylon Burks[/autotag] becoming the third Razorback wide receiver to be drafted in the first round (the first since Matt Jones in 2005).

Haselwood brings NFL attributes with him after transferring from Oklahoma after three seasons.

“It’s just different when you’ve got a guy that long, that tall, that fast and can track the ball,” Guiton said Tuesday. “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 and he’s getting better and better every day to learn and know how we do things.”

Haselwood had his best college season when he led the Sooners in receiving touchdowns and third in receiving yards. It won’t be a surprise if he becomes one of the top wide reciever prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft.

“He’s stepped in, an older guy who’s played some ball at another place, another conference and things,” Guiton said. “He’s stepped in. A really, really smart guy who understands what’s going on around him. He steps up and he talks. He’s able to lead guys on.”

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Average NIL $38k for Arkansas Football’s 2022 recruiting class

Three Hogs from the 2022 recruiting class with six-figure NIL Valuations.

College Football’s NIL landscape shares the qualities of the Wild West or even the SEC West; competitive and unpredictable.

The average NIL valuation of the Arkansas 2022 recruiting class is $38,000, the seventh highest amount in the SEC. Three players in the class have six-figure deals. South Carolina leads the conference with am of $94,000. Coming from Oklahoma as a transfer, Spencer Rattler brings his $2,000,000 NIL valuation.

The Hogs’ blue chip transfers, [autotag]Jaden Haselwood[/autotag], and [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag] combine for $265,000 in NIL valuation. Haselwood spent his first three seasons at Oklahoma. Coming out of High School, he was considered an overall top-ten player in the country.

Sanders brings his SEC experience from Alabama, seeing the field as a freshman and sophomore. He was also an All-American prospect out of high school.

[autotag]Latavius Brini[/autotag] leads all transfers with a $141,000 NIL valuation. Brini played his college ball at Georgia, coming out of Miami as a top defensive back recruit.

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Razorbacks need more from passing game in 2022 and Friday was a good start

Arkansas’ running game is a given. The passing game will be of interest at Razorbacks’ fall practices.

KJ Jefferson was not named a preseason All-SEC selection for the 2022 season. Much to the annoyance, obviously, of many Arkansas football fans and followers.

Part of the reason, perhaps, was Jefferson’s modest passing numbers in 2022. He had just better than a 5-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. But his 21 touchdown passes were seventh in the SEC and his 2,676 yards passing were ninth. Those numbers came with Treylon Burks at his disposal, too.

So when Jefferson – and reserve Malik Hornsby – looked sharp for a bulk of Arkansas’ first practice Friday, positive signs for the future were apparent.

“To start off, I thought we threw and caught the ball really well for the first day,” Pittman said. “Not a lot of errors. Not a lot of balls on the ground. Snaps from center to quarterback seemed to be good.”

If the praise sounds faint, remember it was only the first practice of the season.

Hornsby, who will also see time at wide receiver, had an especially nice pass to Jaedon Wilson for a score midway through camp. Wilson is seeking to establish himself as one of the top six in the Razorbacks hierarchy at wide receiver.

“I told him, ‘Nobody knows who you are, bro,'” Pittman said. “If you want them to know who you are, you have to do what he did in practice today.”

Arkansas’ first unit of wideouts were as expected: Jadon Haselwood, Ketron Jackson Jr. and Warren Thompson.