With the departure of Arkansas’ four top receiving targets from a year ago, the Razorbacks went into the offseason with a definite need to fill the void.
To the rescue was receivers coach and emerging recruiting guru Kenny Guiton, who proceeded to land three coveted replacements.
Gone are wideouts Matt Landers (47 catches, 901 yards and 8 TDs), Jadon Haselwood (59, 702, 3), and Ketron Jackson Jr. (16, 277, 3) and tight end Trey Knox (26, 296, 5). Landers and Haselwood opted to turn pro, while Jackson and Knox chose to transfer. The primary back-up Warren Thompson (12, 178, 2) also decided to leave the program.
Guiton proceeded to out-recruit a number of Power 5 programs to bring in a trio of highly touted transfers: Andrew Armstrong (62, 1,020, 13) from Texas A&M-Commerce, Isaac TeSlaa (68, 1,325, 13) from Hillside College and Tyrone Broden (32, 506, 7) from Bowling Green. The three should be an immediate welcome addition for senior quarterback KJ Jefferson and new offensive coordinator Dan Enos’s pro-style offense.
Guiton, a former quarterback at Ohio State, worked his magic last season, bringing in a pair of transfers that quickly blossomed – Landers and Haselwood.
Along with another Guiton recruit, freshman Isaiah Sategna, the reworked receiving corps looks to pose a definite threat to opposing secondaries. The speedy Sategna had two impressive TD catches in last spring’s Red-White Game.
Despite having a group that lacks playing experience in the SEC, Guiton is confident that he has the right mix of talent to support a stellar Razorback passing game this season.
“The further and further you go, the more ease you start to get,” he said after the fifth practice of the fall. “I don’t know if I will ever be fully eased until we win some games. But right now, I’m feeling good. I love the competitive nature in our room. You can tell everything is up for grabs.”
With 20 practices remaining before the season opener against Western Carolina in Little Rock, Guiton will just let everything sort itself out.
“We have plenty of guys competing their butts off, in order to be one of those three starters, but they also know when your time comes to shine, you better be ready for it.”