Tag: Var’Keyes Gumms

When Var’Keyes Gumms transferred to Arkansas ahead of the 2023 season, the Razorbacks appeared to have someone on the roster who could allow for the development of the team’s future.

Instead, Luke Hasz exploded onto the scene at tight end for Arkansas and Gumms, a Freshman All-American in 2022, was largley sidelined. Even after Hasz went down about a third of the way through the season, Gumms never really cracked the rotation. The North Texas transfer finished with just three catches for 26 yards in his 11 games.

The year before, Gumms caught 34 balls for 458 yards and five touchdowns en route to becoming one of the top targets the subsequent offseason in the transfer portal. So far this spring, he looks closer to the latter player than the former, even if he has no realistic chance of overtaking Hasz for the starting role.

“I think he’s the guy that we were hoping that we were getting a year ago,” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said. “He’s one of our better protectors when we use our tight end in protection. But what we saw off of tape at North Texas, we’re seeing now here.”

Arkansas has not been shy about going to a two-tight end set in the Pittman era and with the lack of explosion the Hogs have at wideout combined with the difficulties the players up front had in protection, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Hasz and Keyes in such sets more often in 2024.

“Right now, he’s playing at a high rate of speed, and I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence,” Pittman said. “He’s worked extremely hard since the last of the season.”

When Var’keyes Gumms committed to Arkansas out of the transfer portal, he instantly went to the top of the Razorbacks’ offseason depth chart at tight end. He just didn’t stay there.

The development of Luke Hasz, a freshman from Oklahoma, was quick and provided the four-star tight end immediate starting duties. But after Hasz was lost – likely for the season – last week against Texas A&M, Arkansas coach Sam Pittman is starting from scratch at the position and Gumms is hopeful to stake his true claim at the top.

“We’re going to open completely up our tight end situation and see who can play in there,” Pittman said. “Obviously we’ve been a little bit of musical chairs there, as well, with the exception of Luke (Hasz).”

Gumms is the only other tight end on the roster who has caught a pass this season, though it was just one and went for only two yards. But Ty Washington caught a touchdown last year against Kansas and Nathan Bax has been in the top three of the depth chart for the last three years.

If Pittman decides a pass-catching tight end is preferable over a blocking one, the hierarchy is likely Gumms, Washington, Bax. If a blocking one is preferred, the reverse order will likely hold.

Pittman recruited Gumms specfically out of the transfer portal and said Monday that the North Texas transfer, a Freshman All-American last year, likely only had a dearth of playing time because of Hasz’s development.

“His ability to make plays. He has it. He just has to make them,” Pittman said. “A lot of his non-playing was because of Luke. They were very similar in blocking, route-running, as far as where his assets were. I think you’ll see a good player in him.”