Warren Thompson – Syndication Server

Recruiting guru Guiton revamps Hogs’ receiving corps

Arkansas receivers coach Kenny Guiton is proving to be an outstanding recruiter, bringing in talented new faces to fill some voids.

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.”

Arkansas wide receiver Warren Thompson no longer with team

With two games left in the Arkansas season, senior receiver Warren Thompson has left the team.

Arkansas senior wide receiver Warren Thompson is no longer apart of the team, according to sources close to the program and an updated team roster.

Before transferring to Arkansas in 2021, Thompson spent two seasons at Florida State. In 2020, he appeared in six games for the Seminoles, including one start, and caught five passes for 104 yards and one touchdown.

Thompson arrived at Arkansas as a walk-on, but was given a scholarship by Sam Pittman before his first season as a Hog.

In 2021, he appeared in all 13 games, including three starts, where he caught 19 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns. He caught at least one catch in 10 games, and had six consecutive games with at least one catch.

This season, Thompson has appeared in nine games where he’s caught 12 passes for 178 yards and just two touchdowns. A far cry from his season totals a year ago.

Earlier this season, he was suspended by Sam Pittman for the first half of Arkansas’ game at BYU for an undisclosed reason.

[listicle id=14942]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=none image=https://razorbackswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

First Half Recap: A tale of two quarters leaves Arkansas with slim lead over Texas A&M

Arkansas has outgained Texas A&M in the yards department, 281-152, but only leads 14-13 at the end of the 1st half.

Despite dominating the stat sheet in the first half, No. 10 Arkansas holds on to a one-point advantage over No. 20 Texas A&M, 14-13 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Arkansas holds a 280-152 advantage in the yards department, and even held Texas A&M quarterback Max Johnson to 51 yards passing in the half, but the first half was all about momentum.

Arkansas opened the game by scoring two quick touchdowns, but the Aggies went on to take momentum away halfway through the second quarter thanks to a long scoring drive, and a returned fumble for a touchdown.

The Razorbacks got off to a strong start. Arkansas forced Texas A&M to punt after their first three plays and used that opportunity to strike first. [autotag]K.J. Jefferson[/autotag] broke open a 26-yard run on 3rd down and 1 from Arkansas’ 42-yard line, which set up a 32-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Ketron Jackson[/autotag] to cap a five-play, 69-yard drive with 9:44 remaining in the opening quarter to move ahead, 7-0.

The next possession worked out just as easily for the Razorbacks. After stopping the Aggies again on just three plays, Arkansas’ offense quickly moved down the field to set up another long touchdown pass with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter. This time, Jefferson was able to spot [autotag]Warren Thompson[/autotag] for a 56 yard pass to extend the lead to 14-0. The score was Jefferson’s eighth touchdown pass of the season, and Thompson’s 2nd touchdown catch of the year.

Jefferson ended the quarter as the team’s leading passer and rusher. He completed 4-of-7 passes for 99 yards and two scores while rushing for an additional 41 yards as the Razorbacks took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter. The Razorbacks accumulated 184 total yards in the quarter.

The Aggies slowed down the Razorbacks to open the second quarter. They forced Arkansas to punt on their next two possessions, and took their second possession of the quarter for a 93-yard drive, and their first score of the game. Texas A&M’s Max Johnson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Evan Stewart with 8:45 to go in the first half to trim Arkansas’ lead to 14-7.

Texas A&M’s next score came in a bizarre way. Arkansas drove the football to the Texas A&M three-yard-line. On first and goal, Jefferson attempted to dive over the line for a score. However, he made contact with the front and fumbled the football. The Aggies recovered, and returned the turnover for a 97-yard touchdown. The attempted extra point was botched, which allowed Arkansas to keep the lead, 14-13 inside four minutes remaining in the first half.

Jefferson ended the first half with 126 passing yards on eight completions. Thompson was Jefferson’s leading receiver with 52 yards on two catches. In his first game back from injury, [autotag]Dominique Johnson[/autotag] recorded four carries for 28 yards. Defensively, [autotag]Bumper Pool[/autotag] and [autotag]Myles Slusher[/autotag] lead the team with four tackles. [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Williams[/autotag] combined to record a sack in the first half.

[mm-video type=video id=01gdg6r8brvgkrae1htc playlist_id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gdg6r8brvgkrae1htc/01gdg6r8brvgkrae1htc-055bdf096bbd474ce9766efa747614b4.jpg]

[listicle id=12843]

WATCH: KJ Jefferson gets Dak Prescott comparisons after touchdown pass

Warren Thompson could not have been more open when KJ Jefferson found him for Arkansas.

One series after he gave Arkansas some breathing room, KJ Jefferson allowed a bigger exhale for Razorbacks’ faithful.

The Hogs quarterback found Warren Thompson wide open in the back of the end zone from 23 yards and Arkansas, which three minutes earlier led by only five, went ahead 35-16 on South Carolina in both teams’ SEC opener.

The touchdown pass was Jefferson’s first of the day, but second overall. On the previous drive, he went in on the ground from two yards. Thompson’s touchdown grab was his first of the year.

Arkansas found the end zone on its first three possessions to open a 21-3 lead before South Carolina scored on back-to-back drives to make a game of it in the third quarter.

The Razorbacks responded with two straight touchdowns and led by 19 points with just over 12 minutes left to play.

KJ Jefferson to Warren Thompson for the 23 yard TD! #Arkansas pic.twitter.com/t9nvJxLerG

— 𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 @𝗙𝗧𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱𝟳 (@FTBeard7) September 10, 2022

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.

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].

[mm-video type=video id=01g90dyn7r0mx7yf4d37 playlist_id=01fc3h383th881vsf1 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g90dyn7r0mx7yf4d37/01g90dyn7r0mx7yf4d37-47385d41b29570a128586f3516b55ca7.jpg]

[listicle id=10858]

Could Warren Thompson be Arkansas’ breakout player on offense?

Arkansas wide receiver Warren Thompson is often overlooked when it comes to the Hogs wideout hierarchy. He shouldn’t be.

Not often are redshirt seniors considered one of the most likely players to have a breakout season on their team.

But Warren Thompson hasn’t exactly had the most normal careers.

The Florida native started his career with Florida State where had 11 total catches in his first two seasons. He transferred to Arkansas but joined the team as a walk-on initially. His 19 grabs last year – which make him the leading returner on the team at wide receiver – have led him to being a fixture on the Razorbacks top crew this fall.

“He’s always been very talented, but he’s catching a contested ball and catching some where you go, ‘Man, how’d he catch that one?'” Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said.

At 6-foot-3, Thompson can be a possession receiver and possibly more in 2022. His 19 catches last year went for 304 yards. Two of them were touchdowns.

His comfort level a year later has improved. Pittman said Thompson took some time adjusting to life outside of his home state upon arrival.

“I think he’s in a really good space,” Pittman said. “I think he’s comfortable. I think he went through a year last year where he didn’t know if he wanted to be here, go home, who’s my friends?”

That isn’t the case anymore and Jefferson, Pittman and the whole Arkansas offense are reaping the benefits.

“He had a lot of things going on, I think, last year. You’d have to talk to him. But I think he’s in a good space,” Pittman said.

Pittman: Hogs will replace Treylon Burks “by committee”

Ketron Jackson Jr., Warren Thompson and Jaden Haselwood have Arkansas set to replace Treylon Burks at wide receiver.

Treylon Burks might have re-written the Arkansas football record books had he stayed for another season in Fayetteville. Instead, he’s off to ply his trade in the NFL.

Replacing his production on offense – 66 receptions for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns – is paramount for the Razorbacks. But replacing him with just one player is a proposition few teams could accomplish.

So Arkansas coach Sam Pittman said, during his speaking time at SEC Media Days on Wednesday, the Hogs will do it in bulk.

“Ketron Jackson, I think, is going to have his best year,” Pittman said. “Warren Thompson and Bryce Stephens are ready to go. Those guys will help in addition to Jadon Haselwood and Matt Landers.”

Jackson and Thompson were the only regulars in the rotation last year among the group Pittman mentioned. Jackson had just five catches for 97 yards but his athleticism showed on a regular basis and he could be future No. 1. Thompson had 19 grabs for 304 yards and two touchdowns, making him Arkansas’ leading returner out wide.

Haselwood is largely expected to be the leading receiver. The Oklahoma transfer had 39 grabs for 399 yards and led the Sooners with six scores last year.

[listicle id=10222]

WATCH: Arkansas scores on Alabama for second straight straight drive

Arkansas pulls back within three points of Alabama after another magnificent drive led by KJ Jefferson.

KJ Jefferson took Arkansas 75 yards on seven plays in 1:44, capping the drive with a 1-yard touchdown from Dominique Johnson to pull Arkansas within a field goal late in the second quarter against Alabama, 17-14.

The Hogs appeared to have scored a play earlier when Jefferson found Warren Thompson over the middle for 41 yards, but after review it was determined he was down at the 1.

KJ AINT SCARED. Jefferson with a DIME to Warren Thompson 🎯@RazorbackFB cashes it in for SIX on the next play 🔥

pic.twitter.com/UwUP5DbFXL

— 247Sports (@247Sports) November 20, 2021

Looks like a poor call to us, but so be it.

The touchdown was Johnson’s seventh of the season, leading the team on the ground. For the game, he has eight carries for 22 yards. Former starter Trelon Smith, the man Johnson replaced three weeks ago, was the key on the drive, running three times for 28 yards.

The drive was in response to Alabama’s 2-play, 75-yard drive the series before when Bryce Young hooked up with Jameson Williams for a 79-yard score over the top of the Razorbacks’ secondary.

Florida State WR accuses program of lying about COVID-19 protocols

There’s tension in Tallahassee.

Florida State wide receiver Warren Thompson called out the team’s coaches and alleged that the staff, under first-year head coach Mike Norvell, lied to student-athletes about their health and the health of their teammates.

Thompson wrote an Instagram post detailing what he says is a dysfunctional situation at Florida State, where wide receiver DJ Matthews recently tweeted, then deleted, that he had tested positive for COVID-19, according to 247Sports.

Here’s what Thompson wrote on Thursday:

“Being a student-athlete is difficult during this time and the proper leadership (at Florida State) regarding these problems doesn’t exist. During this entire week of camp, I have been lied to multiple times about the conditions of other players’ health as well as mine. It has been shown to myself and the rest, that our leadership is based off an “I” mentality with them only worried about their own future rather than their own athletes. I have been ridiculed about speaking up regarding this issue and it needs to be addressed for myself to safely continue the season.”

Thompson expressed his willingness and excitement to play in the 2020 college football season — the ACC has yet to postpone its season like other conferences — but he questioned whether he was safe to do so.