FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It would be a tall task for any Razorback receiver to fill the hole that former Hog Treylon Burks left.
A first round pick by the Tennessee Titans, Burks was the heart of the Arkansas offense last season. The Warren native had 66 catches for 1104 yards and 11 touchdowns in his First Team All-SEC campaign last year.
"I don't know how you replace (Burks) one for one," head coach Sam Pittman said at SEC Media Days in July. "I don't think you can there. We're going to have to do it by committee."
The Hogs brought in two receivers from the transfer portal to try and bring immediate help — Jadon Haselwood from Oklahoma and Matt Landers from Toledo. Landers is a speedy guy that continues to receive praise in fall camp, but Haselwood is a former five-star prospect that is looking to finally reach his potential in Fayetteville.
"I think he will see a lot of success throughout the season, and I'm looking forward to it," Arkansas receivers coach Kenny Guiton said. "Just a really, really smart guy who understands ball, knows what you're trying to get done, and every day he's getting better and better."
At Oklahoma last season, Haselwood hauled in a team-high 39 catches for 399 yards and six touchdowns (also a team high).
As a sophomore, he saw action in just three games after recovering from a torn ACL suffered in the spring of 2020. He was able to get on the field as a true freshman in 2019, catching 19 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown.
Haselwood went to Oklahoma as the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2019 class. He said himself that he is not satisfied with his stats from Oklahoma.
"Those numbers weren't good to me, first off," Haselwood said. "I feel like I'm here where I fit, I am here where I belong. I feel like I'm way more appreciated here, and I'm more, like, the coaches put me in more positions to contribute. And that's no shade on anybody. I just feel like overall, this year is gonna be great."
The Razorback receivers have been one of the better groups through fall camp despite entering camp as a position group of question. Haselwood will likely not be the go-to guy as much as Burks was, but him playing well will be critical to the success of the Razorback offense.
Guiton said that Haselwood is not only doing good on the field, but he is easily the biggest leader in the receiver room.
"He’s stepped in, an older guy who’s played some ball at another place, another conference and things," Guiton said. "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."
With the addition of Haselwood and Landers, as well as the returning starters, Arkansas can take a step forward offensively this season. Quarterback KJ Jefferson has more options to throw to, with Haselwood being at the top.
Haselwood might not fully replicate Burks' production, but he is helping to carry on the trend of great Razorback receivers.
"I know people keep bringing up Burks and whatnot," Haselwood said. "I mean, he was a great player, but it don't stop there. It's gonna continue to get better every year, even when I'm not here, because we got good players who's younger, we got good players coming in."
HawgBeat's 10 Most Important Players for Arkansas in 2022-23:
No. 10 - Drew Sanders
No. 9 - Isaiah Nichols
No. 8 - Cam Little
No. 7 - Ricky Stromberg
No. 6 - Dominique Johnson/Rocket Sanders
No. 5 - Left Tackle
No. 4 - Bumper Pool
No. 3 - Jadon Haselwood
