Arkansas Football 2023 Spring Preview: Wide Receiver
With Arkansas' spring football practice starting on March 9, we continue our series of previewing positions for the 2023 Razorbacks.
The Hogs currently sit with 76 scholarship players going into spring ball, which leaves nine open spots to fill when the transfer portal opens back up in May.
Head coach Sam Pittman's squad lost a lot as far as numbers go, but few played a significant amount during their time in Fayetteville. Arkansas added the nation's No. 20 2023 freshman class on Rivals with 20 incoming freshman, and it also added 10 talented transfers from the transfer portal.
We continue our spring preview with a position group that the Hogs hit hard in the transfer portal — wide receiver...
Returning: Bryce Stephens (redshirt sophomore), Jaedon Wilson (redshirt sophomore), Landon Rogers (redshirt sophomore), Sam Mbake (sophomore), Isaiah Sategna (redshirt freshman)
Newcomers: Tyrone Broden (redshirt senior), Andrew Armstrong (redshirt senior), Isaac TeSlaa (two years of eligibility)
Similar to last offseason, the Razorbacks turned to the transfer portal to try and gain what they hope will be their primary pass catchers. After losing Oklahoma transfer Jadon Haselwood to the draft and Toledo transfer Matt Landers, who was out of eligibility, the Hogs' leading pass catcher (statistically) left was running back Raheim Sanders.
The Hogs not only lost Haselwood and Landers, they also lost their other two top receivers in Ketron Jackson Jr. and Warren Thompson to the transfer portal. That left Bryce Stephens as the top returning receiver, and he caught just nine passes for 109 yards and one touchdown in 2022.
Though Pittman and company seem to like what they have in guys like Stephens, Sam Mbake, Jaedon Wilson and Isaiah Sategna, they needed to get some experience. Though two of the transfers — Isaac TeSlaa and Andrew Armstrong — haven't played a down of Division I football, they each seem to have skillsets that will transfer over to this level.
Pittman didn't seemed fazed when asked if there was concern about the lack of DI experience for those two.
"Each one of them has their story of why they went there," Pittman said on Feb. 1. "But talent wise, no, not talent wise. And workouts. I’m excited for y’all to come watch them in the spring because they’re very talented and they’re hungry.
"That’s the one good thing about recruiting guys that are a little … D2, FCS, you know they haven’t been given academic money. They’re trying to scrape by and are you paying for my books this year coach? And things like that. Where here they’re appreciative of it I guess I could say."
Last season at Division II Hillsdale College, TeSlaa (6-foot-4, 210-pounds) recorded 68 receptions for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 games on his way to being named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year. TeSlaa, who runs a 4.54 40-yard dash, played two full seasons for the Chargers, and he caught 118 passes for 2,116 yards and 20 touchdowns in his three total years at Hillsdale.
Armstrong (6-foot-4, 175-pounds) committed to Arkansas in December after seeing his recruitment skyrocket once he hit the portal. He was named an FCS sophomore All-American for his performance during the 2022 season, when e recorded 1,020 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 62 receptions for the year. Rivals rated him a 5.8 four-star transfer prospect.
Broden (6-foot-7, 210 pounds) started 21 games over the past three seasons for Bowling Green, racking up 74 receptions for 1,199 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He played 89.6% of his snaps out wide, according to Pro Football Focus, and his average depth of target was 17 yards with the Falcons.
All three of those transfers will be expected to lead the receiver room and be reliable targets for third-year starting quarterback KJ Jefferson. Broden has the DI experience, TeSlaa has the hands and Armstrong is a gifted route-runner that can also win battles on the outside.
Though they will likely be at the top of the depth chart once the season rolls around, the three transfers will have to earn it in spring ball. I wouldn't be shocked to see the returning faces running with the first team when they ramp up spring practice.
Of the returners, Stephens and Wilson saw the most action last season, while Mbake and Satgena seem to have the most potential.
Stephens caught a 54-yard touchdown in the Mississippi State game on Oct. 8 that provided a glimpse of his ability. He also returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdwon in the Sept. 17 win over Missouri State.
Though he saw action in seven games, Wilson caught just three passes, two of which came in the Liberty Bowl against Kansas when the Hogs were down three of their top receivers.
Sategna and Mbake combined for just 32 total offensive snaps in 2022, according to PFF, but each received praise from Pittman throughout fall camp and at times during last season. Mbake is a hard-working receiver that even worked a bit at defensive back last year, and Sategna has world-class speed that could be utilized this year.
Arkansas also has four-star freshman Davion Dozier coming in, but he won't be an early enrollee. Dozier will arrive on campus after the spring semester to join the team.