The bonds formed between a team's quarterback and its wide receivers are crucial to offensive success. Timing, trust and communication all stem from the connections created during the offseason.
This is especially true for the Arkansas Razorbacks — a team whose wide receiver room was decimated after the departures of starters Matt Landers, Jadon Haselwood, Warren Thompson and Ketron Jackson. Now, quarterback KJ Jefferson is tasked with getting familiar with multiple new faces — transfers and freshmen alike.
Things have seemingly gone smoothly so far, something Jefferson spoke on after Arkansas' first practice of fall camp Friday morning.
"It was a really good day," Jefferson said. "A good first day just to be able to get out there with the coaches around, and the coaches coaching the guys up and players being coachable. Getting out there with the receivers, it was a great connection today."
The early showings of connection is a great sign for the coaching staff, and it all stemmed from the summer workouts the players shared.
"Just being able to have a summer with those transfers that came in," Jefferson said. "Building a bond and getting the chemistry down pat. Coming in on our off days and doing the same thing. Just making sure we can feel each other out. They know how I'm going to throw the ball, where I'm going to throw the ball and stuff like that."
This isn't the first time Jefferson has had to quickly gel with new receivers. Last offseason, Landers and Haselwood both transferred in from different programs. That experience has aided Jefferson, who said he feels he's at the same pace with the new guys this fall.
"I do," Jefferson said. "But like I said, we’re going to take it one day at a time. We’re going to keep progressing and keep getting better, keep staying positive. Keep encouraging those guys, keep working hard. Iron sharpens iron in that room. We just want to keep progressing and keep taking it day by day."
Having a talented group of receivers certainly helps with forming those connections, something the Razorbacks are well aware of. After an offseason of training with first-year Arkansas and former Louisville strength coach Ben Sowders, the new wideouts — Isaac TeSlaa, Andrew Armstrong, Tyrone Broden and Davion Dozier — are fully prepared for forming bonds with Jefferson.
"Man, (Isaac TeSlaa’s) a freak show," Sowders said. "He's a freak show. I’m glad we got him and nobody else did. But, I mean, you’re talking… I think he’s like a 515-squatter at 215 pounds. He’s running high, high-21s (miles per hour). He cleaned 335. Could probably have done a little bit more. I think he hit 350 or 355 on his bench. I mean, you’re talking about a receiver, now. Elevates not only his position group but the DBs, everybody."
At Hillsdale Community College in 2022, TeSlaa hauled in 68 passes for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns. Some of that freakish talent was shown off in the first fall camp practice.
TeSlaa isn't the only one. Armstrong is a transfer from Texas A&M Commerce who recorded 1,020 yards and 13 touchdowns on 62 catches last season. To this point, Armstrong has looked exceptional in a Razorback uniform.
"Armstrong is fast, and he's big,” head coach Sam Pittman said Friday. “KJ really believes in him and those things, but you've got him and TeSlaa."
The final scholarship wide receiver transfer from the offseason is Broden, who had to sit for a significant portion of the spring due to injury. Pittman said Broden made some good catches and did some good things at practice Friday. The 6-foot-7 receiver is also only one of five players on the team to reach the 22 MPH mark, along with Armstrong, AJ Green, Isaiah Sategna and Malik Chavis.
The lethal combination of size, speed and athleticism present in the wide receiver room has to make Jefferson and new offensive coordinator Dan Enos drool over the potential. But for those attributes to be taken advantage of, bonds have to be formed first.
Those bonds will need to form fast, as Arkansas only has 24 fall camp practices left ahead of the start of the season on Saturday, Sept. 2, when the Hogs will take on Western Carolina at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
