Breakout Candidate: Tyrone Broden
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman has a rebuilt team and a new-look staff entering his fifth year leading the program, and the 2024 edition of the Razorbacks have the task of improving on rough 4-8 season in 2023.
For the second year in a row, the Hogs lost more than 20 players to the transfer portal, which resulted in them having to utilize the portal to their advantage.
Additions such as quarterback Taylen Green (Boise State), running back Ja'Quinden Jackson (Utah) and left tackle Fernando Carmona Jr. (San Jose State) seem primed to have solid seasons under first-year offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.
Leading the other side of the football is second-year defensive coordinator Travis Williams, who also added talent such as defensive end Anton Juncaj (Albany), linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr. (Georgia) and defensive back Doneiko Slaughter (Tennessee), among others.
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As we continue our series of tabbing potential breakout players for the 2024 season — which began with defensive tackle Cam Ball — we move to the offensive side of the ball with 6-foot-7 wide receiver Tyrone Broden. Coincidentally, both Ball and Broden will sport the No. 5 jersey this season.
Broden transferred to Arkansas from Bowling Green prior to the 2023 season, and his first year in the red and white didn't go likely how he planned. The native of Detroit recorded four starts and played in all 12 games despite battling some minor injuries throughout the year.
"He’s gained some strength," head coach Sam Pittman said March 28. "A lot of confidence. Again, part of his problem last year was a lot of reps that he missed because he was injured when he came in or early when he was here."
As a redshirt senior last fall, Broden logged 15 receptions for 109 yards and three touchdowns. His best game statistically came in a 34-31 loss at LSU on Sept. 23, when he caught three passes for 31 yards and one score. His most memorable play was a game-winning touchdown catch in overtime to seal the 39-36 win at Florida on Nov. 4.
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I'd be lying if I said Broden was a practice all-star during the 2023 season, but that would be a fair assessment for the spring he put together earlier this year. Fans got a full glimpse at the strides Broden has made when he caught five passes for 52 yards and one touchdown in the Red-White Spring Game on April 13.
"He’s always been athletic, but I don’t know if he’s always thought he was a great receiver," Pittman said after the spring game. "I think some of the catches he made today proves that we need him. A lot of people would want him. But it says a lot about his maturity. Of course, he’s an older kid. But I think he had a reason and a purpose to go out there today and play well."
Broden never had the best timing with former quarterback KJ Jefferson, but it was abundantly clear this spring that Broden and fellow receiver Andrew Armstrong are two receivers that quarterback Taylen Green likes to throw to. Despite missing a few of the last practices before the spring game due to family reasons, Broden looked just fine when he returned to play in front of a live crowd April 13.
"He stepped away a little bit midway through the spring, but he didn’t miss a beat," Green said after the spring game. "He was definitely real professional today and went out and had a really good day. That’s what I'm most proud of. That’s what I love. And on the sidelines, just the camaraderie that we have. The ability to just relax and talk ball, that’s what I like."
Having Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator and Ronnie Fouch as new wide receivers coach might be just what the doctor ordered for Broden's final year of eligibility.
"Just his ability and his position flexibility," Fouch said March 28. "We’ve just been putting him inside in the slot a little bit while he’s normally an outside receiver in our offense. But just his ability to play in the slot and get mismatches on nickels against linebackers and hit slot fades and things like that.
"Just getting him over the middle with his big frame. It’s an easy throw for Taylen and the quarterbacks to put the ball on him. He’s just been impressive to me with his ability to play in the slot as well with his releases and foot quickness. Because a lot of taller guys, they don’t have the quickest feet. He has quick feet like (Isaiah) Sategna and he’s 6-foot-7. It’s just been impressive with his talent overall.”
The possibility for a breakout season is right there for Broden, who caught a combined 68 passes for 1,002 yards and 12 touchdowns over his last two seasons at Bowling Green in 2021 and 2022.
Arkansas will open its 2024 season on Thursday, Aug. 29, against UAPB at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU.