Examining the Razorback tight ends room

Arkansas's tight end group is seeing the least amount of change of all the positions from 2020 to 2021–except for the coach that leads them. The Hogs are due to return all three scholarship tight ends from Sam Pittman's first season and they add just one new face to the ranks.

Tight end Blake Kern is one of 10 seniors who've opted to return for another season at Arkansas. Kern, a Lamar, Arkansas native, hardly saw any action on offense in his first three seasons as a walk-on but he took on a bigger role as a blocking tight end in 2019. He got his first reception in the season opener as a senior and went on to have a career year with 201 yards, 20 catches and two touchdowns.

Expected to have a breakout year as a redshirt freshmen, Hudson Henry showed flashes in 2020 but was hampered by injury and ended up playing in just six of 10 games. His snap count was less than half of Kern's but he had 92 yards on 16 receptions and a score.

Behind Kern and Henry are two more scholarship tight ends and walk-on Nathan Bax, a redshirt freshman walk-on transfer from Illinois State who played almost all of his 143 snaps on special teams in 2020.

Freshman Collin Sutherland, a last minute signee from North Texas in Pittman's first class, is somewhat of an unknown. The former 3-star wasn't expected to play right away and he didn't, but without media access to practice this fall, it's not clear how close he is to seeing the field. At 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, Sutherland looks the part at least but we'll have to wait and see until spring ball starts to see how he's come along since arriving on the Hill.

The Razorbacks' newest edition is Erin Outley, yet another Arkansas native for the tight ends room. Outley, 6'4", 255, missed most of his senior season at Parkview due to a meniscus injury but he was a dangerous weapon in the receiving game as a junior, racking up 721 yards on 48 catches. Not receiver quick but Outley has plenty of mobility and can be a matchup nightmare.

The Hogs did have one more player in the room in 2020, freshman Blayne Toll, but after some flip-flopping, the Hazen, Arkansas native landed in the defensive line room to finish the season.

- Returning Kern and Henry essentially guarantees the Hogs at least have similar production levels from their tight ends in 2021.

- Kern's competence in the receiving game alleviated Arkansas's immediate need for a transfer tight end.

- There's plenty of room for improvement. The Hogs have had some great tight ends in the last decade but Arkansas's current tight end production is middle of the pack in the SEC.

- Erin Outley will be 100% once he gets to the Hill this summer but can he insert himself into the conversation for some immediate playing time?

- Hudson Henry's last name has put ultra high expectations on his shoulders, does he begin to meet them in his third year at Arkansas?

- Is Collin Sutherland a factor in this room yet?