Hogs' once deep wideout room now depleted, looking for answers

The Razorbacks wide receiver room, once deep and full of potential, has now been depleted as they head into game eight of the season versus LSU.

De'Vion Warren's season-ending ACL injury has the Hogs down to just six scholarship wide receivers for Saturday's matchup. Warren was the third leading receiver with 15 catches for 278 yards and three scores, and based on what we've seen so far this season, there's no one rearing to earn his targets.

"It’s next man up," said junior receiver Mike Woods. "It’s been that way all year. Like coming into the season with the whole virus situation, it was gonna be next man up regardless. I mean, our morale is pretty good. We feel pretty good. And T-Mo (Tyson Morris) and Trey Knox, those are the guys who are going to have to step up for us."

Already down Shamar Nash (opt out), Jaqualyn Crawford (sitting after transfer) and Koilan Jackson (season-ending injury), the Razorbacks were counting on a solid top three of Treylon Burks, Mike Woods and Trey Knox. Knox, however, has had a much less productive season than his first campaign on the Hill.

After 28 catches for 385 yards and three touchdowns in 2019, it looked like Knox was poised to have another good season, just like Burks and Woods. But he's gotten just seven targets in 2020 for four catches and 33 yards–no scores. Warren's performances eventually moved Knox off the starting depth chart, but the Hogs need the Tennessee native to show up in the final three matchups.

Morris, a senior, has had five catches for 47 yards and a score but he's also majorly trailing his 2019 numbers.

Sam Pittman's noted consistently that apart from Burks, Woods and Warren, the Arkansas receivers just aren't getting open enough or open quickly enough to throw them the ball. If Knox and Morris can't do better, the next logical thing to do would be to double down on targets to Burks and Woods.

Burks was hauling in catches at a decent clip but only caught three in the loss against Florida for 47 yards.

"I think we've got to target him more," Pittman said. "He's got to become a better practice player. There's some things that he can do as well to make sure that we get him the ball more. He can run better routes and those things. This is not being negative toward him whatsoever. Hand in hand, you have to call plays to get him the football and then he's got to work to get open and things."

No other receiver on the roster has gotten more than two targets this season, so either Morris and Knox step up, Burks and Woods get more targets, or the passing game takes a nosedive. We'll see what happens on Saturday against LSU. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.

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