While there will be significant competition at most spots on the field for Arkansas in 2020, the wide receiver room is one that is essentially all worked out already. Wide receivers coach Justin Stepp, the only holdover from Chad Morris's staff, returns his three leading receivers and starters from the 2019 season and their backups, too.
"Kendal Briles is a very personable guy who knows how valuable this group is to us," Pittman said Friday. "They’ve worked really hard. I like De’Vion Warren in that group, too. He’s done a nice job with (Tyson) Morris and Koilan Jackson. Those are probably, right now, the top six kids that we have at that position.
"[I] mentioned Knox, Burks and Woods. But those are probably the top six guys we have at that position. We really don’t have much coming in from the freshman class because Darin Turner is already here and he’s doing a nice job, but it’ll take a little bit for him probably to adjust. But those six guys have done a good job. They’ve got a lot of pride in that room, and they’ve got a lot of publicity. They’ve got a lot to live up to, and they know it."
Woods, a former 3-star out of Houston, made his debut as a true freshman and caught 18 passes for 206 yards. He followed that performance in 2019 with a team-high 33 catches for 423 yards and another team-high four receiving touchdowns. Last season, Woods was targeted a team-high 64 times with seven drops and an overall PFF offensive grade of 58.6. His grade was the lowest of the three starters.
Former Rivals No.146 player in the nation and homegrown Hog, Burks burst onto the scene in 2019 as a true freshman and had a team-high 475 yards on 29 receptions with zero touchdowns. He was targeted 58 times with five drops and a PFF grade of 67.5. Burks missed one game, against San Jose State, while in concussion protocol. He fully recovered from knee surgery leading into the season.
Tennessee native and former Rivals No.128 player in the nation Knox notched three touchdowns with 28 receptions and 385 yards. He was also targeted 58 times and credited with four drops by PFF for an overall grade of 66.2. Knox missed the Texas A&M due to a hip injury that limited him in several other games as well.
After the starters, no wide receiver was targeted more than 19 times last season. Former walk-on Tyson Morris had 19 targets for 13 catches, 155 yards and one score. Three of the incomplete passes in his direction were counted as drops by PFF and he finished the season with an overall grade of 54.6.
Little Rock native Koilan Jackson saw an increase in his production in 2019 but still only had nine targets and three catches for 38 yards.
Wide receiver De'Vion Warren was exclusively a return specialist for the Hogs in 2019. Not being asked to make any catches last season, Warren did become part of the run game on sweeps.
Despite planning to apply for a sixth year after tearing his ACL in fall camp 2019, Deon Stewart is no longer on Arkansas's roster. He has yet to enter the transfer portal as of March 23.
Here's how the WR group did in winter conditioning:
Wide Receiver (average: +1.8 pounds)
~Treylon Burks: 231 (+8)
~Darin Turner: 218
~Koilan Jackson: 215 (+4)
~Shamar Nash: 209 (+14)
~Trey Knox: 203 (-2)
~Tyson Morris: 198 (-2)
~Mike Woods: 197 (-6)
~Peyton Ausley: 186 (+1)
~Kendall Catalon: 186 (+2)
~Jackson Salley: 185 (+2)
~De’Vion Warren: 182 (-6)
~Karch Gardiner: 177 (+6)
~John David White: 171 (—)
~Josh Oglesby: 170
~Harper Cole: 160
