The Arkansas Razorbacks picked up a transfer commitment from coveted wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa on Tuesday, and his addition boosts a position of need for an already strong offensive unit going into the 2023 season.
Offensive coordinator Kendal Briles' group will have another year with starting signal caller KJ Jefferson, who recorded a 68.0 completion percentage this season, topping his 67.3% last season. Jefferson now holds the No. 2 and No. 3 best season completion percentage marks in program history. His passing yards (2,648) and passing touchdown (24) marks this year also rank top-10 for a season in program history.
Four starting receivers will not be returning as Jadon Haselwood declared for the NFL Draft, Matt Landers is out of eligibility, Ketron Jackson Jr. transferred to Baylor and Warren Thompson quit the team before the Ole Miss game and is now in the portal. You can also throw in the departure of starting tight end Trey Knox, who followed former tight ends coach Dowell Loggains to South Carolina.
After the dust settled, Arkansas was left with Bryce Stephens being the top returning receiver. Stephens will be a redshirt sophomore in 2023 and he has just 114 career receiving yards.
So, head coach Sam Pittman and Briles needed to go to work in the transfer portal to find pass catchers. They started off strong with the highly sought-after Andrew Armstrong, a 6-foot-4 receiver out of Texas A&M-Commerce, who committed on Dec. 11.
Armstrong was named an FCS sophomore All-American for his performance during the 2022 season, when he recorded 1,020 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 62 receptions. Rivals rated him as a 5.8 four-star transfer prospect, and at the time of his commitment he was the 46th overall transfer, but he has since dropped to No. 72.
Almost exactly a month later, TeSlaa called the Hogs, adding another pass catcher that prominent programs wanted. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound native of Hudsonville, Mich., picked the Hogs over the likes of Iowa, Iowa State, Colorado, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and more.
Last season at Division II Hillsdale College, TeSlaa recorded 68 receptions for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 games. He played two full seasons for the Chargers, and he caught 118 passes for 2,116 yards and 20 touchdowns in his three total years at Hillsdale.
TeSlaa, who has two seasons of eligibility left, jumps off the screen immediately when you turn his film on.
According to his Twitter, TeSlaa runs a 4.54 40-yard dash, and he has a 41-inch vertical leap. He was named the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year following his 2022 campaign.
With a group of promising offensive linemen returning (plus Florida transfer OL Josh Braun), the SEC's second leading rusher in Rocket Sanders and Jefferson running the offense, the Hogs really just need to rebuild the receiver and tight end rooms.
A tight end, the Hogs currently project to have four scholarship guys. Ty Washington caught a touchdown in the Liberty Bowl after redshirting this season. Four-star incoming freshman Luke Hasz signed with the Hogs in December, and four-star Shamar Easter is committed, but unsigned. Expect the team to grab at least one tight end out of the portal.
TeSlaa's commitment puts Arkansas with eight scholarship receivers for the 2023 season. The Hogs likely aren't done recruiting receivers out of the portal, as the team still has roster spots to fill for 2023 and lacks Division 1 experience at the position.
Here's a current outlook at the 2023 receiver room for the Hogs:
~ Isaac TeSlaa - two years of eligibility left
Career stats: 118 receptions, 2,116 yards, 17.9 ypc, 20 TD
~ Andrew Armstrong - junior, transfer from Texas A&M Commerce
Career stats: 77 receptions, 1,317 yards, 17.1 ypc, 16 TD
~ Landon Rogers - redshirt sophomore
No career stats
~ Bryce Stephens - redshirt sophomore
Career stats: 12 receptions, 114 yards, 9.5 ypc, 1 TD
~ Jaedon Wilson - redshirt sophomore
Career stats: 3 receptions, 49 yards, 16.3 ypc
~ Sam Mbake - sophomore
No career stats
~ Isaiah Sategna - redshirt freshman
Career stats: 2 receptions, 12 yards, 6 ypc
~ Davion Dozier - freshman
Senior year HS stats: 59 receptions, 1,325 yards, 22.5 ypc, 19 TD