Tight end already an area of improvement for Arkansas
Arkansas football's tight end room hasn't been a true receiving threat since 2015 — when offensive coordinator Dan Enos gave tight ends Hunter Henry and Jeremy Sprinkle the opportunity to make plays. That same season, then-Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman helped complete the No. 2 statistical offense in the SEC.
With Enos back in Fayetteville as offensive coordinator, fans should expect to see an uptick in tight-end production, which isn't possible without talent and depth, something that shouldn't be an issue with the returnees, freshmen and transfers currently on the roster.
Returning Production
Returning production is sparse, with a whopping four catches for 33 yards and one touchdown in total coming back.
Redshirt senior Nathan Bax saw the most action in a Hog uniform last season. In 11 games, he caught three passes for 16 yards. He made his first career start against Kansas in the Liberty Bowl.
The returning player with the most potential as a pass catcher is redshirt freshman Tyrus Washington, who played in five games in 2022. His lone catch on the season was a touchdown against Kansas in the Liberty Bowl .
Pittman said Washington has done a good job and made nice catches through six fall camp practices.
Redshirt freshman walk-on Hunter Talley didn't play in 2022.
The Freshmen
Luke Hasz, a former four-star prospect from Bixby, Oklahoma, has stood out amongst the crowd through six fall camp practices. The 6-foot-3, 242-pound tight end is seen as more of a receiving threat, but he possesses the size needed to block in the SEC as well. As a high school senior, Hasz caught 35 passes for 597 yards and nine touchdowns for Bixby High School.
The more highly ranked high school prospect, Shamar Easter was the No. 194 overall player in the country out of Ashdown. The 6-foot-5, 223-pound freshman likely needs to add more weight to see consistent playing time, but the potential is through the roof for the athletic tight end.
"Shamar Easter’s done a really nice job, it’s just he’s not quite there yet," Pittman said. "He got here later and didn’t have spring ball, so obviously it’s hard for a freshman to catch up that fast...Luke seems to make plays every day."
The Transfers
North Texas transfer Var'keyes Gumms earned Second Team All-CUSA, All-Freshman CUSA and Second Team Freshman All-American honors from multiple outlets in 2022 after recording 458 yards and five touchdowns for the Mean Green. The 6-foot-3 Houston native should see consistent playing time in 2023 after getting fully acclimated during fall camp.
"He understands football really well," Jefferson said. "He has a great football IQ that he presents on the field. The other guys look up to him in those areas of football IQ. He just understands football. He’s been playing the game since he’s been little. We’ve all been playing the game, we love the game. It shows how passionate he is and how much experience that he has."
Senior tight end and Louisville transfer Francis Sherman comes to Fayetteville after only catching four passes for 32 yards and one touchdown in two seasons for the Cardinals. The lack of production shouldn't worry fans, though, as Sherman was brought in as a blocking tight-end primarily.
"Maybe one we don’t talk about as much is Francis Sherman," Pittman said. "He has done… We’re awful honored he chose us. He’s done a really nice job out there. Gumms is another one."
The returning core along with the new additions come together to make a tight-end room full of potential. Without coaching and development, the untapped talent won't amount to much.Enos, Pittman and first-year tight ends coach Morgan Turner complete a coaching trio with proven track records of strong and successful tight-end usage.
"I feel a lot better about tight ends than I did coming into camp," Pittman said. "With what we had at tight end and the additions we had come in, I think we’re going to be just fine there too."