Warren Thompson: "I just take it personal now to win"
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Entering this season, the Razorback wide receiver group was probably the biggest question mark on the team.
After the departure of Treylon Burks, who accounted for just under 40% of Arkansas' receiving yards and exactly 50% receiving touchdowns last season, there was plenty of production to be made up.
The Hogs grabbed two talented receivers from the transfer portal in Oklahoma's Jadon Haselwood and Toledo's Matt Landers. Add three highly-touted freshman and a returning group with guys ready to take the next step, and the Arkansas receivers now look like a strong group.
When asked if he thought the wideouts would be this good, head coach Sam Pittman said that he never expected it.
"I mean, no," Pittman said. "That has a lot to do with coaching with Coach Guiton, but also has a lot to do with them, too...So, the strength coach, the way that they've prepared and just the kids, who they are. But I never would have thought Warren Thompson would be the player that he is right now from a year ago. It's a credit to him. No, to answer your question.”
Pittman went out of his way to mention Thompson, who's 19 catches for 337 yards and two touchdowns last season were the most of any returning Arkansas pass catcher.
Thompson has been praised for his strides made since last season throughout fall camp. He said that the receiver corps as a whole heard the noise surrounding them entering fall camp and they took it to heart.
"I think when we heard that, that the wide receivers were the biggest question mark, I think that's when we took it personally," Thompson said. "Everybody in the room, we made it our mission to be great every day and be consistent. I think that's what it was."
Taking things personal was a theme of what Thompson had to say when he spoke Tuesday. He said nothing changed over the offseason other than his team-first mindset.
"I wouldn't say anything really changed, I just take it personal now to win and win a lot of games," Thompson said. "I want the team to be great, I want to be great. I think that's what it was."
Last season was up and down for Thompson, who struggled with consistency and drops. This season, he is set to be a starter alongside the talented pair of Landers and Haselwood.
Thompson was told about the kind words Pittman said about him, and he said he's known he had to get better.
"I just tried to change my mentality and my, like, mental approach to the game," Thompson said. "So that's great to hear that from him, but I had that. I knew I had to be better since I played the last game, Penn State. So I knew I had to get better from that moment. And I made that my mission and my goal."
Thompson and the rest of the Hogs will try to achieve the goal of beating Cincinnati when they hit the field Saturday, Sept. 3 at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.