Arkansas football has seen a few NFL-level wide receivers come through the program over the past two seasons, but that position features some unknowns entering 2023.
Treylon Burks led the way in 2021 with 1,104 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on his way to becoming a first round selection by the Tennessee Titans in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Last season, transfers Matt Landers and Jadon Haselwood were the top targets for quarterback KJ Jefferson.
A transfer from Toledo, Landers led the team with 901 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Haselwood's 59 receptions were the most of any Hog, and the Oklahoma transfer added 702 receiving yards and three scores. Landers signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent and Haselwood did the same with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Entering the 2023 season, Arkansas has plenty of new faces in wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton's room. On top of adding new offensive coordinator Dan Enos, the Razorbacks also brought in three coveted receiver transfers.
The first domino to fall was Texas A&M-Commerce transfer Andrew Armstrong, who was followed by Hillsdale College (Division II) transfer Isaac TeSlaa. Bowling Green transfer Tyrone Broden rounded out the trio of scholarship transfers at the position.
While some returning faces have a chance to break out for the Hogs this fall, the three transfers are going to provide stiff competition for targets. HawgBeat took a look at three different wide receivers that could lead Arkansas in receiving yards for the 2023 season...
Isaiah Sategna - Redshirt Freshman
Don't let the lack of play time and production in his true freshman season fool you, Isaiah Sategna is a very talented wide receiver. The Fayetteville native could have a breakout season as a redshirt freshman in 2023.
Sategna was as good as any Arkansas receiver during spring practices and he capped his spring off with a very impressive performance in the Red-White scrimmage. The 5-foot-11, 178 pound wide receiver hauled in three passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns during the Razorbacks' roughly 110-play scrimmage at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The former four-star prospect said after the scrimmage that he thinks he's taken the next step as a player.
"I feel like I’m a lot better player than I was last year," Sategna said. "Just the new schemes that we’re drawing up and stuff. They’re throwing great passes and stuff. Like I said in my earlier interview, I’ve just got to do the easy part. I’ve just got to catch the ball. They’re doing the hard part."
The speed of Sategna is next level and he put his impressive route running on display every practice.
"I mean he’s much bigger if you look at him," Pittman said. "He’s much thicker than what he was. His confidence is way up. It’s one thing to have confidence in high school and it’s another one to get here and .. the game is so fast. Y’all see it out there. The closer you get to the game it’s fast.
"To play quarterback, to play wideout and make these adjustments on the run. It’s split second decisions. He’s got that ability to separate when he’s able to do that and now he’s able to do that and you now see his true speed."
Sategna not only led the nation with 1,908 receiving yards as a senior for Fayetteville High School, but he also was the 2021-22 Gatorade Arkansas Boys Track & Field Player of the Year.
I don't know if Sategna, or any Arkansas receiver, will eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, but I do think he can lead the team in receiving yards. KJ Jefferson seems to have developed a great rapport with Sategna and he could end up going to him a lot this fall.
- Mason Choate, HawgBeat Publisher
Isaac TeSlaa - Senior
Gone are Landers, Haselwood and Ketron Jackson Jr. (portal). With the Razorbacks’ three leading receivers no longer with the program, KJ Jefferson will be looking for a go-to playmaker to throw to. Who better than the wide receiver that received offers from programs like Oklahoma State, Iowa, Miami (FL), Texas A&M, Ole Miss and more out of the transfer portal?
Issac TeSlaa was arguably the top transfer portal wide receiver that Arkansas landed over the offseason. The Hudsonville, Michigan, native was named the Great Midwest American Conference Offensive Player of the Year after leading Hillsdale College in receiving yards (1,325) and touchdowns (13). In three seasons played with the Chargers, TeSlaa caught 118 passes for 2,116 yards and 20 touchdowns.
While there is some concern that the transition from Division II to the SEC could cause problems, a review of TeSlaa’s film points to the opposite. The 6-foot-4, 214-pound senior is capable of making freakish catches with his elite athleticism and catch radius. With above-average speed to boot, TeSlaa can thrive whether he’s put out wide or running across the middle of the field.
Under former offensive coordinator Kendal Briles, the Razorbacks didn’t always utilize the entirety of the field when it came to passing routes. Enos is a different story, and with him further developing Jefferson’s passing ability, all of the variables seem to lineup for TeSlaa to have a significant breakout season in the SEC West.
- Riley McFerran, Recruiting Contributor
Andrew Armstrong - Redshirt Senior
Armstrong was the first transfer to jump on board after the end of the 2022 season, coming to Arkansas from Texas A&M-Commerce. It’s somewhat bold to pick Armstrong as the leading receiver for the 2023 season, but the way he performed in spring drills indicates he’ll be ready for a big role this season.
Arkansas wasn’t the only SEC school pushing for his services, either. Armstrong had offers from Missouri, and outside the conference offers from Miami, Utah, Colorado and others.
For the Lions last year, he hauled in 62 passes for 1,020 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the first game of the season, he logged three receptions for 134 yards and three touchdowns. One of those was a 96-yard reception on a slant pass, his season-long.
At 6-foot-6, 189 pounds, Armstrong has the frame and size to battle with SEC-level defenders. His best trait is his ability to make catches in traffic. He’s not the fastest off the line, but has a burst once the ball is in his hands to get away from pursuing defenders.
Under Briles, the middle of the field was rarely utilized, a part of the field Armstrong excelled in at Texas A&M-Commerce. With Enos at the helm that’s likely to change, and Armstrong will be better for it.
Watching Armstrong in spring drills, it seemed like after a bit of a struggle starting out, but he’s settled in nicely to become a reliable target for Jefferson.
- Daniel Fair, Football Recruiting Analyst
