By Nate Allen

FAYETTEVILLE - Given his Arkansas connections, becoming a Razorback seemed a natural transition for wide receiver Jadon Haselwood of Ellenwood, Georgia , who submitted his name into the transfer portal after two seasons as an Oklahoma Sooner.

Arkansas running backs coach Jimmy Smith coached Haselwood at Cedar Grove (Georgia) High.

Arkansas Head Coach Sam Pittman coached Georgia’s offensive line while the Bulldogs were recruiting Haselwood.

And then, ironically, Haselwood at OU sought advice from Mike Woods, the receiver who had transferred to the Sooners after lettering three seasons as a Razorback.

“I do have that connection with Coach Smith,” Haselwood said after the Razorbacks practiced Thursday inside the Walker Pavilion.  “He was my high school head coach and I just felt like it really made sense for me to come here.”

So did Smith leap to the phone upon Haselwood entering the transfer portal?

“I actually reached out to him first,” Haselwood said. “Because he was kind of like a role model in my life in high school. He kind of grew me up and made me who I am today. So I just came to him for advice and he didn’t even really put that pressure on me to even look toward any other school and I just figured it out and came here. Of course, I know Coach Pitt, too, because I was committed to the University of Georgia my freshman year, sophomore year all the way to junior year of high school. It was all just kind of connected that way.”

Woods, when asked, offered kind words for his old school.

“Mike Woods is one of my closest friends,” Haselwood said. “When he transferred to OU, we took him in as a brother. So, yeah, of course. He was one of the guys I did come to and ask how did he feel. And he told me like, ‘Yeah bro, it’d probably be a great fit for you,’ and I just went with that.”

Haselwood, 6-3, 211, brings much of the size of NFL-bound 2021 All-SEC receiver Treylon Burks.

“That was part of the reason why I came here,” Haselwood said of the Arkansas opportunity with Burks turned pro. “Of course, Treylon Burks is one of a kind and I know, everybody expects me to fill his shoes. But you know, like I said, he's one of a kind. So I'm just trying to get in where I fit in and make plays with the team.”

Another high profile transfer, linebacker Drew Sanders, formerly a starter for 2021 SEC champion/national runner-up Alabama, also met with media Thursday.

An outside linebacker at Alabama, Sanders moves to middle linebacker alongside returning bonus senior star weakside linebacker Bumper Pool.

“Switching to a whole different position you’ve got a bunch of things you’ve got to change,” Sanders said. “It’s a whole different playing style. You go from like reading one part of the ball to like you’re reading the whole field now. It’s all brand new. You’ve kind of got to work on everything a little bit as much as you can.”

Given that Sanders was a starter until he was injured and finished the 2021 season as a reserve, what prompted the junior from Denton, Texas to select Arkansas after submitting his name to the transfer portal?

“I just kind of knew what I was looking for,” Sanders said.  “I knew I wanted to be a little closer to home. A big deal was staying in the SEC too. Arkansas was first on my list. That's place I wanted to visit. I kind of wanted to make that transition from playing with my hand on the ground to standing up a little bit. I thought I could fit in the scheme they're running so they were first on my list.”

Playing alongside Bumper Pool has eased his transition, Sanders said.

“He’s helped me a tremendous amount,” Sanders said.  “Every day we kind of make it an emphasis to watch film and him kind of telling me what to do. I was really excited to get with a player like him with as much experience as he has and learn from him.

During Thursday’s practice, Haselwood caught a 50-yard pass from starting quarterback KJ Jefferson.

Backup quarterback Malik Hornsby threw a 25-yarder to sophomore receiver Harper Cole, and transfer via University of South Florida quarterbacked Cade Fortin threw a 10-yard touchdown to receiver Jaedon Wilson.

Defensive back Myles Slusher intercepted a Jefferson pass, and linebacker Jackson Woodard picked off a Hornsby pass.

The Razorbacks are off Friday and will practice again Saturday morning.