FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas' wide receiver definitely has a lot of new faces this season.
Following Monday's fourth preseason practice, Ronnie Fouch met with the media to discuss his group of wide receivers. The nine-leading players in receptions are gone this season including Andrew Armstrong who has 78 catches for 1,140 yards and one touchdown last fall. Isaac TeSlaa added 28 receptions for 546 yards and three touchdowns before becoming an early draft pick of the Detroit Lions.
"I would say just competition," Fouch said. "There's been some great competition. We got a great room. We've added some speed in the portal. We've added toughness in the portal, and I think leadership. I think our room is closer than it's been since I got here. We're a family and these new additions really help the guys that are returning, or maybe some younger guys, pick up their game as far as learning the playbook, maybe finishing harder out there because there's so much competition at every position that it makes it fun as a coach. You see guys flying around all day and competing with the guy next to him."
New wide receivers from the transfer portal are Raylen Sharpe, Andy Jean, Jalen Brown, Courtney Crutchfield, O'Mega Blake, Kam Shanks and Ismael Cisse, who is out for the season with a wrist injury. Among the returning wide receivers are CJ Brown, Monte Harrison and Krosse Johnson. A couple of freshmen are Antonio Jordan and Ja'Kayden Ferguson. After spring drills Sam Pittman said he wasn't going to sign any more wide receivers, but then they added Jean and Brown.
"Just having more depth at the position, and I think bringing in O'Mega and Raylen and Kam, guys that have experience, and then we needed more some more speed," Fouch said. "So, we wanted to get two fast guys that had some playing experience, which they both have in the SEC. And with Jalen playing a little bit at Florida State as well. I think they walked in, they know how to practice at this level, they know how to run a route at this level and win. And I think their speed has really showed up and made our room faster as a whole. I feel like we're a lot faster this year as well."
CJ Brown was a true freshman from Bentonville last fall. Fouch talked about what he needs from Brown this season.
"CJ, last year, he did a great job as a freshman," Fouch said. "He was that rotation guy. If I needed guy to go in the game, I trusted him because he came in early, learned the offense, and now I'm challenging him to take that next step.
"Be a starter in the SEC, be a guy that can be reliable third down and then be tough and go to compete. And as a freshman, he got that experience on the field, and I think that's helped him this whole offseason. He's acting like a pro. He's working every day, harder and harder and just challenging him in the run game. Every play, as a starter, you got to be out there every play, playing to the whistle. So, it's him being a full-time player now instead of just a role substitution type player."
Jordan has wowed observers and at 6-6, 234, he has incredible size for a freshman.
"Yeah. It's hard not to bring him up," Fouch said. "Throughout the recruiting process, getting to know him and everything, he's such a great kid. And the thing that stands out is he loves the game. I mean, more than anybody I've been around as a freshman, just his love for the game, his hunger to be coached. He's already been coached great in high school. His technique at the position is way further ahead than most high school kids coming in, and it goes to the Warren coaches down there. They get the receivers ready technique-wise.
"And now he's just like a sponge. He wants all the information he can take in as he really wants to play this year. And I think talent-wise, he can definitely help us on offense this year. It's fun every day turning that video on and watching the plays he makes. Because one time a day, he makes that 'wow' play where you're like, 'Man, this kid is going to be special.' So right now, it's just helping him not feel all the pressure of the whole playbook and getting him the packages that he needs to learn and take those steps to slowly build within this offense because he's going to be a special player. It's just a matter of time."
Blake transferred to Arkansas from Charlotte, but prior to that played at South Carolina. Fouch is pleased to have him.
"I think he’s got a very high ceiling," Fouch said. "He came in, it’s a lot of offense to learn. But luckily he came in the winter time got the offense down, made strides in spring ball and kind of came on at the end of spring and started making some big-time plays, making people miss in the open field. The thing about about O’Mega that I like is he’s a competitor. He’s tough, he’s explosive. Very coachable. I can coach him as hard as I want and he takes it and he loves it. He wants to be great. He’s always asking, ‘How can I get drafted higher?’ ‘How can I help us win a championship?’ I’ve challenged him to be a leader this offseason in the summer. Because he was new in the spring, trying to learn everything. Now we’re trying to bring more leadership out and he’s stepped up. He’s been more vocal. He’s trying to push guys and just continuing to push and lead by example. I want him to be the guy."
Blake, Sharpe and CJ Brown have gotten a lot of reps with the first unit.
"Just you know in this offense, it’s a lot of offense," Fouch said. "So just that trust, their alignments, their details on the routes, the blocking schemes. Those three are running out right now but every day it’s open competition. Some guys are getting reps with the ones and those guys are going with the twos. Just every day we’re constantly changing the depth, challenging somebody that ‘Hey, you’re going with the 1s today,’ and see how they react. Competition brings the best out of everybody. There’s so much of it right now that it’s making our offense better."
The Razorbacks will conduct their fifth practice on Tuesday beginning at 9:15 a.m.