Which Arkansas Razorback Wide Receiver is Going to Step Up?

It’s safe to say that the Arkansas wide receiving corps has taken the biggest hit this year. Everything was fine and dandy before our 2015 season began, but as soon as we started facing other opponents our most talented wide receivers decided to have their bones go snap, crackle, and pop. Keon Hatcher, Cody Hollister, and Jared Cornelius were all out by the third week of our season.

Sep 5, 2015; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Keon Hatcher (4) catches a touchdown pass in front of UTEP Miners defensive back Kalon Beverly (32) at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Since then it’s been tough for B.A. to find a go to guy in the passing game. Luckily our running game is strong enough to count on, but in times of dire need our wide receivers need to be there. Since week 3 the Hogs have had many guys step up and get a lot of catches. But we have yet to figure out who our true leader is in the receiver slot.

Below here I will give my analysis on four different wide receivers on the Hog squad that have the best chance to make something happen for the rest of the season. I left out Hunter Henry due to an unfair advantage (since the man could catch an eight hundred pound untamed lion if you threw it at him).

Drew Morgan

By far, Drew Morgan has been the biggest surprise of the 2015 season. He was never figured to be our WR1, probably ever in his career. But he has done a fantastic job thus far. He leads the receivers in catches (27), yards (428), and touchdowns (4). But we can’t just go ahead and claim him the guy to step it up, because there’s still a lot of season yet to be played and the Hogs are only beginning to figure things out. Morgan will no doubt be a guy to count on going forward, but there are a few more who are going to get the chance to shine.

Dominique Reed

Only recently has Dominique Reed gotten his name out there. Behind Drew Morgan, Dominique has the most receiving yards amongst active receivers. Reed is widely known as the fastest guy on the Arkansas squad, and he proves it with every catch he makes. He’s only made an appearance in 3 out of 6 games this year, but each time he has stepped on the field he’s made an improvement. That’s why I’m excited for what Dominique is going to do for the rest of the year, because he is going to be a dangerous fella. He’s now recorded 2 receiving touchdowns on the year, both coming in key SEC matchups (Tennessee and Alabama). READ: Have the Razorbacks Found a Playmaker in Dominique Reed?

JoJo Robinson

Sep 26, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies nickel Donovan Wilson (6) returns his interception in the second quarter against Arkansas Razorbacks receiver Jojo Robinson (17) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

This is a tough one to analyze, just because we haven’t seen much out of JoJo yet. He has recorded 6 catches for 53 yards on the year, so there hasn’t been much to go off of. But the hype for this guy has been tremendous. The Hogs had to wait a long time to get him on the field due to disciplinary reasons, but it’s only a matter of time before this kid is going to light up everyone. The hype will pay off soon, fans.

Jared Cornelius?

That question mark may look regular sized, but in reality it’s much bigger. Jared Cornelius broke his arm in gruesome fashion in the Texas Tech game, but recently he’s gotten back to practicing and catching balls. We really have no idea when he might come back at 100%, but it’s safe to say that when he does he’s going to make a huge impact. Even with being out since week 3, Cornelius still has the fourth most receiving yards on the team. That’s because he was able to make plays in the games he did play, and that’s something that Hog fans including myself have missed for a good while now.

We’ll have to wait and see who’s going to step it up later in the year, but it is bound to be one of these four guys I mentioned above. The Hogs are (hopefully) ready to kick off the second half of the 2015 season this Saturday against Auburn, where one of these guys just might make an impact.

Next: Rawleigh Williams is the X Factor for the Arkansas Razorbacks Offense