As Arkansas goes through spring practice and prepares for its sixth season under head coach Sam Pittman, one of the team's biggest questions revolves around its receiving core.
After all, replacing the likes of Andrew Armstrong and Luke Hasz won't be an easy task. Transfers in Courtney Crutchfield, O'Mega Blake and Ismael Cisse have big shoes to fill in Fayetteville.
Before Saturday's spring game, here's Arkansas' projected WR and TE depth chart, and a look at the players that make it up.
Arkansas football wide receiver/tight end spring preview
Wide Receiver
Team | Z | X | Slot |
|---|---|---|---|
First | O'Mega Blake | CJ Brown | Ismael Cisse |
Second | Courtney Crutchfiel | Antonio Jordan | Raylen Sharp |
Third | Monte Harrison | Kam Shanks | |
Fourth | Shamar Easter |
Arkansas' receiving core is loaded with transfers, led by Charlotte transfer O'Mega Blake. Blake does have SEC experience at South Carolina, where he played from 2021 to 2023. 2023 was the first year in which Blake saw major action, catching 19 passes for 250 yards and two scores before transferring to Charlotte.
It was at Charlotte in 2024 where Blake had his breakout season, reeling in 32 passes for a team-high 795 yards and nine touchdowns. It will be very difficult for any Razorback to fill the shoes left by Armstrong, but Blake might be the Hogs' best bet.
Arkansas Transfer WR O’Mega Blake @9issues4six highlights of his 9 Touchdowns in 2024. Buddy got some jets, definitely could be a deep ball threat for Taylen Green to chunk it out to. #WPS 🐗🦾 pic.twitter.com/7TSjZleNFR
— 🐗🇺🇸JRod The Real Rabid Hog🇺🇸🐗 (@GOTDAYUMMM1) March 5, 2025
Blake will be complimented by Pine Bluff native and Missouri transfer Courtney Crutchfield, who was the top recruit in Arkansas before signing with the Tigers. Crutchfield didn't see much playing time at Mizzou, but should see an increased role at Arkansas, where he'll have to grow up quickly.
Two more transfers in Cisse and Sharpe will also be part of Taylen Green's receiving corps. Sharpe, a redshirt senior, has made three stops in his career before Arkansas, but the most important one, as far as Arkansas is concerned, was at Missouri State, where he played under Bobby Petrino in 2022. It was at Fresno State in 2024 where Sharpe found his groove, catching 51 passes for 523 yards and three touchdowns.
Cisse also has Power-Four experience, as he played at Stanford in 2023 and 2024. In 2024, Cisse hauled in 26 passes for 241 yards with two touchdowns. If injuries in the receiving core hit Blake, Crutchfield or Sharpe, it will be Cisse who is forced to step up.
Arkansas' wide receivers are rounded out by CJ Brown, Monte Harrison and Antonio Jordan. Jordan is a true freshman, while Harrison, a 29-year-old who put together a career in the MLB, and Brown, a sophomore, provide some knowledge of Petrino's system in a receiving core that lacks it. Don't sleep on redshirt sophomore tight-end convert Shamar Easter as a potential contributor, either.
Tight End
Team | Player |
|---|---|
First | Rohan Jones |
Second | Andreas Paaske |
Third | Jaden Platt |
Jones is the favorite to be the starting tight end on Opening Day. The Montana State transfer was First Team All Big Sky in 2024 after catching 30 passes for 470 yards and nine touchdowns. At six-foot-three and 236 pounds, he's not the biggest tight end you'll ever see, but his sure hands are a necessity as Arkansas looks to fill the void left by Luke Hasz, who took his services to Ole Miss.
Paaske played at Arkansas in 2024, and like Brown and Harrison in the receiving core, provides a knowledge of Petrino's offensive system that transfer in Jones and Platt don't. Paaske didn't see much action in 2024, but his role could increase with a year of experienc under his belt.
Like Sharpe, Platt does provide some SEC experience from his days at Texas A&M. Platt scored for the Aggies against Abilene Christian in November of 2023, and while he didn't see the field in many high-stakes moments, the knowledged of what SEC football entails is invaluable in a locker room filled with transfers.
Overall, Arkansas' receiving core looks to be a strong unit that could be the driving force behind a successful 2025 campaign. Definitions of success may vary from fan to fan, but if Arkansas' receiving core goes, the rest of the team should go with it.