Injury report:Arkansas Razorbacks key player will not player again

admin | December 3, 2023 | Arkansas Razorbacks | No Comments

How Arkansas football intends to replicate the output of a sidelined tight end once more

For the Arkansas football program in 2023, the tight end position room has been a source of both discovery and suffering.

Two of the Razorbacks’ most effective pass catchers this season have been rookie Luke Hasz and redshirt freshman Ty Washington. However, both players have injuries that have kept them out of action for the entire campaign. While Washington performed admirably through four games, he suffered a dislocated shoulder in the most recent game against Florida. Hasz broke his clavicle in the loss to Texas A&M.

That combination has resulted in 5 touchdowns and 423 receiving yards. These figures represent about 25% of what Arkansas’s pass catchers have produced so far this season. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, Arkansas needs another player in that room, and that game is this Saturday against Auburn.

“I think someone will step up and play really well,” stated Sam Pittman, the head coach of Arkansas. “There might be three or two of them. I have faith in that group.”

Var’keyes Gumms, a transfer from North Texas who hasn’t made the kind of impact many anticipated when he announced his decision to play for Pittman, is the front-runner to start. Gumms was unable to secure a consistent spot near the top of the depth chart, while Hasz secured the starting position early in fall camp and never looked back.

Gumms only has two catches this year, but he made an impression on Pittman during the Hogs’ 39-36 victory over Florida in overtime. Pittman claimed that Gumms outplayed the Gators in his most physical performance of the season, and that his influence in the run game may result in additional targets for KJ Jefferson.

“If you’re able to block and catch, you’re going to have opportunities for more plays on the field,” Pittman stated.

Although neither Nathan Bax nor Francis Sherman has a reception this year, they should both play against Auburn. While freshman Shemar Easter still needs to improve in the blocking department before seeing the field, walk-on Hunter Talley will suit up on Saturday.

Playing more formations without a tight end is another option, and one Pittman stated would be used against Auburn. Against Florida, Arkansas had some success using four wide receivers, especially in the fourth quarter when the Razorbacks needed to make quick drives.

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Players like Tyrone Broden, Jaedon Wilson, and Isaiah Sategna get more snaps in those formations. All three of those players made crucial catches; Broden’s touchdown against the Gators was the game-winning one.

Additionally, without a tight end, there might be fewer defenders in the box to thwart Jefferson and Rocket Sanders’ running game.

“You want to put your best talent on the field as much as you possibly can,” Pittman stated. “There are some runs you can’t run without a tight end on the field, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a running game.”

This season, Arkansas has already endured a taxing four-game road trip, dealt with the loss of its offensive coordinator, and gone five games without an injured Sanders. Addition of Washington to Hasz’s injury list is bad news for a season that is nearing its end in terms of bowl eligibility.