Petrino Can't Help But Grin When Speaking on Receiver Depth

Position that seemed questionable after last season has developed nicely under Hogs' new OC

Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino during a practice in Fayetteville, Ark. / Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Seeing how Bobby Petrino talks about his offensive unit can breathe optimism into anyone. As he spoke about his group of unheralded wideouts, Petrino could do nothing but grin about the talent at the position.

With Andrew Armstrong, Tyrone Broden and Isaiah Sategna getting most of the attention, oftentimes back-ups are forgotten as key fixtures themselves. Arkansas added a few quality weapons, whether it be through the transfer portal or recruiting this offseason, with a few impressing Petrino.

"There's quite a few who have stood out," Petrino said following Tuesday's practice. "Monte [Harrison], our 29-year-old wide receiver, he's a lot of fun. Big, strong guy, he's great around our players. Played in Major League. First things players do nowadays is Google someone. They'll watch him steal a home run in centerfield, so there's immediately credibility. He practices hard, catches the ball and runs good routes. He's definitely going to help us and play a lot."

Redshirt freshman Davion Dozier appeared in last year's season opener and caught a touchdown on his first target from former back-up Jacolby Criswell. He's made a highlight or two with one-handed snags during fall camp and is also another receiver to keep an eye on as the season creeps near.

"[Davion] Dozier has done a really nice job," Petrino said. "He broke his arm in the spring, had to have it casted and missed a lot of time in June. It's great to have him back out. He has a great body with big hands, understands the game of football and can make big plays for us."

South Florida transfer Khafre Brown was an underrated addition via the portal during the spring. He was a key piece to the Bulls' revitalized offense under new coach Alex Golesh. He caught 27 passes for 435 yards and five touchdowns a season ago and is still adapting to Arkansas' new offense.

"Khafre [Brown] is a really, really good player, but has a lot to learn about the offense," Petrino said. "He's certainly going to stand out."

After he continued down his list of receivers, Petrino finally made it to true freshman and Bentonville native C.J. Brown. With a grin and chipper tone of voice, he praised the young wideout's active fall camp.

"Oh yeah, C.J [Brown]," Petrino smirked. "He's jumped in there and makes all kinds of plays. He's got unbelievable talent. He can run, catch, run after the catch. He just has to fight through fatigue. Sometimes the older you get, the better you fight through fatigue. Once he can do that, he can stay on the field a lot more than he can right now because he gets fatigued. He's not used to having to concentrate and focus. It's a lot harder than in high school with the amount of plays and intensity."

Brown finished high school just outside 4-star range as a recruit after catching 55 passes for 1,254 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior. He displayed an ability to stretch the field as anyone around the country last year averaging nearly 23 yards per catch.

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• Recent ranking underscores pressure on Razorback transfer

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