All Hogs

One Position Group Makes Liberty Bowl Worth Watching from Arkansas Perspective

So much to be learned, proven by ragtag group of Razorbacks receivers in Memphis this evening

Kent Smith

Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (4) scores a touchdown in the second quarter against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (4) scores a touchdown in the second quarter against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. / Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
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MEMPHIS — It's pretty well established that bowl games outside of the playoffs are meaningless to the point that they shouldn't even count toward records anymore.

However, that doesn't mean there isn't at least a little value in them. While rosters are shredded by the transfer portal and NFL draft, there is a small ray of positivity.

Buried on the depth chart are members of the roster who do want to play, or in some cases, be relied upon more. They want their moment to show what they can do in a game setting, and often bowl games are the only perfect set of circumstances to get that opportunity.

Not everyone is capable of being their best in practice, so future stars go unnoticed. There's not enough truly on the line, the stakes aren't high enough and the atmosphere is too blah to get the juices to 100% for certain players.

That's why the most interesting position group to watch this evening as Arkansas takes on Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl is going to be the Razorbacks receivers.

Isaac TeSlaa
NEEDS TO BE SEEN

TeSlaa came to Arkansas with the best hands in the game and that's still the case. Seeing him drop a pass is like seeing an albino buck deer on opening day of deer season.

It's probably happened, but no one is going to believe whoever claims to have personally witnessed it. His only issue was getting separation.

While it was a problem last season, TeSlaa has grown both in speed and as a route runner. That's why fans got so frustrated through much of the year as he ran open on numerous plays, but wasn't getting seen by new quarterback Taylen Green.

Now that SEC leading receiver Andrew Armstrong is off getting ready for the NFL, Green no longer has his crutch. Armstrong often blinded him from seeing TeSlaa, so it will be interesting to see how dominant the tandem can be now that Green should be willing to look for him.

Monte Harrison
LEAVE THE LIGHT ON

Harrison was definitely a curiosity as the season began. Having a Major League Baseball player show up on the roster as a 29-year-old freshman held intrigue.

However, there weren't a lot of opportunities for him as he adjusted to the pace and rhythm of the sport. Now, with a full season under his belt, there is a chance to do it on the field.

Harrison is listed as a starter at wide receiver. What makes this interesting is professional athletes have a propensity to not fully turn it on until the lights literally turn on for real games.

Whether there's a transformation that takes place remains to be seen, but it's unlikely Sam Pittman and Bobby Petrino will have witnessed the same player in practice they will get after a couple of plays Friday night in Memphis. This could be a coming out party for Harrison as he remembers what fun feels like when it comes to the adrenaline boost of making big plays in front of a crowd.

Shemar Easter
PUT IN RIGHT POSITION

When Easter came out of high school, he was a Top 300 recruit and the No. 1 player in Arkansas as a 6-foot-5 pass catcher with a shade over 220 pounds already on his frame. All he needed was time to grow into an SEC sized tight end.

Well, he put on a little weight, but at somewhere between 228 and 230 after a couple of seasons, Easter's size puts him at a mismatch as a tight end in the SEC. However, size is the only reason that's been given so far for him not being on the field.

While they may be contributing factors, no one has mentioned ability to catch, learn the playbook or route running as reasons Easter isn't on the field. That's why it was suggested coaches should consider moving him to receiver as a test run during the bowl game to maximize his potential, and sure enough, here he is, slated to get a few reps at wide receiver.

While Easter finds himself overmatched in situations at tight end, he becomes a major mismatch as a receiver. He's no longer a light-weight liability.

Instead, he's now a monster. His height is a problem for typically shorter defensive backs and his weight gives him a 20-50 pound advantage over the Texas Tech defensive backs.

If this experiment works out and Easter has good feet, hands and body control, he could easily go from being buried on the tight ends chart to the next breakout NFL wide receiver in the SEC. It's up to him to flash that potential Friday night, and the popcorn bags are going to be ready for snacking while on the edge of the seat to see if it happens.

CJ Brown
ROOM TO GROW

Brown has shown brief moments throughout the season that he will eventually be a star in the SEC. Unfortunately, those moments have been tinged a bit with freshman mistakes, although at least one of those might be on the coaches for putting a true freshman in a moment reserved for those who have been consistently in games.

However, mistakes are made for learning, and if Brown can show he has learned throughout the season, he could be poised for a big game.

His ability to get open and make the catch have been seen throughout the season. He just needs the chance to put it all together and show the Fayetteville native is ready to take that next step as a future leader at the position as the page turns to another season.

HOGS FEED:

• How does Arkansas intend to use Lassiter in expanded role?

• Pittman has several major concerns entering Liberty Bowl

• This Razorback Will Be Surprise Star of Liberty Bowl

• Why Are Hogs Surprisingly Favored Against Texas Tech?

• Options for improving roster beginning to run thin for Pittman

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Kent Smith
KENT SMITH

Kent Smith has been in the world of media and film for nearly 30 years. From Nolan Richardson's final seasons, former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner trying to throw to anyone and anything in the blazing heat of Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls, the first high school and college games after 9/11, to Troy Aikman's retirement and Alex Rodriguez's signing of his quarter billion dollar contract, Smith has been there to report on some of the region's biggest moments. 

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