Ex-Stanford Receiver Officially Signs with Arkansas

Ismael Cisse garnered interest from the SEC powerhouse early on in the transfer process, and after weighing his options, he has opted to take his talents to Fayetteville where he will play out the final three years of his eligibility.

Sep 7, 2024; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal wide receiver Ismael Cisse (84) scores a touchdown against the Cal Poly Mustangs during the second half at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Former Stanford star Ismael Cisse has found a new home for the 2025 season. On Monday, Pete Nakos of On3 Sports reported that Cisse was taking his talents to the SEC and would officially sign with Arkansas for the upcoming campaign. This comes after Cisse announced a few days prior that the Razorbacks had extended him a formal offer.

Stanford wide receiver Ismael Cisse has signed with Arkansas, @On3sports has learned.

Had 241 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in 2024. https://t.co/VxSGJEUisH pic.twitter.com/L5ZT5eHDTV

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) January 7, 2025

After receiving his offer, Cisse then proceeded to take a two day visit to the school between Friday and Saturday. Seeing an opportunity to compete for a starting job right away while getting to play for arguably the most competitive conference in all of college football, Cisse expressed a strong mutual interest which ultimately led to him signing with the Razorbacks.

The Razorbacks were in the market for some receiver help, as senior and 2024 leading receiver Andrew Armstrong is all out of eligibility. Finishing the season as the SEC's overall receiving leader after he amassed 78 catches for 1,140 yards, replacing Armstrong's production immediately became the top priority for the program.

Arkansas also lost wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, who ran out of eligibility following the season and depth pieces such as Isaiah Sategna (transferred to Oklahoma), Davion Dozier (transferred to Appalachian State) and Jaedon Wilson (transferred to UCLA) among others, making Cisse's addition that much more vital.

Redshirting his true freshman season in 2023, Cisse made his college debut in 2024 and showed flashes of his potential, starting the campaign off as one of Stanford's best receivers.

Putting together a strong run of performances early on, including an eight catch for 79 yard day against Cal Poly and an eight catch game against Syracuse, Cisse then started to take more of a back seat with the emergence of freshman Emmett Mosley V.

After Mosley V made his debut, Cisse only caught two passes for 25 yards for the rest of the regular season, finishing his debut campaign with 26 catches for 241 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Coming out of Cherry Creek High School as a three-star recruit, Cisse earned offers from UNLV, Cal, USC, Colorado, Washington State and Wyoming but chose Stanford for its prestigious academics as well as its title as a Power Four school.

In four prep seasons, Cisse caught 118 passes for 2,054 yards and 22 touchdowns, being ranked as the 1,104th prospect overall and the No. 7 prospect in the state of Colorado.

Showing off one of the most dynamic offenses in college football in 2024, Cisse will join an Arkansas unit that averaged 456 yards of total offense (No. 10 in the nation) last season and was one of six power conference schools that had four or more plays of 70-plus yards. With a six-foot, 180 pound frame, Cisse brings a size and athleticism that should fit in perfectly with offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.

While it is a big deal for Stanford to lose a player like Cisse, the program has been hard at work in ensuring that it brings in viable replacements, having done just that with signings of players such as Caden High from South Carolina State and David Pantelis from Yale. Entering a pivotal year after finishing the previous four with a 3-9 record, the Cardinal are hoping that the loss of Cisse will not hurt them in the long run.