Sam Pittman shares how Jaedon Wilson, Tyrone Broden are adapting after missing spring practices

Arkansas receivers Jaedon Wilson and Tyrone Broden have been a welcome sight at fall camp. Both players missed spring practice but are back on the field as they figure to play a key role when the season kicks off in less than a month.

Following the Razorbacks’ first practice Friday, coach Sam Pittman offered an update on how both players looked, beginning with Wilson. It seems the receiver has recovered well after suffering a cracked tibia in March as a result of a car accident.

“I think that Wilson would have a little bit because he’s been in the system,” Pittman said. “Not necessarily in not in Dan (Enos)’s system, but in our system as a team. So I wasn’t too concerned about him and he showed up today because he showed up all summer, you know.”

Wilson is set to enter his third season in Fayetteville after playing a limited role in the past two years. He appeared in just eight games in 2022, hauling in three catches for a total of 49 yards.

However, with Arkansas losing its top four receivers from this past season, Wilson has an opportunity to carve out an increased role for himself. The same can be said for Broden, who comes in as a transfer from Bowling Green.

Standing 6-foot-7, Broden is an imposing physical presence should be a difficult cover for opposing defenses. But he doesn’t bring the experience in the offense that Wilson and others do, and thus still has some catching up to do in that regard after a knee injury kept him out of spring ball.

“Broden was the one where he doesn’t understand our system, doesn’t understand the offensive system, that I felt like got hurt in the spring because of that,” Pittman said. “As far as I know without watching the tape, I know he made a few catches today and did some good things.”

The Razorbacks also have several other options to step in after the losses at receiver this offseason. Pittman has raved this offseason about redshirt freshman Isaiah Sategna, the No. 1 player from Arkansas in the 2022 class according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. Then there’s also transfer players Isaac TeSlaa and Andrew Armstrong, who will compete with Broden for time.

We’ll see how the rotation ends up playing out when Arkansas kicks off the 2023 season on Sept. 2 against Western Carolina.