Arkansas depth chart: Expect the best season from Arkansas tight ends in a long time
Tight end has been a staple position at Arkansas for the better part of the last 20 years.
Hunter Henry and DJ Williams were naturals for the spot as soon as they arrived in Fayetteville. Others were converts. AJ Derby. Chris Gragg.
In 2022, Arkansas will have both at the top of its depth chart as the Razorbacks look to return to the position to its pass-catching glory of the last decade.
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman and tight ends coach Dowell Loggains aren’t short on bodies. The Hogs are loaded with potential both young and old at the unit and given the changes some of the returners made, it could be group’s most successful season in the last several.
This is how the tight end hierarchy shakes out this season.
1. Trey Knox, senior
Nov 6, 2021; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Trey Knox (7) runs after a catch during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas won 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Gragg was mentioned above for a reason. Knox, too, is a converted wide receiver. He caught 28 passes there in his first college season under Chad Morris but fell into Pittman’s doghouse the next year. Then, last season, he switched to tight end and bounced back with a 20-catch year. His bulking up to 240 pounds could be a game-changer.
2. Hudson Henry, junior
Arkansas tight end Hudson Henry (82) runs against Auburn during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Health has limited Henry’s career and now, in his fourth year (a redshirt junior), the Pulaski Academy product will have to hold off the youngsters.
The 2020 season was a good for Henry when he caught 16 passes, but lingering issues remained and his total dropped to just four. He’s clearly behind Knox for the top job and may even be the third-stringer if the next player continues to rise.
3. Nathan Bax, junior
Arkansas tight end Nathan Bax (46) is seen during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Missouri Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)
Bax started his Arkansas career as a walk-on but his work ethic has lofted him beyond that. An Illinois State transfer, Bax played in just 17 offensive snaps last year, but is likely to turn into 170 or more this year.
4. Ty Washington, freshman
Washington has had one of the most impressive fall camps of any of Arkansas’ freshmen. So much so, in fact, he may not redshirt at all. His pass-catching skills are bested only by Knox and at 6-foot-4, 221 pounds, he’s built like Knox, too, instead of Henry or Bax. Still, Arkansas is probably best if it can afford to redshirt the talented first-year player from Georgia.
5. Hunter Talley, freshman
Talley will almost certainly not see the field this season, his first from Siloam Springs High School. At 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds and as a preferred walk-on, he can be slow-walked into college football.
6. The remaining
