Holding the Keys: Five transfers to watch for Arkansas football in 2023

An overhauled roster, centered around two returning offensive stars and a host of transfers, has Arkansas football primed for a season with seemingly unlimited potential outcomes.

If everything comes together, Sam Pittman could ride KJ Jefferson and Raheim Sanders to his best season to date in Fayetteville.

But if the newcomers fail to live up to expectations, a brutal schedule could finish with a disappointing record in year four of the Pittman era. There is a lot of pressure on the transfers to arrive and produce immediately, filling the holes that this roster left behind in 2022.

Here’s a look at five arrivals via the transfer portal who hold the keys to a successful 2023 campaign for Arkansas football.

Jaheim Singletary, Cornerback

It’s no secret the Razorbacks struggled against opposing quarterbacks last fall. The Hogs gave up 294.7 passing yards per game, ranking last in the country. Under first-year defensive coordinator Travis Williams, there is a good chance five transfers make the two-deep in Arkansas’ secondary.

One of those transfers is Singletary, a redshirt freshman who should get the first chance to stake his claim as a starting cornerback opposite Dwight McGlothern. The Georgia transfer was the 67th-ranked recruit in the country coming out of high school in 2022, but he played in just three games for Kirby Smart last year.

Alfahiym Walcott and Lorando Johnson, a pair of transfers from Baylor, will also play huge parts in Arkansas’ hopeful improvement. But Singletary has the highest ceiling. If he can hold up one-on-one outside, that will allow Williams and his blitz-heavy defense to thrive and create havoc in the backfield.

Var’keyes Gumms, Tight End

There are plenty of signs pointing toward a big year for Gumms, who arrives from North Texas after setting single-season school records for a tight end in receptions (34) and yards (458).

The redshirt sophomore is the only tight end on the roster with meaningful experience and will replace Trey Knox, who transferred to South Carolina and was a reliable safety valve for KJ Jefferson.

But perhaps most notable is Gumms’ fit into a Dan Enos offense. In Enos’ last three seasons as an offensive coordinator at Maryland and Miami, a tight end has registered at least 35 receptions and 447 receiving yards.

Isaac TeSlaa, Wide Receiver

Not-so-guaranteed is that wide receiver who steps up to accumulate the lion’s share of targets from Jefferson. Matt Landers and Jadon Haselwood are gone, leaving 106 catches and 1,603 receiving yards up for grabs.

Andrew Armstrong and Isaiah Satenga will have their say, but TeSlaa looks like the early favorite to lead the team in receiving this year. The senior is coming off a terrific season at Hillsdale College, where he was the Great Midwest American Conference Offensive Player of the Year with 68 receptions for 1,325 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He doesn’t have any Division I experience, but TeSlaa shined during spring practice and does have a knack for highlight reel catches. 

Antonio Grier, Linebacker

Grier is a redshirt senior who arrives from the University of South Florida and has the immense responsibility of helping replace the departed Bumper Pool and Drew Sanders.

He is coming off a season-ending hand injury in 2022, but Grier was second team All-AAC in 2021, leading the Bulls in tackles (92) tackles for loss (8) and sacks (3). He’s got a great combination of speed and strength, allowing him to make one-on-one tackles and set the edge when necessary.

The Hogs do have two sophomores, Chris Paul Jr. and Jordan Crook, who started the Liberty Bowl win over Kansas. Still, there’s a lot of unproven talent in this position group, and Grier’s experience will be heavily relied upon.

Joshua Braun, Offensive Guard

Pittman and offensive line coach Cody Kennedy will hope they can tap into Braun’s past to help solidify an offensive line that will welcome three new starters this fall.

Braun, a redshirt junior from Florida, appeared in just two games in 2022 after starting seven for the Gators in 2021. A consensus four-star prospect coming out of highschool, Braun will bring some needed size (6-foot-6, 348 pounds) to the interior of the Hogs’ offensive line.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas football transfers to watch in 2023