Normally, if any given team loses its top two receivers from the previous season, and a third wideout that was a steady contributor, one might think that squad would be lacking the following year. But Arkansas isn’t the norm when it comes to receivers. The Hogs are three, even four deep at that spot, and will see little to no drop off just one year after losing Jarius Wright, Joe Adams, and Greg Childs. Arguably for the past two seasons, the Hogs have been dubbed WR U.

Arkansas’ most experienced returner is Cobi Hamilton (6’3″ 210 lbs. 4.4). The senior to-be from Texarkana, Texas, was the third leading pass-catcher for the Razorbacks in 2011, and he will be the focal point of Arkansas’ receivers in 2012. Hamilton is big, fast, shifty, smart, and he seems to have sandpaper stuck to his hands because he catches everything thrown his way.

Another of those starters will be sophomore Marquel Wade (5’11″ 185 lbs. 4.3) of Jacksonville, Florida, if he can put his legal troubles behind him and fly right.

Two other potential starters are juniors Julian Horton (6’1″ 195 lbs. 4.4) of Norcross, Georgia, and Javontee Herndon (6’1″ 190 lbs. 4.4), also from Jacksonville. Both Horton and Herndon caught passes for the Hogs last season. Both are very talented, but neither has a lot of expereince.

Sophomore Keante Minor (6’0″ 195 lbs. 4.4) from East St. Louis, Missouri, is another playmaker that has potential, and he should see an increased role in the passing game.

There are five newcomers to the Arkansas receiving corps this fall (one JUCO transfer and four freshmen), and all of them will be given the chance to contribute.

JUCO transfer Demetrius Wilson (6’3″ 185 lbs. 4.4) out of Glendale (Arizona Community College) is the first flanker that comes to mind. Wilson is long, fast, and is an excellent route runner.

Keon Hatcher (6’2″ 205 lbs. 4.4) could very well be the next great receiver for Arkansas. After hauling in 100 passes for 1,610 yards and 20 TD his senior season at Owasso, Oklahoma, this 4-star recruit has all of the tools to flourish in the Razorback offense.

Of the other three signees, I would look for maybe one other to vye for playing time while the other two redshirt. Mekale McKay (6’6″ 195 lbs. 4.4) of Louisville, Kentucky, D’Arthur Cowan (6’3″ 180 lbs. 4.5) of Olive Branch, Mississippi, and Eric Hawkins (6’0″ 175 lbs. 4.25) of Longview, Texas, will fight for playing time.

Arkansas’ tight ends are basically over-sized receivers. Paul Petrino will utilize every position to his advantage, and one huge advantage is senior Chris Gragg (6’3″ 240 lbs. 4.5). Gragg is in the same mold as former Razorback tight end D. J. Williams, who won the Mackey Award in 2010 as the nation’s best TE.

Gragg caught 41 passes for 518 yards and 2 TD in 2011. He is a huge mismatch for opposing linebackers. Look for him to improve on those stats in 2012.

Behind Gragg, the Hogs have a blocking TE, and two highly talented, yet unproven freshmen.

Junior Austin Tate (6’6″ 255 lbs. 4.7) of Harrison, Arkansas, is better suited to block opposing players. The good thing about Tate is that he can actually catch the football.

The two freshmen will be Demetrius Dean (6’3″ 250 lbs. 4.6) of Fayetteville and redshirter Brett Weir (6’5″ 250 lbs. 4.5) of Ontario, Canada. Weir is new to the position and still has plenty to learn. Dean was unstoppable in high school, catching passes from former high school teammate and current Razorback redshirt freshman QB Brandon Allen.

All-in-all, Arkansas should have no trouble matriculating the ball up and down the field with their passing attack, especially with Tyler Wilson throwing the ball to these receivers and tight ends. When you add in the intangibles, such as route running and downfield blocking, you will be hard pressed to find a better receiving corps in the SEC.

In the next Arkansas Breakdown, we will look at the Quarterbacks and Running Backs.

Defensively, Arkansas only loses one defensive lineman, but DE Jake Bequette is a huge loss.  Bequette led the team in sacks with a total of 10 and he forced five fumbles.  The Razorbacks also lose their best linebacker in Jerry Franklin.  Franklin led the team in tackles with 101 total tackles.  Arkansas loses a total of 6 defensive backs  It will be difficult to replace the production of Safety Tramain Thomas.  Thomas was second on the team in tackles with 91, and he led the team in interceptions with five.  Jerico Nelson and Greg Gatson are two other DBs that will be tough to find replacements for.

Needs Met: Arkansas filled all of their positions of needs with a warm body, but there are no real ground-breaking players in this class.  Up front the Razorbacks signed two offensive linemen in Cordale Boyd and Jeremy Ward, and it is a safe bet that both guys are destined for a redshirt.  They signed two RBs and I really like Jonathan Williams who could add quality depth to the running back stable.  The Razorbacks spent most of their offensive scholarships on wide receivers since that’s where their biggest losses were.  They signed four WRs, including Demetrius Wilson, who is a JUCO guy that could have an immediate impact.  However, don’t be surprised to see true freshmen Keon Hatcher or D’Arthur Cowan on the field next year.  Both guys are big possession type receivers that Arkansas will need.

Defensively, Arkansas used seven scholarships on defensive linemen.  The Razorbacks signed bookend defensive ends from Vigor High School in Alabama.  JaMichael Winston and Darius Philon (both from Vigor) are going to be great players, but rumors about Philon’s health will have fans waiting to see if they are true or not.  Austin Flynn is a speed rush JUCO defensive linemen that will probably be in the rotation next year.  The Razorbacks signed three linebackers, with Otha Peters looking ready to come in and contribute next year.  They also signed four defensive backs, and Jared Collins brings a ton of speed that could get him on the field next year.

Biggest Get: Jonathan Williams is a great back out of Texas that will be a quality back-up next year, but I think he could be a starter his second year.

Biggest Miss: Dorial Green-Beckham.  It looked as if Arkansas had DGB locked up prior to signing day, but Missouri kept the best recruit in the country at home.  This loss hurts bad, because the Razorbacks were looking to replace three productive receivers.

Final Evaluation: This class is not bad, but it’s not great either.  If the Razorbacks want to finally get over the hump and beat Alabama and LSU on a yearly basis, they are going to have to out-recruit those teams.  This recruiting class is not better than Alabama’s or LSU’s, and it’s not even the third-best class in the SEC West.

Final Grade:  C+

Other 2012 Signing Report Cards:

• Alabama Crimson Tide: A+
• Auburn Tigers: A-
• Florida Gators: A+
• Georgia Bulldogs: A
• Kentucky Wildcats: C
• Missouri Tigers: C+
• Ole Miss Rebels: C