When it rains, it pours for Arkansas football and head coach Sam Pittman as the Hogs currently have more players in the transfer portal than any other Power Four school.
Arguably the most shocking departure from that group was sophomore tight end Luke Hasz. After bursting onto the scene as a freshman by putting up 253 receiving yards in just five games before breaking his collarbone, expectations were through the roof entering 2024.
Offensive coordinator Dan Enos had been replaced by passing savant Bobby Petrino, and Morgan Turner, who has a pedigree for producing NFL talent at Stanford, was entering his second season coaching the tight ends.
But that anticipation didn’t translate into reality, as Hasz registered 26 catches for 324 yards and four touchdowns in 2024 – underwhelming numbers considering he essentially had three times as many games this season compared to last. His yards per game dropped from 50.6 as a freshman to just 29.45. He finished as the team’s fourth-leading receiver behind wideouts Andrew Armstrong, Isaiah Sategna and Isaac TeSlaa.
The inexplicable lack of targets along with the team’s disappointing results in the last two seasons likely contributed to Hasz choosing to seek out better opportunities. After a pair of surprising dismissals, the Hogs are especially light at tight end now.
Ty Washington was booted off the team after refusing to enter the game from a combination of frustration over playing time and grief over family tragedy. North Texas transfer Var’Keyes Gumms was also dismissed after a disagreement between himself and Pittman and the team’s medical staff.
All told, the Razorbacks now have just two scholarship tight ends heading into next year – meaning there’s a big ol’ “help wanted” sign on the door to that position room.
How the Hogs’ TE Room Looks Heading into 2025
Shamar Easter now emerges as the returning Razorback with the most weight on his shoulders. A former consensus four-star prospect, Easter was the top recruit in the state of Arkansas in the Class of 2023 and the No. 7 tight end nationally according to most recruiting outlets. The Ashdown native redshirted in 2023 and registered limited playing time this season, catching just one pass for 16 yards.
Andreas Paaske transferred in from Eastern Michigan last offseason, and primarily served as a blocking tight end. He caught just three passes for 19 yards, though two of them were for touchdowns. The Hogs are set to have four walk-ons in the room, including fullbacks, but none of them registered any stats this season. One of those walk-ons is redshirt freshman Maddox Lassiter, who carved out a small role on special teams and short-yardage situations. The Warren native might have done enough to be placed on scholarship next season.
Paaske gives Petrino and Turner an experienced body for jumbo sets, and Easter has the potential to jump into a prominent role as a redshirt sophomore. But either way, the Hogs need more numbers, talent and experience in the tight end room. The transfer portal pickings are relatively slim right now, but here’s a look at some potential candidates to fill that void.
Power Four Targets for Arkansas’ TE Void
If the Hogs are looking for SEC-caliber talent at tight end, they don’t have to look further than one state over with Oklahoma’s Bauer Sharp. He transferred to OU last offseason after starting his career at Southeast Louisiana. This season, the 6-foot-4 junior led the Sooners in receptions and receiving yards, totaling 42 catches for 324 yards and two touchdowns as their starting tight end.
Texas A&M’s Jaden Platt is another option from within the SEC. A former four-star in the 2023 class, Platt has struggled for playing time in College Station, totaling just two career catches so far. He did not see any action against Arkansas in either Southwest Classic he was a part of. The rising redshirt sophomore is set to visit Arkansas this weekend.
A former blue-chip prospect looking to break out in his third season? Platt has some parallels with Easter in that regard. The 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman also played for Petrino at A&M in 2023 and was offered by the Hogs out of high school, so there’s an obvious connection to leverage. Petrino’s Aggie ties helped land wide receiver Jordan Anthony last offseason, and could come in handy again this time around.
A high-profile option from the Big Ten is Purdue’s Max Klare. The Boilermakers went just 1-11 this season, but Klare was a bright spot, leading the team in receiving by a wide margin with 51 catches for 685 yards and four touchdowns. For his efforts, he received All-Big Ten honors.
Widely considered the top tight end in the portal, he’s sure to generate a lot of interest within the conference – and he’s also set to visit Texas A&M soon. The 6-foot-4 sophomore will miss out on the chance to play for former Arkansas assistant Barry Odom, Purdue’s new head coach, but he’ll be one of the top tight ends in the portal.
Small-School Options Who Could Jump Up to Arkansas
There are also a number of literal and figurative sleeping giants at the Group of Five and FCS level that Arkansas could target. One such option is Ball State’s Tanner Koziol, who totaled a whopping 94 catches for 839 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024. Standing at 6-foot-7, the junior is a big body with a huge catch radius.
He’s listed as 247 Sports’ No. 3 transfer tight end, just behind Hasz. Koziol will take visits to Houston and Wisconsin in the coming weeks.
The Razorbacks are already making inroads with another Group of Five standout in Louisiana’s Terrance Carter Jr., who’s been offered by the staff. Carter posted 48 catches for 689 yards and four scores as a sophomore this season.
An option from the Division II ranks who’s also received an offer from the Hogs is Northwest Missouri State’s Zach Atkins. The 6-foot-4 sophomore posted 18 catches for 179 yards and three touchdowns this season. While he can surely fill out a spot in the tight end room, Arkansas will need a heavier hitter to lead the way and start.
One such stud is Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr., who put up absurd numbers this season, finishing with 100 receptions for 1,342 yards and nine touchdowns. Not only did he lead all tight ends in receiving yards, but he was second in the nation including all pass-catchers – behind only San Jose State wide receiver Nick Nash.
That puts the 6-foot-4 junior in clear consideration for the NFL Draft, but he actually receives mixed reviews from scouts. CBS has him as the second-best tight end in the class, but PFF and Walter Football don’t even have him on their boards. That’s likely due to the weaker level of competition he’s faced, but even against high-major opposition Fannin has shown out – he had 11 receptions for 137 yards and a score against Penn State this year.
That has him reportedly leaning towards returning to college, which makes him an obvious candidate for a transfer. If that ends up being the case, Arkansas should be all over Fannin.
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Inside Arkansas breaks down how the Hogs’ portal losses affect their bowl game against Texas Tech:
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