3 Under-the-Radar Receivers Bringing Variety to Arkansas Offense

Bentonville native thinks wide receiver room will overachieve in 2026, cites varied nature of talents on roster

Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver CJ Brown goes up for a catch in preseason practices on the outdoor fields in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — CJ Brown, junior receiver for the Razorbacks, is going to be a leader for this team. He's one of the few constants on a Hog squad in flux. But his ability to lead his teammates on the offense requires confidence. Not only in himself, but in his teammates, as well.

At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Brown makes his hay mainly from the slot. But he's shown promise in his young career. His coaches think highly of him. He told the team's official podcast on Aug. 4 that he views this season as his time to reap the rewards of his hard work.

"To me, like, my junior year, kind of like high school, like, this is your money year," Brown said. "This is where you get paid. Keeping that in my mind every day when I wake up, you know, and attacking the day with that same mindset."

Dates to know as Razorbacks begin first fall camp of Ryan Silverfield era.

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One of the things he highlighted as a strength for this squad is the variety of body types and skill sets the offense can deploy. Let's look at this impressive array of weapons Head Coach Ryan Silverfield and Offensive Coordinator Tim Cramsey have at their disposal. We found a few you might not know about.

Jamari Hawkins

Jamari Hawkins ran 7.07 in the 60 meters as a senior in high school. The kind of deep speed demands respect from the defense. It may trigger an extra safety lined up deep to mitigate that speed which could leave more space for receivers and the offense to work with underneath.

That's one way the Hogs can attack you with Hawkins on the field, Wide Receiver Coach Larry Smith told the team's official podcast July 2.

"A speedster guy, guy can take the top off," Smith said. "This will be Jamari and I's fourth year together. So, he kind of understands expectations in the room. Seeing where that kid has gone from day one to now is truly a testament to his hard work."

Courtney Crutchfield

Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Courtney Crutchfield during spring practices. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

Courtney Crutchfield comes into his junior season looking grown. The Pine Bluff native was a four-star recruit our of Pine Bluff High. He transferred from Missouri after a season and played in 11 games last season.

Smith also praised Crutchfield in that interview.

"He's changed his body," Smith said. "He's in the best shape he's ever been in. And you saw some explosiveness from Crutch this spring."

At 6-foot-2, 187 pounds, Crutchfield is a lean, long athlete with good ball skills and great speed.

Ismael Cisse

Ismael Cisse transferred to the Razorbacks in 2025. The junior is ready to prove Arkansas was right to bring him over from the Stanford Cardinal to give the offense more juice.

CJ Brown talks about the difference between KJ and AJ 🏈

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"Ismael Cissé... unfortunately had an injury last year, " Smith said. "But him coming from Stanford and the experience that he had. We're excited about him because now he's healthy."

The coaching staff likes him. As for the locker room, he's off to a good start.

"My dog, he going to be really good this year," Brown said about Cisse.

It's anyone's guess what the depth chart will look like after camp, but these receivers have serious talent.

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