Warren Native Among Potential No. 1 Receiver Option For Arkansas in Fall Camp

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When it comes to redshirt freshman Antonio "AJ" Jordan, he has as good of a pedigree as any wide receiver on the Arkansas Razorbacks 2026 roster.

It all stems from his days growing up as a Warren Lumberjack, a town known for growing its famous pink tomatoes and wide receivers.

New coach Ryan Silverfield is quite aware of the pipeline in Southeast Arkansas that has produced former Hogs such as Jarius Wright, Greg Childs, Chris Gragg, and Treylon Burks.

After missing most of the season with a high ankle sprain, the 6-foot-6, 228 pound wideout has been a steady option throughout the spring and fall camp. His emergence comes at a good time receivers coach Larry Smith is searching for a go-to pass catcher.

Arkansas Razorbacks wide receiver Antonio Jordan making a catch in preseason drills on the outdoor fields in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

Along with Jordan, there's Chris Marshall, Jamari Hawkins, CJ Brown and Donovan Faupel who are taking most of the first team reps. But they aren't the only ones making a name for themselves through the first five days of fall practice.

"You would like to say all eight to nine of those guys could strike fear," Smith said Monday. "You've got Chris Marshall, who's a prototypical X-receiver. You've got Antonio Jordan, who's still learning, but getting there. Then you've got Jamari Hawkins who can run with elite speed. CJ Brown is another guy who can run.

"You've go [Ismael Cisse] who is versatile and can line up anywhere. We also added Jelani Watkins, a sub-10 [second 100m] guy It's kind of hard to say right now. Courtney Crutchfield is starting to show up. Donovan Faupel. It's kind of hard to say right now, but we have a few of guys who can emerge and be that No. 1 wide receiver for us."

Jordan has been quite productive over the first portion of camp catching 80-20 balls, and looks for running room after the catch. In a way, that's the same case for him as last year before having to miss time for injury.

After showing off his dependability during the spring, he continued to prove how serious he is as a contributor by meeting with coaches each day to learn the ins and outs what the new staff is asking of him.

"Oh, my gosh, it's night-and-day," Smith said. "A testament to [Jordan], Every day this summer, he came in and met [with us] at noon. We met for 45 minutes. That's been huge for his development, confidence, and his knowledge of the offense. He's made huge strides from spring until now and it shows.

"In the spring, he was still learning the offense and trying to learn the offense, trying to process the information. Him coming an meeting with us every single day one-on-one time, it's been huge for AJ and his confidence."

Even his teammates are starting to take notice of Jordan's maturity level and embracing his role as a potential contributor in the receivers room.

For someone like Ismael Cisse, who missed all of the 2025 season due to injury, being able to sit back and observe everything that went on he can tell that strides are being made on and off the field.

"Definitely a maturity level for sure," Cisse said. "[Jordan and Crutchfield] had that dog in them, but somebody had to bring it out for them to do it on a consistent basis. At the end of the day, this is a business. You've got to do what coaches ask you to do, or you're out. This is a big boy league and we've all got to be ready."

That realization is all it took because Silverfield isn't afraid to challenge his players to step up, contribute or they'll be convinced to move on no matter how talented they are.

It's all about being bought it, and the way Jordan has carried himself over the last nine months under Arkansas' new coaching staff shows he is poised for a breakthrough.

"[Jordan and Cructhfield] are starting to really understand their plays, work hard in their position drills," Cisse said. "They always work hard, are definitely disciplined. The way they work, the way they listen, being attentive. Those two have definitely come a long way.

"His mentality, really trying to come in and learn the plays and understand the plays. Just trying to get him to understand he do something big and help us win games. He's locked in more mentally. You've got a 6-foot-6 receiver. There's not even SEC teams got that. Just being able to have him and his high play ability, just being more mentally prepared. He's making strides."

Past recruiting rankings mean little under the Razorbacks' new staff. It all comes down to how consistent and prepared each player can be to meet the coaching staff's standard. For Jordan, it appears that he has embraced both.

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