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Arkansas football positional previews: Healthy Hasz set to lead tight ends

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Arkansas football positional previews: Healthy Hasz set to lead tight ends

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There are 10 weekends remaining until the return of Arkansas football.

The Razorbacks open the 2024 season in Little Rock against UAPB. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. (ESPNU) on Thursday, Aug. 29.

Arkansas is coming off a disappointing 4-8 campaign that saw offensive coordinator Dan Enos get fired midseason and the eventual transfers of KJ Jefferson and Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders, two faces of the program.

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In response, the Hogs hired Bobby Petrino and hit the transfer portal, bringing in plenty of newcomers for what feels like an all-important season for head coach Sam Pittman.

Over the next month, the Southwest Times Record will run positional previews twice a week, asking two questions and providing one bold prediction. We tackled the quarterback, running back and wide receivers positions earlier this week.

Here’s a look at the tight ends entering 2024.

Is there a clear starter at tight end for Arkansas football?

Luke Hasz is the best tight end on the roster and is one of the best at his position across the country. Hasz’s 89.5 grade by Pro Football Focus was the highest of any returning tight end inside the league entering 2024.

The star from Oklahoma caught 16 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns over five games. His season came to a close after sustaining a broken collarbone against Texas A&M, but Hasz was still named to The Athletic’s Midseason Freshman All-America team. He had a coming-out party against LSU, catching six passes for 116 yards and two scores.

Hasz returned healthy this spring and figures to benefit from Petrino’s return. Two of the greatest individual seasons by a tight end in Arkansas history — coming from DJ Williams in 2008 and 2010 — were with Petrino at the helm.

What’s the plan for the backups?

In truth, this position is loaded. Ty Washington shined in Hasz’s absence before Washington himself sustained a season-ending injury in 2023. Var’keyes Gumms was a highly touted transfer out of North Texas who had a terrific spring.

There’s also Eastern Michigan transfer Andreas Paaske, who will play in run-blocking situations, and rising sophomore Shemar Easter is one of the best recruits Pittman has signed in Fayetteville.

There are almost too many options. It will be a challenge each week for Pittman and tight ends coach Morgan Turner to find enough snaps for everyone, but Hasz will be the focal point.

One bold prediction: Luke Hasz sets school record

Hasz had 239 receiving yards through the first four games of 2023. That pace over the course of a full season would have given Hasz 717 receiving yards as a freshman.

The school record for most receiving yards in a single season by a tight end is 739, set by Hunter Henry in 2015. Hasz will eclipse that mark this fall and be a finalist for the Mackey Award, which honors the nation’s best tight end.

What the coaches said this spring

“I like what I’ve seen from Gumms. I think he’s a guy, he’s a playmaker. He’s got to get where he’s doing everything right and understand what he’s doing, but he’s really, really competitive. He wants the ball and he works hard to get it, and he makes yards after contact.”

— Bobby Petrino on tight end Var’keyes Gumms.

Projected depth chart

  • Luke Hasz, sophomore
  • Ty Washington, redshirt sophomore
  • Var’keyes Gumms, redshirt junior
  • Andreas Paaske, senior
  • Shemar Easter, redshirt freshman
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