Arkansas Football: 3 early signees who’ll have immediate impacts in 2021

Sam Pittman is building a solid program with Arkansas football and his second recruiting class is off to a good start. Who’ll have an instant impact?

Year one of the Sam Pittman era can be considered a success despite a 3-7 record. Arkansas won three more SEC games in 2020 than it had over the previous two seasons under Chad Morris. That has to be considered a win.

While Pittman has proven to be a more than adequate coach for Arkansas on the field, he’s also looking like one of the better recruiters of all first-year head coaches.

Arkansas was more competitive on the field in year one of Pittman and the Razorbacks are also putting up fights in the recruiting landscape. Pittman’s first class was ranked 30th in the country and his second one (2021) is currently ranked No. 21. All 22 commits have signed in the early period and there may still be more targets left on the board, but things are looking good here.

Which early signees will have instant impacts in 2021?

Not exactly the biggest position of need, Ketron Jackson will still find a way to impact the receiving corps.

Treylon Burks might be one of the best receivers in the SEC and could be one of the top wide outs in college football next season and Trey Knox had a disappointing season but the talent is there to form a nice one-two punch. Mike Woods should also be back after a big season and that means someone like Jackson could break into the mold as a backup wide out.

With a new quarterback in place, Arkansas is going to need some top-tier receivers and they’ll give that to KJ Jefferson with Burks, Knox, Woods and now Jackson.

Jackson isn’t enrolling early, but he’s the Razorbacks’ top-ranked 2021 signee and he has all the tools to be an elite receiver. He’s ranked the No. 160 prospect in the class as well as the 26th-best receiver, according to the composite. Don’t be shocked when he becomes a star in Fayetteville early on.