When Arkansas released its depth chart for Friday's matchup against Texas Tech in the Liberty Bowl, the wide receiver group looked much different than it did in the regular season.

The usual starting trio of Andrew Armstrong (declared for NFL Draft), Tyrone Broden and Isaiah Sategna (transfer portal) was nowhere to be found, while super senior Isaac TeSlaa, walk-on former pro baseball player Monte Harrison and true freshman CJ Brown were listed as the starters.

Despite not being listed on the official depth chart released by the team, Broden will be available against the Red Raiders, according to head coach Sam Pittman. The super senior from Detroit caught 15 passes for 197 yards and one touchdown in the regular season.

"Broden's had some personal issues as well that we knew about, and so he's been back for the last couple of practices, and so he'll be available," Pittman said Monday.

Pittman did reveal Monday that wide receiver Jordan Anthony, a transfer from Texas A&M, will not be available for the bowl game, due to family issues. The 5-foot-10, 162-pound track athlete caught eight passes for 111 yards and one score this year.

"He's got some family issues at home that are very serious that he needs to be home and taking care of that," Pittman said.

Armstrong (1,140 yards) and Sategna (491 yards) were the top-2 pass catchers on the team for quarterback Taylen Green this year, plus tight end Luke Hasz — who transferred to Ole Miss — led the team with four receiving touchdowns.

With those guys gone, the Hogs will need to see plenty of unproven guys step up against a Texas Tech team that ranks 132nd nationally in pass yards allowed per game (305.3).

"CJ Brown will be one of them," Pittman said Dec. 12. "Monte Harrison will be one of them. Obviously, Isaac TeSlaa is playing in the game... Dazmin James, Krosse Johnson and then Bryce Stephens. I think we're gonna look at Shamar Easter a little bit at wideout as well."

Quarterback Taylen Green, who has thrown for 2,813 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, said there have been plenty of new faces everywhere.

"Everybody's getting their opportunity, and that's what I love," Green said Dec. 17. "And they're stepping up, with new targets like CJ, Monte and Shamar has been looking really good, too. And TeSlaa has been looking amazing, too."

Arkansas and Texas Tech will kickoff at 6 p.m. CT Friday at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Login to view embedded media
Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said Monday that freshman running back Braylen Russell is with the team and will be available to play in Friday's Liberty Bowl matchup against Texas Tech at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis.

Russell withdrew his name from the transfer portal Saturday for the second time since the end of the regular season after taking a visit to Ole Miss on Friday. Russell first entered the portal Dec. 10, but he reversed course the same day and then entered the portal again Dec. 15 before withdrawing the most recent time.

According to Pittman, he and Russell have an agreement that this is the last time the former four-star recruit will change course.

"He texted me and said 'Coach, I'd like to talk to you,' and that was after the second time he entered the portal," Pittman said. "Obviously we had an agreement there about... because the look wasn't good on him, nor me or the program. If we were going to have him back, we wanted to make sure that it was the last and final time. I felt good about that. He felt good about that. That's kind of what happened."

Russell totaled 304 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 47 carries as a freshman this season. His best game came at Mississippi State, when he ran the ball 16 times for 175 yards in starter Ja'Quinden Jackson's absence due to injury.

Pittman said that Russell somehow managed to be available for at least half of the team's bowl practices so far, despite being in the portal twice and visiting a conference rival.

"I think he's been to over half of them," Pittman said. "He's ready to go. He's obviously practiced Sunday and practiced today. He may have been to about four of them to this point. He's in good shape. He's looked good in practice."

A 6-foot-1, 253-pound Benton native, Russell is a highly-touted four-star prospect out of Benton High School and chose the Hogs over Arizona, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, South Carolina and others.

Russell is one of four scholarship running backs available for the bowl game, including Rodney Hill, Tyrell Reed Jr. and JuJu Pope. The Razorbacks and Red Raiders will kickoff at 6 p.m. CT Friday on ESPN.

Login to view embedded media
We'll have updates from Sam Pittman ITT beginning around 4:30.