Broden’s new look goes far beyond number change

FAYETTEVILLE — Tyrone Broden has a new look this spring.

And it goes well beyond his jersey change from No. 17 to No. 5. The second-year wide receiver from Bowling Green appears as confident as ever.

Broden, according to Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, also gained strength during the team’s offseason training. Put it all together and he’s been one of the offensive standouts in the Razorbacks’ spring drills.

“He’s not slim,” Pittman said Thursday. “He’s gained some strength, a lot of confidence. Part of his problem was reps he missed [last season] because he was injured. Him and Andrew [Armstrong] are the two guys that are like, ‘Call the play, I’ll get open, throw me the football. I’ll catch it. I don’t care who’s on me.’

“That’s where he’s gone to right now.”

Broden made perhaps the catch of Thursday’s practice. During 7-on-7 work on the turf field outside Walker Pavilion, he reeled in an over-the-shoulder deep ball from Boise State transfer quarterback Taylen Green.

Broden, going up against first-team defensive backs, laid out to make the grab. He was met with praise as he returned to the line of scrimmage.

“He’s a weapon. He’s a threat,” Pittman added. “He’s tall, he’s fast, and I believe his route running has improved as well.”

First-year receivers coach Ronnie Fouch has been impressed with the 6-7 Broden, too. Fouch relayed this week that Broden’s position flexibility is an asset.

“We’ve been putting him inside in the slot a little bit while he’s normally an outside receiver in our offense,” Fouch said. “But [I like] his ability to play in the slot and get mismatches on nickels or linebackers and hit slot fades and things like that. [We want to] just get him over the middle with such a big frame.

“[It’s an] easy throw for Taylen and the quarterbacks just to put the ball on him.”

Broden last fall finished seventh among Razorback pass catchers with 109 receiving yards. It was a far cry from his back-to-back 500-plus yard seasons with the Falcons.

Of his 15 receptions in 2023, three went for touchdowns.

Broden was not utilized as a down-the-field threat, evidenced by his 9.1 yards per game. He had just two catches greater than 15 yards, with a long of 19 in Arkansas’ narrow loss at LSU.

Fouch and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, though, plan to maximize Broden’s gifts. And those who attend Saturday morning’s open scrimmage in Razorback Stadium may see them on display.

“A lot of taller guys, they don’t have the quickest feet,” Fouch added. “But he has quick feet like [Isaiah] Sategna. Just been impressed with his talent overall.”