FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There's no secret as to the type of offense that second-year Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino is looking to run next season.
Throughout the winter transfer period, it became more apparent that his plan was to sign multiple quick, agile wide receivers along with a couple of deep threats to create uncertainty for opposing defenses.
During that part of the off-season, one of Arkansas’ significant acquisitions was ex-Stanford wide receiver Ismael Cisse. It seemed he was about to make his mark as a sophomore in Palo Alto, California.
Cisse, once a three-star recruit from Englewood, California, was listed as the No. 1,104 overall prospect in the 2023 class. He also held rankings at No. 157 for wide receivers and No. 7 for athletes within Colorado. based on the 247Sports Composite Rankings .
At the beginning of the season, he was among Stanford's leading receivers, recording 24 catches for 214 yards and scoring two touchdowns over the initial six games.
In the latter part of the year, he remained relatively unnoticed with just two catches recorded.
Cisse has outperformed everyone in this aspect so far," Petrino stated on April 10. "He has made numerous appearances, especially when it comes to making plays downfield and showing competitiveness by going after the ball.
We should ensure he runs routes more regularly and effectively, always reaching the proper depth. I believe this could significantly enhance his performance within the offensive scheme.
A major aspect for him will be enhancing his ability to extend plays following a catch.
He managed slightly over nine yards per reception within a Stanford passing offense that wasn’t particularly strong, placing at number 105 nationwide with an average of 191 yards per game.
[Cisse] needs to play a significant role in our offensive strategy," remarked Arkansas coach Sam Pittman during spring training. "He has demonstrated his worth through his dedicated practices so far.
He’s an experienced player who keeps to himself without talking much, yet he stands out as strong and solid. While he isn’t exceptionally tall—definitely under 6 feet 5 inches—he is quite large. His strength is noticeable, and he has excellent catching skills. Therefore, I believe he will play a significant role in our offensive strategy.
Cisse ended up with an offensive rating of 63.2, a passing score of 63.5, and a running block score of 57.2 over 381 plays, as reported by Pro Football Focus.
When he was a recruit, Cisse joined the Cardinal team after being rated as a three-star prospect within the 2023 recruiting class. He chose Stanford over various west coast institutions including Cal, Colorado, Colorado State, UNLV, USC, and Washington State.
The Arkansas team’s offensive performance ranked highly nationally with an average of 456 yards gained per game (placing them No. 10 in FBS), scoring 31 points each game (ranking No. 43 in FBS), and their aerial attack averaging 275 yards per contest (at No. 18 in FBS).
As Arkansas' quarterback Taylen Green returns, along with his proven capability to perform effectively when pressured, this could enable Cisse to become even more dynamic in 2025.
HOGS FEED:
This piece was initially released on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Cisse possesses breakout potential within Petrino's offensive strategy. .
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