Pine Bluff wide receiver Courtney Crutchfield was the top-rated player on the Class of 2024 Arkansas commitment list for months. Then, in early November, he said he was re-opening recruitment.
Fast-forward six weeks and the player on which the Razorbacks had hung their proverbial hat officially spurned Arkansas. Crutchfield committed to the Hogs’ biggest (sort of) rival, Missouri, on Tuesday, just one day before early signing day.
Crutchfield, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the Natural State, is the second top-five recruit from Arkansas to commit to Missouri, joining Valley View’s Bryan Huff. The Razorbacks themselves have two of the five in No. 1 Charleston Collins and No. 4 Braylen Russell. Quarterback Walker White of Little Rock Christian is committed to Auburn.
The loss of Crutchfield was not unexpected, but was another blow in what has been a poor offseason for Arkansas. The Razorbacks hired offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino less than a month ago, but have since lost four commitments from their recruiting class and are ranked 14th out of 16 SEC teams.