Category: Arkansas recruiting

Four-star quarterback Malachi Singleton commits to Arkansas

Arkansas grabs their first quarterback of the 2023 recruiting class in four-star Malachi Singleton.

One of the top recruiting classes in the 2023 cycle just found their missing piece, a reliable signal caller.

That’s what head coach [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] and the Arkansas Razorbacks received on Monday, when four-star dual-threat quarterback [autotag]Malachi Singleton[/autotag] “called the hogs”, making his commitment to the program live on CBS Sports.

Singleton, a quarterback from North Cobb High School in Acworth, Ga., completed 168 of 226 passes for 2,348 yards during his junior season in 2021 while rushing for an additional 1,037 yards. He was difficult to keep out of the end zone, as he combined to score 49 touchdowns.

Andrew Ivans of 247sports says that Singleton has a knack for making big plays:

Has plenty of experience running RPOs and is the type of quarterback that’s a threat to score almost anytime he calls his own number as he’s difficult to bring down both in the box and out in the open field. Pocket awareness is a strength at this stage in his development as his internal clock will bail him out of trouble more times than not. Shows some touch on his deep shots and understands how to step into throws in order to generate velocity.

Singleton is the first quarterback to commit to Arkansas for 2023, the class that was ranked sixth-best in the country prior to Singleton’s commitment. He is also the second player from the Atlanta-metro area to commit to Arkansas, joining linebacker Everett Roussaw of Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Ga.

Singleton ranks as the No. 24 quarterback for the Class of 2023, and the No. 19 prospect in all of Georgia. Singleton chose Arkansas over UCF, Miami, and in-state program and defending national champion, Georgia.

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Arkansas makes the top-5 for one of nation’s top running backs

One of the nation’s best recruiting classes for the 2023 cycle could see a boost if this prospect chooses Arkansas.

One of the nation’s top recruiting classes has the potential to grow.

Cedrick Baxter Jr., a 2023 four-star running back from Edgewater High School in Orlando, Fla. recently released his recruiting top-five, and Arkansas makes the cut.

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Joining Arkansas are fellow SEC squads in Texas A&M and Florida, as well as Texas and Miami.

According to Andrew Ivans of 247sports, Baxter has the potential to be used as for power, or as a feature back.

Does a nice job of navigating his way through traffic and will use swift little cuts to get around defenders. More than capable of breaking multiple arms tackles and seems to always be falling forward. Top-end speed a bit of a question mark without much track or testing data, but has shown that he can get to the edge and win his fair share of foot races.

During his 11th grade season, Baxter rushed for 1,718 yards and 26 touchdowns on 202 carries. According to 247sports, Baxter has taken two unofficial visits to Arkansas since his recruiting began, with his most recent coming on April 16, the same day as the spring scrimmage.

Baxter is currently rated as a four-star running back. He is currently the No. 2 running back in the nation, and the no. 7 prospect from the state of Florida. Arkansas is anticipating the commitment of another top prospect, as four-star quarterback Malachi Singleton is set to announce his commitment on April 25. 

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Arkansas Football in the running to land Georgia quarterback

The no. 3 recruiting class for 2023 could improve by landing four-star quarterback Malachi Singleton, who announces his commitment on April 25.

The 2023 signing class has the chance to improve with the possible addition of a four-star rated quarterback.

[autotag]Malachi Singleton[/autotag], a 6-1, 220-pound quarterback from Acworth, Ga. will announce his commitment on Monday, April 25, and the Razorbacks appear to be the front runner to land him.

Singleton has received five crystal ball predictions from 247sports this month, with the most recent coming Tuesday from Andrew Ivans and Phillip Dukes, both are 100% accurate in predicting the landing spot for athletes from the 2023 class.

The signal-caller from North Cobb High School may have given a hint to his college destination by tweeting out an epic highlight tape that mixed his junior-season highlights with the calls of Arkansas Football play-by-play announcer Chuck Barrett.

Singleton had a remarkable junior season in 2021, completing 75% of his passes for 2,316 yards and 24 touchdowns, while running for 1,018 additional yards and 25 touchdowns. He led North Cobb to a 10-2 record, with an appearance in the second round of the GHSA Class 6A playoffs.

If Arkansas were to land Singleton, he would be the second commit from the state of Georgia for 2023. Three-star rated linebacker Everett Roussaw of Cedar Grove, Ga. announced his pledge to Arkansas on January 23, one day after tight end Luke Hasz announced his commitment to the Razorbacks.

Arkansas joins Georgia, Miami, and UCF in the hunt for Singleton, who will announce his college destination live on CBS Sports HQ on April 25.

Arkansas Basketball leads SEC in five-star signees

According to 247sports, eight five-star recruits from the 2022 cycle have signed with SEC programs. Who are they, and where are they going?

The Southeastern Conference has become a hotbed for top talent across the nation. That does not change for the 2022 recruiting cycle, as the conference leads all other conferences in five-star signees.

There are 29 five-star recruits for the class of 2022 according to 247sports, eight of those talented athletes have elected to sign with members of the SEC. Perennial power Kentucky has signed a couple, and risers Alabama and Auburn have signed their share of top talent as well. But, there is one program that outshines the rest of the conference in recruiting for the year.

With the signing of [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] on Wednesday, Arkansas now takes the top spot in the SEC with three five-star signees to join their programs for next year.

Black joins [autotag]Nick Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] as five-star rated athletes by 247sports for the Class of 2022. Black announced his commitment on March 28 during the Powerade Slamfest during McDonald’s All-American week in Chicago, Ill. 

The eight five-star athletes are split among four programs: Arkansas (3), Kentucky (2), Alabama (2), and Auburn (1). Here is a look at the eight five-stars that have signed with SEC schools:

It’s official: Anthony Black is a Razorback

Anthony Black becomes the third five-star signee for Arkansas Basketball for the 2022 cycle.

While there was zero doubt about the commitment status of [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag], who announced his verbal commitment during McDonald’s All-American week in March, it is nice to know that pen has officially met paper.

On Wednesday, the five-star guard from Duncanville, Texas officially signed with Arkansas, giving the Razorbacks three five-star signees for the 2022 recruiting cycle.

While signing to Arkansas is a huge deal in itself, having a special guest at your signing makes it better. Especially, when it is a Razorback legend.

[autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag], who played at Arkansas during the 2019-20 season and currently plays professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers, joined Black at his signing ceremony at Duncanville High School.

Black is the No. 22 overall prospect for the Class of 2022, and is rated as the No. 3 point guard and No. 3 overall prospect from the state of Texas. Black is the third five-star to sign with Arkansas for the 2022 cycle, joining [autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag], and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag].

Luke Brown becomes Arkansas’ top-rated offensive line recruit

Luke Brown is the 11th commit in Arkansas’ Class of 2023, the third-ranked class in the country.

[autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] and the Arkansas football team picked up another commitment in the Class of 2023 on Tuesday.

[autotag]Luke Brown[/autotag], a four-star offensive lineman from Tennessee, chose Arkansas over Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and others. He was at Arkansas’ open practice on Saturday.

Brown, a 6-foot-6, 312-pounder, is the 219th-ranked prospect in the class, per ESPN and is the 11th player to commit to the Razorbacks in the class. The only players in the class ranked higher than Brown who are committed are tight ends Luke Hasz (No. 66 by 247Sports) and Shamar Easter (No 135).

Arkansas’ class is currently ranked No. 3 in the country, behind No. 1 Notre Dame and No. 15 Texas Tech.

Smith, Walsh named All-Americans by Sports Illustrated

Two gems of the 2022 recruiting class have been named All-Americans by Sports Illustrated

Two of the gems in the 2022 signing class for Arkansas Basketball have garnered national attention, yet again.

[autotag]Nick Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag], two five-star signees that will join the Razorbacks next season, have been named All-Americans by Sports Illustrated.

Smith was named first-team All-American by the publication, while Walsh earned third-team honors.

Here’s why Smith was named first-team All-American, according to Jason Jordan of Sports Illustrated:

Smith dominated the competition all summer running with Brad Beal Elite (Mo.) then carried that over to the high school season, posting 26 points, seven assists, and six rebounds a game for North Little Rock (Ark.). Smith capped off his high school finale with a state title, posting 25 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the win. Smith was the best player during practices at the McDonald’s All-American games, a telling feat for what is widely regarded as the most competitive practices of the year.

Link Academy’s Jordan Walsh (23) drives to the basket during the second half of the GEICO Nationals semifinal between Prolific Prep (Calif.) and Link Academy (Mo.), Friday, April 1, 2022, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.Link Academy defeated Prolific Prep 59-53.

GEICO Nationals 2022: Prolific Prep (Calif.) vs. Link Academy (Mo.) semifinal, April 1, 2022

Jordan believes that Walsh has everything that you want in a player:

Walsh is a highly productive wing that checks off many boxes on and off the stat sheet. This season, he led Link Academy (34-2) to the GEICO Nationals title game, averaging 11 points, seven rebounds, 3.2 assists and one block a game. At 6’7”, Walsh has great length and agility, making him a capable defender at multiple positions and rebounder.

Currently, Arkansas has the 2nd best recruiting class for the 2022 cycle. Joining Smith and Walsh in the class are five star [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag], four-stars [autotag]Derrian Ford[/autotag], [autotag]Barry Dunning[/autotag], and [autotag]Joseph Pinion[/autotag] from high school, as well as [autotag]Trevon Brazile[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen Graham[/autotag], [autotag]Makhi Mitchell[/autotag], and [autotag]Makhel Mitchell[/autotag] from the transfer portal.

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Anthony Black sets official signing date

Arkansas fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Anthony Black has set a date to sign with Eric Musselman’s program.

Since the beginning of the offseason, head coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] has hit the recruiting trail hard and has seen positive results.

Despite losing talents such as [autotag]JD Notae[/autotag], [autotag]Stanley Umude[/autotag], and [autotag]Au’Diese Toney[/autotag], Arkansas Basketball has signed players from the Transfer Portal that have the skills to reload as the Razorbacks head into the 2022-23 season.

One of the key commitments that has not put pen to paper yet, is five-star guard from Duncanville, Texas, [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag].

Black, who committed to Arkansas on March 28 during the week of the McDonald’s All-American game, joined Nick Smith and Jordan Walsh as fellow All-Americans and five-star pledges to commit to the program. The issue is that he has yet to sign.

Arkansas fans can now breathe a sigh of relief, as Black announces that he will sign his letter of intent on Wednesday, April 20, at his high school according to Richard Davenport of WholeHogSports.com.

Black is ranked as the No. 1 point guard in the nation, and the No. 2 overall prospect from the state of Texas. According to 247sports, Black received 21 offers, and took visits to six different programs.

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Arkansas remains high in consensus recruiting rankings from On3

The 2023 recruiting cycle has been kind to Arkansas football thus far, how do they stack up among the nation’s top programs?

Arkansas football has hit the ground running when it comes to recruiting for the 2023 class.

Following a weekend filled with spring games and recruiting visits, Arkansas remains in the top-10 of On3’s consensus team recruiting rankings, checking in at No. 6.

Arkansas sits behind programs with new head coaches in USC and Notre Dame, as well as Penn State, Ohio State, and defending national champion, Georgia. The Razorbacks are the second highest-rated SEC team on this week’s list, ahead of Tennessee and Texas A&M in the top-25.

The Razorbacks sit at the No. 6 spot with a score of 90.246, and an average recruit ranking of 88.68. According to the site, [autotag]Luke Hasz[/autotag], who flipped his commitment to Arkansas from Oklahoma on January 22, continues to be the highest-rated commit of the class, as he ranks as the third-best prospect from the state of Oklahoma, and the No. 6 tight end in the country.

Jeremy Crabtree of On3 says that Arkansas is doing well in the early portion of the 2023 cycle, but feels that they need to land a key piece at one position.

Arkansas locked up in-state coveted recruit [autotag]Shamar Easter[/autotag] in August of last year and haven’t stopped with their momentum since. Hasz was previously committed to Oklahoma and is now ranked as a top-six player at his position. Four-star CB [autotag]Dallas Young[/autotag] was a good early get from Alabama. Now the Hogs are hunting for their quarterback of the class.

In the 2023 recruiting class, Arkansas has five four-star’s currently committed, as well as five three-stars. As far as quarterback offers are concerned, the Razorbacks have offered 18 at the position according to 247sports, including Jaden Rashada, the No. 5 quarterback in the nation, and current Oklahoma commit Jackson Arnold, who is a four-star signal caller from Denton, Texas.

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Arkansas Football: “No longer a backup option”

“Arkansas football used to be a backup option for a lot of coaches and a lot of players. Arkansas is not a backup option. They are a destination.” – Josh Pate of 247sports

“Arkansas football used to be a backup option for a lot of coaches and a lot of players. Arkansas is not a backup option. They are a destination.” 

Strong words from Josh Pate, host of the “Late Kick” podcast from 247sports when discussing the current culture change surrounding Arkansas football.

Playing in the shadows of Alabama and LSU in the SEC West for so many years has left Arkansas football at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting and landing big-name coaches. Before the arrival of head coach [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag], most coaches and recruits saw Arkansas as “an afterthought” behind the likes of Alabama, LSU, and even Texas and Oklahoma regionally.

But, when Pittman became visibly emotional during his introductory press conference on December 9, 2019, when discussing what being the leading man at Arkansas meant to him, that’s when the culture began to change.

The culture has changed drastically at Arkansas since that date. The Razorbacks are coming off a season where they won nine games for the first time since 2011, and won their first bowl game since the 2015 season. Pittman, along with the caliber of coordinators in [autotag]Kendal Briles[/autotag] and [autotag]Barry Odom[/autotag], are what is taking Arkansas football to new heights says Pate.

“When I tell you that people with options are choosing Arkansas… Barry Odom, the defensive coordinator, is exhibit A. For that matter, Kendal Briles, offensive coordinator, is exhibit 1A,” says Pate. “Those are guys with options. These are not retreads, they are not afterthoughts. Those guys could have left this past cycle for what, in term, could be greener pastures. That’s what’s changing in college football right now, in particular, Fayetteville, Arkansas.” 

The staff at Arkansas is building on recent success, with several key players being added through the transfer portal in [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag] from Oklahoma, [autotag]Drew Sanders[/autotag] from Alabana, and [autotag]Latavious Brini[/autotag] from Georgia. Arkansas also has a top-five recruiting class according to 247sports as well for the 2023 cycle. Arkansas wants to stay relevant for many years.

“Just like the coaches, players that are given options are choosing Arkansas. They have a top-five signing class right now for 2023, because players with options are choosing Arkansas,” says Pate. “What’s changing right now.. you hear it out of their mouths, you see it in their actions, is that college football is slowly starting to realize what they realized a little while ago in Fayetteville. They are not a backup option anymore.”

Catch the full quote from Pate by clicking below.

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