Category: Arkansas recruiting

Arkansas gets commitment from 4-star WR Sategna

Isaiah Sategna, the 4-star speedster from nearby Fayetteville High School, has decided to decommit from Oregon and orally commit to Arkansas. Sategna, the son of former Arkansas assistant track coach Mario Sategna, was originally committed to Texas …

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Isaiah Sategna, the 4-star speedster from nearby Fayetteville High School, has decided to decommit from Oregon and orally commit to Arkansas.

Sategna, the son of former Arkansas assistant track coach Mario Sategna, was originally committed to Texas A&M before changing his mind and switching to the Ducks.

The third time is the charm for the Razorbacks, who will be getting a player who can contribute immediately next season on both special teams and at wide receiver.

In 2021, Sategna has 56 catches for 1,146 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Purple Dogs, leading the state in all categories.

His first touch of the year was an 80-yard end around that he took to the house against Conway.

Fayetteville has won a share of the 7A West title and can win it outright for the first time in 58 years on Friday night if it defeats Springdale Har-Ber.

UPDATE: 5-Star Arkansas commit Nick Smith Jr. eligible to play HS basketball this season

Arkansas 5-star commit and No. 6 commit in country now declared eligible to play senior season of high school.

Less than 48 hours after a firestorm of blowback regarding the status of Arkansas high school basketball player Nick Smith’s eligibility, the 5-star guard and Razorbacks commit is now eligible to play in the 2021-22 season for his new high school.

Smith’s was initially declared ineligible to play for North Little Rock High School after transferring from Sylvan Hills High School. Smith had played for Sylvan Hills, which is in the Pulaski County Special School District, for the previous three seasons, but chose to play his senior year at NLRHS. A member school with the Arkansas Activities Association, the athletic governing body of high school athletics in the state, had reported a violation with the transfer. After initial investigation, Smith was declared ineligible.

Wednesday afternoon, the superintendents of the two school districts announced they had signed paperwork to allow Smith to play for North Little Rock this season.

The violation in question arose from Smith’s personal training with trainers who also volunteer with North Little Rock. As the trainers had not signed a release form stating who they had trained when they began with NLRHS and Smith was among those trained, it constituted an impropriety.

Ultimately, the superintendents decided the impropriety was inadvertent and a Changing Schools/Athletic Participation document was signed making Smith eligible.

Smith is the No. 6 recruit in the country, per ESPN.

Arkansas 5-star commit Nick Smith Jr. ruled ineligible

Arkansas basketball 5-star commit Nick Smith Jr. ruled ineligible in transfer fiasco.

Arkansas basketball commit Nick Smith Jr. is ready to play for the Razorbacks next year. The question is where he is going to play this year.

Smith, the North Little Rock High School guard, a 5-star player who committed to coach Eric Musselman’s Hogs earlier this month, has been ruled ineligible to play for NLRHS this season. The reason? It’s complicated.

But the gist comes down to Smith and his family having moved from the Pulaski County Special School district over the summer to the North Little Rock school district. Allegations of “recruiting” followed and after the state’s high school sports governing body, the Arkansas Activities Association, investigated the case.

That’s where things get tricky and drawn into a battle of he-said, she-said, as it were.

Smith and his family have said their movement into North Little Rock was a family decision only and unrelated to basketball.

 

North Little Rock School District stated that AAA said it violated two rules and Smith was ruled ineligible to play and the boys’ basketball program was given a one year warning.

Don’t expect this to be forgotten about, or even cleared up, any time soon.

Arkansas basketball has No. 2 recruiting class in the country

Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman has the Razorbacks back as one of the absolute teams in the nation.

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Eric Musselman has done it again.

The Arkansas basketball coach last season led Arkansas to its best season in 25 years. When the Top 25 rankings come out for 2021-22 later this fall, the Hogs will almost assuredly be in. CBS Sports already has Musselman’s team at No. 17 in their ranking of every team in Division I.

But it doesn’t appear to be stopping there.

Five-star wing Jordan Walsh, the No. 27 recruit in the Class of 2022, committed to play for Arkansas on Thursday night. He joins fellow 5-star and No. 9 recruit Nick Smith (Little Rock) and three four-star recruits in Derrian Ford, Barry Dunning and Joseph Pinion, all top 100 players, too.

With such highly-rated players, 247Sports has Arkansas’ class as the second best in the country, trailing only Duke with its three five-star recruits.

Muss, as he’s affectionately known in Razorbacks Nation, appears to have the Hogs back in the spot they were in throughout the early and mid 1990s: Arkansas is officially a powerhouse.

Arkansas deserves it in the sport. While football may be mid-pack in the SEC, there is no reason the Razorbacks can’t be, at worst, the second best team in the league, year-in and year-out.

Bud Walton Arena remains one of the best places in the country to watch a college basketball game. The fans, you fans, show no matter who the Hogs are playing. Even in the slightly above-average years of Mike Anderson, these Razorbacks made noise.

But now? Now the Muss bus is rolling and I don’t think it has any brakes.

UPDATE: 5-star Walsh commits to Arkansas

No. 7 player in the class of 2022, Jordan Walsh, announced his commitment to Arkansas on Thursday evening.

5-star wing Jordan Walsh, the No. 7 player in the Class of 2022, has pledged to the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Walsh, who recently transferred to Link Year Prep in Branson, Mo., is the second 5-star player to commit to Arkansas in this class.

The class likely cements the Razorbacks in the top five, and might flirt with the top class in the country when all is said and done.

Arkansas has also secured commitments from Nick Smith, Jr., Derrian Ford, Joseph Pinion and Barry Dunning.

Arkansas lands 5-star Smith Jr. late Wednesday

Nick Smith Jr. is staying home with the Razorbacks after a highly awaited decision was finally made on Wednesday in Little Rock.

Nick Smith, Jr., a 5-star prospect and the No. 6 player in the class of 2022 nationally, committed to Arkansas on Wednesday in front of friends, family and his teammates in Little Rock.

Smith Jr. is the highest-ranked player to ever pledge to the Razorbacks in the recruiting rankings era, which dates back to 2002.

He chose Arkansas over Alabama, Auburn and the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

After starring at Sylvan Hills High School, he elected to transfer to North Little Rock for his upcoming senior year.

Smith Jr. joins a class that now ranks third nationally behind Duke and Ohio State and just ahead of Kentucky and North Carolina, according to 247 Sports.

Other members of the class include Morrilton’s Joseph Pinion and Magnolia’s Derrian Ford, along with Alabama native Barry Dunning.

It is safe to say the coaching staff at Arkansas was elated about the commitment, based on the social media reaction following his announcement.

Smith Jr. is the most decorated in-state prospect to choose the Hogs since Corliss Williamson stayed home in 1992. He is also the highest-rated prospect to commit since Bobby Portis in 2013.

 

Arkansas hoping to secure commitment of Smith later today

Nick Smith Jr. is announcing his college decision later today in Little Rock. Eric Musselman and staff are hoping he puts on a Hog hat.

5-star guard Nick Smith, Jr. is finally making his college decision today.

The Sherwood native, who climbed to No. 6 in ESPN’s recruiting rankings for the class of 2022, would be the highest-ranked player to ever commit to Arkansas and the most heralded since Corliss Williamson in 1992.

Smith will be making his decision in front of family and friends at 7 p.m. this evening.

Smith would join an in-state class of Morrilton 4-star small forward Joseph Pinion and Magnolia 4-star combo guard Derrian Ford.

4-star forward Barry Dunning of Mobile, Ala. is also in the class.

Eric Musselman and his staff are also hoping to secure the commitment of 5-star forward Jordan Walsh, who recently transferred to Link Year Prep in Branson, Mo., just a two-hour drive from campus.

Arkansas picks up commitment from 5-star recruit

Arkansas is picking up commitments left and right after beating Texas. This 5-star is one of the latest.

It’s incredible how much the Arkansas women’s basketball program has changed under coach Mike Neighbors.

The team continued its upward trajectory late Monday when 5-star, Class of 2023 guard Taliah Scott committed to the Razorbacks. She was on-campus Saturday for the football team’s 40-21 win over then-No. 15 Texas.

The Orange Park, Florida, guard is the No. 31 prospect in the country in her class. She averaged 23.4 points, 5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.6 steals per game as a sophomore last year and played for Florida Girls Basketball program during the summer.

Scott picked Arkansas over offers Florida, Florida State, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, Rutgers, Notre Dame, Virginia and others.

Arkansas is coming off its best season under Neighbors. They defeated No. 1 Connecticut in the regular season, finished 19-9 overall and 9-6 in the SEC before becoming a No. 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

 

Anthony Brown spurns Alabama, others, commits to Arkansas football

Arkansas picked up a huge commitment from Tennessee high school safety Anthony Brown on Tuesday.

Class of 2022 defensive back Anthony Brown committed Tuesday afternoon to play football for Arkansas next season.

The Milan, Tennessee, safety chose the Razorbacks over Alabama, Oregon, Mississippi State and others. Brown gives Arkansas 19 commits in the Class of 2022 group, including four 4-star players. Coach Sam Pittman’s class is ranked 19th in FBS, per 247Sports.

Brown was on-campus Saturday when Arkansas beat then-No. 15 Texas. It was his third visit to Arkansas.

At Milan, Brown plays running back, quarterback and wide receiver along with defensive back. Pittman and the Hogs recruited him as a safety.

Gabe Brooks, national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, said:

“Owns the requisite height and frame to project as a good-sized safety at the next level,” Brooks wrote. “Lean, athletic build with room to add more mass. Varied on-field experience with three-phase playmaking ability. Could get on the field early as a special teams demon, which he’s shown on his high school’s coverage units. Snaps at running back, receiver, wildcat QB, and safety. Plus athlete on the field who flashes impressive closing speed in pursuit. That speed also manifests at the top end on offense.