Braylen Russell the latest Arkansas native running back to sign with Hogs

Braylen Russell, a four-star recruit from Benton, signed with the Hogs and immediately bolsters the running back room.

The best running backs in Arkansas often call Fayetteville home when they head to college.

The latest is Braylen Russell. The four-star recruit out of Benton High School signed with Arkansas on early signing day and he should get ample opportunity almost immediately.

Russell committed to Arkansas back in July even though he held offers from Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Tennessee, South Carolina and several others. He ran for almost 3,000 yards and had 46 touchdowns over his last two years of high school.

Arkansas needs bodies at running back, badly. Preseason All-American Rocket Sanders transferred to South Carolina earlier in December and leading rusher AJ Green entered the portal, as well. That leaves Rashod Dubinion, Isaiah Augustave and Dominique Johnson.

Hogs sign Jaden Allen on early signing day

Don’t let Jaden Allen’s 5-foot-10, 155-pound frame fool you. The man can cover and held offers from Alabama and Texas.

Arkansas’ secondary was the most improve unit on the team from 2022 to 2023, but extra bodies are always needed.

The Razorbacks landed several on Wednesday during early signing day, with Texas’ Jaden Allen one of the most prominent.

Allen had been committed to Arkansas since April and held firm despite offers from Alabama and Texas. Impressive suitors, especially considering Allen is just 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds.

That’s how good his coverage skills are. At that size, Allen will almost certainly redshirt in the 2024 season to add bulk. Arkansas can afford that, as the Hogs return a bulk of their two-deep next year.

The Razorbacks had the No. 31 pass defense in FBS last year, giving up just 203 yards a game after finishing last the year before, allowing 298.

Bentonville’s CJ Brown officially makes Arkansas home

CJ Brown, technically labeled an athlete, will likely join Arkansas’ wide receiver room.

Bentonville High wide receiver CJ Brown bolstered Arkansas’ in-state recruiting on Wednesday when he officially signed with the Razorbacks.

Brown, a three-star athlete, technically, will almost certainly slot into Arkansas’ wide receiver room. That will give him an opportunity to redshirt and learn as Arkansas will return its top five wideouts from the 2023.

Brown had been committed to Arkansas since June, though he held offers from Tennessee, Purdue, Louisville, Oklahoma State and Kansas State. He caught 55 passes for BHS in the fall, racking up 1,254 yards and 15 touchdowns just up I-49 from Fayetteville.

As of Wednesday at noon, Brown is the only wide receiver to join the Hogs on early signing day. The state’s top wideout, Courtney Crutchfield, had been committed to Arkansas but spurned the Razorbacks for Missouri earlier in the week.

Ashton Bethel-Roman, a four-star wideout from Texas, is expected to sign with Arkansas in the new year.

Texarkana’s Ahkhari Johnson signs with Arkansas

Ahkhari Johnson will likely join Arkansas’ defensive backfield.

Texarkana has been a fertile area for Arkansas football in the past.

Ahkhari Johnson hopes to be the next great Razorback football player from the border town.

Johnson, a three-star athlete from Pleasant Grove High School, signed with Arkansas on Wednesday during early signing day. Incidentally, the signing comes almost a year to the day that former Arkansas defensive back Khari Johnson transferred to Boston College. Ahkhari Johnson, too, is expected to play in the secondary.

Johnson is a consensus three-star recruit who had been committed to Arkansas since June and was one of four players labeled as an athlete in the Hogs class as coach Sam Pittman sought to recruit talent just as much as position.

Former Arkansas greats from Texarkana include running back Dennis Johnson and quarterback Ryan Mallett.

Arkansas lands another four-star quarterback named KJ

Arkansas has had fortune with quarterbacks named KJ and the Hogs are hoping Jackson is next.

KJ Jefferson announced his intention to transfer from Arkansas earlier in the week after five years, leaving the Hogs with their first quarterback question going into the season since coach Sam Pittman arrived as coach.

But Arkansas didn’t go without a QB named KJ for long.

Four-star quarterback KJ Jackson signed with the Razorbacks on Wednesday morning on early signing day. Jackson had been committed to Arkansas since April and held offers from Penn State, Kansas, Louisville and Kentucky.

A dual-threat quarterback like Jefferson, Jackson is a bit smaller at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds. And while he lacks Jefferson’s strength, his speed and mobility are superior.

He’s unlikely to be Arkansas’ starter in his first year, though. The Razorbacks return last year’s No. 2 Jacolby Criswell, added transfer Taylen Green from Boise State and have Class of 2023 quarterback Malachi Singleton all competing for that job.

Arkansas native Wyatt Simmons signs with Hogs

Wyatt Simmons stuck with his home-state team, signing with Arkansas on Wednesday.

Much had been made in the last month with Arkansas’ inability to land as many in-state recruits as it had in the past.

But one of the best ones, Harding Academy’s Wyatt Simmons, chose his home-state flagship school.

Simmons is ranked the 15th best inside linebacker in the country in his class and held offers from Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Southern California, Clemson and Auburn among others.

He committed to Arkansas in mid-August and he comes from a program that has been in the national spotlight recently as Harding University, a team with several Harding Academy players, won the Division II football national championship.

Arkansas’ linebacker room could use the depth, too. Chris Paul Jr. and Jordan Crook, the No. 1 and No. 4 linebackers on the roster entering last year both transferred.

Kentucky offensive lineman Zuri Madison signs with Arkansas

Zuri Madison is a three-star offensive tackle, playing a position Arkansas badly needs help with.

In desperate need of help on the offense line, Arkansas had to be pleased with its Wednesday morning.

The first high schooler the official Razorbacks Football Twitter account posted was of high schooler Zuri Madison. The offensive lineman from Kentucky, at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, is rated a three-star recruit.

Madison held offers from Miami (FL), Duke and West Virginia among others, but committed to Arkansas in June and held firm.

The Razorbacks’ offensive line in 2023 was bad. Arkansas gave up more sacks, 47, than in any other previous season and the vaunted rushing attack, with All-American Rocket Sanders and quarterback KJ Jefferson, never materialized with the Hogs finishing 92nd in FBS in yards rushing per game. Sanders committed to South Carolina out of the portal earlier this month and Jefferson is in the portal.

Madison could get quick playing time as he’s a tackle, a position at which Arkansas needs the most work.

Four-star wide receiver from Pine Bluff decommits from Arkansas

Courtney Crutchfield was Arkansas’ No. 1 player in the Class of 2024 and is the No. 1 high-schooler in the state.

Arkansas’ 39-36 overtime win over Florida was the good news.

Arkansas losing the commitment of Pine Bluff four-star wide receiver Courtney Crutchfield earlier in the day Saturday was the bad.

Crutchfield announced his decision to de-commit from Arkansas minutes before the Razorbacks kicked off against the Gators. The Zebra wideout implied he was open to re-committing to Arkansas at a later date, but he wanted to keep his options open in the meantime.

Arkansas’ offense has struggled in 2023. Coach Sam Pittman fired offensive coordinator Dan Enos two weeks after a 7-3 loss to Mississippi State, replacing him with wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton. The Hogs offense responded against Florida, gaining a season high 481 yards.

Crutchfield initially committed to Arkansas in April of his junior year of high school. He is No. 1-rated player in the state and was the No. 1-ranked player in Arkansas’ Class of 2024.

Boateng chooses Missouri over Arkansas and host of others

Annor Boateng committed to Missouri on Friday over Arkansas and a variety of other schools.

Little Rock Central has given Arkansas plenty of former basketball standouts.

Joe Johnson immediately comes to mind. More recently, Alandise Harris was a key contributor on Mike Anderson’s first NCAA Tournament team in 2014-15.

Current 2024 wing Annor Boateng won’t be one of them, as he committed to Missouri on Friday on his social media.

Boateng took a number of visits to Arkansas, but the prevailing wisdom was that he was not enamored with the Razorbacks and wasn’t going to plan on staying in-state.

On3 rates him as a five-star prospect and the No. 9 player in the country out of the Class of 2024. At 247Sports, Boateng is a four-star player and the No. 38 player in the class.

He is the reigning Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year for the Tigers after averaging 16 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 assists in 2022-23 at Central.

Basketball team hosting 4-star target this weekend

4-star Jalen Shelley is officially visiting Fayetteville this weekend, and is an important target for Eric Musselman and his staff.

Jalen Shelley, a 4-star forward from Link Academy in Branson, Mo., is visiting Fayetteville this weekend.

The 6’9, 185-pounder took an unofficial visit last year for the Missouri State football game and is taking an official this time.

Shelley spent last year at Prestonwood Christian in Texas, helping them win the TAPPS (private school) 6A state championship.

Now he is in Branson, where Jordan Walsh spent his final year of school after transferring in from the DFW metroplex while committed to the Razorbacks.

He has taken official visits to Louisville already and also has ones planned for Colorado and Ohio State.

If he were to decide to commit, he would be the first of the 2024 high school class for Eric Musselman & Co, although they are in the mix for a handful of other targets.