Category: Arkansas recruiting

The state’s top high-schooler in the Class of 2025 makes Hogs a finalist

Arkansas is still recruiting the 2024 class, but landing Omarion Robinson would kickstart 2025.

The best player in the state of Arkansas’ Class of 2025 is strongly considering his home-state’s flagship school.

Omarion Robinson, a four-star safety for Little Rock Parkview, made the Razorbacks one of his finalists with a post to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday. Robinson is not just the top-ranked player in the state, but also the No. 14 safety in the country.

Arkansas was one of 10 teams on Robinson’s finalists list. Florida State, Oregon, Oklahoma, Baylor, Southern California, Texas, Auburn, Ole Miss and Tennessee were the other teams listed.

The Razorbacks have already landed on in-state product from the class. Central Arkansas Christian quarterback Grayson Wilson committed earlier in the year. Wilson is a three-star recruit and the No. 30 quarterback in the class.

Arkansas is largely most focused on recruiting for the Class of 2024 right now. That Hogs class is currently ranked No. 21 in the nation and has 17 commitments.

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Enos says KJ Jefferson is ‘off the chart’ from an intellectual standpoint

Dan Enos believes that Arkansas quarterback KJ Jefferson hasn’t come close to reaching his full potential yet.

Renewed Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos has been amazed by the football IQ of quarterback KJ Jefferson, giving the senior leader the highest of praise on Thursday.

“Man, what a really, really smart player,” said Enos, who is in his first year back as OC and quarterbacks coach, a position he also held from 2015-17, under Bret Bielema. “(Jefferson’s) obviously as talented as everybody in here knows. But he’s off the chart, from an intellectual standpoint, as far as understanding football, and every day, I think he’s growing.”

The 6-foot-3, 246-pound dual-threat is not only being tabbed as arguably the best QB in the SEC this season, but also one of the nation’s elite signal-callers.

Jefferson has thrown for 5,324 yards and 45 touchdowns in the last two years, while running for 1,304 additional yards and 15 TDs. He also owns two of the top three completion-percentage seasons in Arkansas history, with 68 percent in 2022 and 67.3 percent in 2021 — trailing only Tyler Wilson’s top mark of 68.5 percent in 2011.

He is also the first Razorback quarterback to garner preseason All-SEC honors since Wilson in 2012.

“He’s got great eyes, anticipation, great arm talent,” Enos said. “But man, this guy is a big, really, really natural runner. He’s got great vision. He sets up blocks. He’s a tremendous athlete.”

Jefferson’s great awareness and instincts are obvious, and he has always excelled at decision-making — evident by only 10 interceptions in the 666 passes he has thrown in four seasons with the Razorbacks. His career completion percentage is 65.6.

“I think we’re going to find a nice, good balance between letting him do the things he can do with his arm, and also, I’ll obviously rely on him to do the things with his legs. At the end of the day, to make us the most efficient offense we can be to help our football team win. He’s a really good athlete.”

Entering his third season as the Hogs’ starter, the Sardis, Miss., native, is already in the Top 10 in several program categories, and looks poised to rewrite more records this season. He is 3rd in 300-yard passing games (5), 4th in total TDs (67), 5th in total yards (7,245), 6th in TD passes (48) and total plays (1,028), and 7th in total completions (436) and passing yards (5,816).

Jefferson’s previous three seasons were under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Kendall Briles, who departed for TCU in January. Enter Enos, who coached former Razorback Brandon Allen to the SEC’s highest passer rating in 2015, while throwing for 3,440 yards and 30 touchdowns.

Enos has also coached other great quarterbacks, including Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, and Cooper Rush, but admitted that Jefferson could end up being the best of them all.

“I’ve been very impressed with his ability to anticipate and throw to guys before they’re open and make them open,” Enos said. “His ball placement has been really good this camp. You can tell he’s really worked hard in the offseason. I think KJ has the ability to be as good as anybody I’ve ever coached, and I’ve coached some good ones.”

He also feels Jefferson is still far away from reaching his full potential.

“I really do, I think he’s got a whole ceiling and I don’t think he’s come close to reaching it yet. So I’m very excited for him this year and then into the future.”

Enos orchestrates more of a pro-style offense than what Briles did, meaning Jefferson will be lining up in new formations. He will be under center much more often, which Enos said helps develop someone as a passer. Jefferson is regarded as one of the nation’s best dual-threat quarterbacks, but his ability to sit in the pocket longer seems to have already progressed under Enos,

“I believe in the offseason they should train under center a lot because I think when you’re under center it makes you more aware of your timing, your rhythm and your balance on your drops,” Enos said. “I think a lot of these young players now don’t play under center ever when they’re young.

“I do think that’s a disservice for these quarterbacks coming up because I feel that’s where you really, really learn and build a foundation of balance, rhythm and timing on passes. And then you should transition back into the shotgun because that’s great as well. But I think it’s much easier to transition back than it is to transition forward.”

Jefferson has picked up the concept of the new Enos offensive quickly, while some details of the schemes have carried over from the previous regime.

“He’s doing a really good job I think of understanding our run game and when things are not going to be good,” Enos said. “Or, on the flip side of that, understanding that this might be a better play based off the structure over here and he’s doing that at the line of scrimmage.

“And then also his ability to help us in some of our five- and six-man protections, getting us on the correct blitzers. He’s grown a lot in those areas and has really come a long way. I feel really, really good about him. He’s a really smart, smart young man.”

The media has voted Jefferson a preseason Second-Team All-SEC selection, and he has already been named to the watch lists for the prestigious Davey O’Brien, Maxwell and Manning Awards.

Arkansas has 13 fall practices remaining, before heading to Little Rock for the season-opener against Western Carolina on Sept. 2.

Arkansas freshman already proving her worth on the court

Jenna Lawrence is bound for big things as a freshman if what she did in Europe is any indication.

It’s been less than six months since Jenna Lawrence led the Farmington girls’ basketball team to the Arkansas Class 5A State Championship in Hot Springs.

Now, the 6-3 freshman is having an immediate impact on the Arkansas women’s team, who recently returned from a successful preseason trip to Europe.

Arkansas went 3-0 on its 9-day tour of Croatia and Greece, dominating lesser competition than what lays ahead in the daunting SEC. But Lawrence made the most of the trip, scoring in double-figures twice in the three games, including 15 points in her first collegiate action, a 124-12 win over the InCroatia All-Stars.

The Razorbacks took control early and finished the first quarter on a 14-0 run, which was sparked by a pair of Lawrence 3-pointers.

Here nine rebounds left her one short of a double-double, while adding six steals on defense.

“I felt like my shooting game was really strong over there, and I’m very happy that it was, because that is what Coach (Mike) Neighbors and all the coaches recruited me to do,” Lawrence said. “So, I’ve really just been concentrating on shooting well and getting my release a little faster. That’s what I have been working on all summer and it paid off.”

She also netted a team-high 15 points in the final game, a 100-61 win over the University of Regina in Athens, Greece.

Arkansas freshman Chamblee making most of opportunity in camp

Andrew Chamblee is making the most of the opportunity he’s been given in camp thus far, and he may just take it and run with it.

With sophomore Devon Manuel, Arkansas’ presumed starter at left tackle, temporarily sidelined with an injury this week, redshirt freshman Andrew Chamblee is making the most of his opportunity getting reps with the first team.

The 6-foot-6, 304-pound Maumelle native has stepped right in and caught the eye of offensive line coach Cody Kennedy, with his technique and nimble footwork.

“In all honesty, after the three practices that he’s been there, I feel exponentially more confident in Andrew Chamblee,” said Kennedy, who also praised Chamblee’s effort in Saturday’s first fall  scrimmage. “He’s done a really, really good job filling that role, but hats off to the D-line and those guys too. He can’t make the mistakes he makes with the twos, with the ones, and it flies. You know what I’m saying?

“There’s a level of error there when you get up to the ones where you can’t get by. There are some things where your athletic ability can take over when you’re a little bit more athletic than they guy, but when everything is even you have to trust in your training and you have to trust your technique.”

After a stellar career at Maumelle, Chamblee was a prized 4-star recruit, ranked the third-best player in the state and the No. 23 offensive tackle in the nation, according to 247 Sports. He saw limited game action last season, preserving his four years of eligibility, but used the time to improve his skills and learn the system.

“He’s learned that going up to the ones and playing next to guys like Brady and Beaux and seeing how they handle their business and how he kind of has to transform into that and step up to that level,” Kennedy said.

Chamblee has seized the opportunity to shine with the first team while Manuel is out, but he may soon be relegated back to his reserve spot. Still, he has his sights set on a starting job, and will have to continue improving and performing at a high level to make that happen.

Kennedy knows competition helps motivate everyone involved to strive for excellence, so he is thrilled to see his young players compete at a higher level.

“He’s doing a really, really good job in there filling that void while Devon is out, and going after the spot,” Kennedy said. “That’s the conversation we had. You go in there and perform at an elite level and you might not have to give it back. That’s the thing for him. He’s done a good job transforming his body in the weight room as well in terms of being able to handle power rushes and utilize his hands better.

“Those are things he’s working on. He’s playing strong with his hands and obviously with the frame he has he’s playing long. That’s one big thing we talk about with his strike and his hand usage is being able to play long and utilize that frame that he does have.”

Jefferson on Manning Award watch list for third straight season

KJ Jefferson added the Manning Award on Tuesday to the watch lists he’s on for 2023.

The preseason accolades continue to roll in for Arkansas senior quarterback KJ Jefferson, who added the Manning Award watch list to his resume for the third consecutive year.

Jefferson has already been included on the 2023 watch lists for the Davey O’Brien and Maxwell Awards.

The Manning Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s best college quarterback, was created by the Allstate Sugar Bowl in honor of college football stalwarts Archie Manning and his sons, Peyton and Eli. It is the only QB award that includes bowl performances as part of the criteria.

Jefferson is already regarded as one of the top quarterback in Razorback history, after setting a number of single-season records, but is poised to climb even further up the list this season by rewriting some career records. The Sardis, Miss., native, is already in the Top 10 in several categories, including 3rd in 300-yard passing games (5), 4th in total TDs (67), 5th in total yards (7,245), 6th in TD passes (48) and total plays (1,028), and 7th in total completions (436) and passing yards (5,816).

He already owns two of the top three season for completion percentage, with 68 percent in 2022 and 67.3 percent in 2021 — trailing only Tyler Wilson’s top mark of 68.5 percent in 2011.

After Jefferson passed for 2,648 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, with an additional 640 yards and nine scores on the ground, he became the first Arkansas quarterback to earn preseason All-SEC accolades since Wilson in 2012.

Musselman, Hogs set to host four-star wing in October

Rakease Passmore already has a scholarship offer from Arkansas. And Kansas, Auburn, Tennessee and many more.

The 2023-24 school year has only just begun at the University of Arkansas. Men’s basketball coach Eric Musselman is already looking to seasons beyond.

He has to, especially when players the caliber of Rakease Passmore show interest.

Passmore, a 6-foot-5 wing from Combine Academy in Charlotte told WholeHogSports he plans to make an official visit to Fayetteville in the coming months. Passmore is a four-star player in the Class of 2024 who had already received a scholarship offer from Musselman and the Razorbacks.

According to the report, Passmore will likely be on-campus during the first full weekend of October. The Arkansas football team is on the road that Saturday, Oct. 7 at Ole Miss.

The Hogs are one of many hoping to land the swingman. He has offers from a double-digit amount of schools, including Kansas, Texas A&M, Auburn, Oregon and Tennessee.

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‘Growing Up Grovey’: A story of football and unconditional love

The 3-part documentary, produced in 2021, made its debut on the university’s HogsPlus.com website last week.

“Growing Up Grovey” is more than just a football story.

It’s a story about life, perseverance and a former Razorback’s unconditional love for his mom.

The three-part documentary, produced in 2021, made its debut on the university’s HogsPlus.com website last week, allowing fans a glimpse of Quinn Grovey’s courageous journey, from high school and college football legend, to that of a humble son, dedicating his life to comforting his ailing mom, Bobbye Jean, in her final years.

The first two parts will be nostalgic for fans of Duncan High School in Oklahoma and the University of Arkansas, at least for those over 50 years old. The younger generations can enjoy a lesson about one of the most successful quarterbacks in program history.

I was fortunately enough to be a part of this production, writing the script and inputting some of the historical tidbits to the story. I became friends with Quinn early in our college days before he ever took an official snap for the Hogs. We sat in the back row of a freshman English Comp class, jawing about each other’s prowess on video games. From that point, I got a first-hand look at one of the best athletes and genuine human beings that I have ever been lucky enough to know.

Quinn has always been one of the most prepared and motivated people walking the planet, so when he asked me to be a part of this project, I was truly honored and jumped at the opportunity. We completed the documentary with a crew of four primary contributors – Quinn and myself, along with producers and film gurus, Tracy Anderson and Russell Schaap. We were proudly named a Silver Award winner at the 42nd Annual Telly Awards last year, in the category of Television Documentaries.

Quinn’s early football heroics led Duncan to an Oklahoma state championship in 1984, before he went on to orchestrate one of the most successful tenures in Razorback history. He ranks second on the all-time wins list, behind only Bill Montgomery, and is still the only Arkansas quarterback to ever lead the program to back-to-back outright conference championships, and consecutive Cotton Bowl appearances.

The film is narrated by Arkansas golf great John Daly and state-native radio personality Bobby Bones. It reflects on Quinn’s relationships with his mentor, Frank Broyles, as well as that of his coach and pseudo father-figure, Ken Hatfield, along with a host of former high school and college teammates. It also takes a long look back at a pair of classic battles with Texas in 1988 and 1989, two title bouts with Texas A&M, and relives Quinn’s epic showdown with Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware on Oct. 28, 1989, as he led Arkansas to a 45-39 victory over Houston in what is still regarded as one of the greatest games in Razorback history.

After transitioning into the corporate world following his playing days, Quinn served as an executive at Walmart and Home Depot. But he never forgot his deep roots in Duncan and the parents who raised four outstanding young men – Quinn was the youngest of the brothers. So, when his mom was diagnosed with the onset of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease in 2006, he did only what his heart led him to do.

Quinn and his wife, Stacy, eventually moved Bobbye Jean from Duncan to Fayetteville, to live under their roof and care. And for nearly a decade, Quinn devoted his life to assuring that his mom lived her final days safely and in comfort. Up until October, 17, 2015, the day Bobbye Jean passed away peacefully in the loving arms of her youngest son.

Quinn has since become a strong advocate for Alzheimer’s support and research, speaking to many groups about his struggles and triumphs in the fight. His primary focus for wanting to share his story is with the hope that his journey may help others who are facing a similar fate.

He now balances those efforts with his current duties as the Senior Director of Development for the Razorback Foundation, as well as being the radio color analyst for Arkansas football. His plate is always full, but so is his heart and desire to help others.

I hope you tune in to “Growing Up Grovey”, either on HogsPlus.com or Yurview.com. It will bring joy to many and tears to some. But, either way, this journey is sure to touch the heart. Enjoy.

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Recruiting guru Guiton revamps Hogs’ receiving corps

Arkansas receivers coach Kenny Guiton is proving to be an outstanding recruiter, bringing in talented new faces to fill some voids.

With the departure of Arkansas’ four top receiving targets from a year ago, the Razorbacks went into the offseason with a definite need to fill the void.

To the rescue was receivers coach and emerging recruiting guru Kenny Guiton, who proceeded to land three coveted replacements.

Gone are wideouts Matt Landers (47 catches, 901 yards and 8 TDs), Jadon Haselwood (59, 702, 3), and Ketron Jackson Jr. (16, 277, 3) and tight end Trey Knox (26, 296, 5). Landers and Haselwood opted to turn pro, while Jackson and Knox chose to transfer. The primary back-up Warren Thompson (12, 178, 2) also decided to leave the program.

Guiton proceeded to out-recruit a number of Power 5 programs to bring in a trio of highly touted transfers: Andrew Armstrong (62, 1,020, 13) from Texas A&M-Commerce, Isaac TeSlaa (68, 1,325, 13) from Hillside College and Tyrone Broden (32, 506, 7) from Bowling Green. The three should be an immediate welcome addition for senior quarterback KJ Jefferson and new offensive coordinator Dan Enos’s pro-style offense.

Guiton, a former quarterback at Ohio State, worked his magic last season, bringing in a pair of transfers that quickly blossomed – Landers and Haselwood.

Along with another Guiton recruit, freshman Isaiah Sategna, the reworked receiving corps looks to pose a definite threat to opposing secondaries. The speedy Sategna had two impressive TD catches in last spring’s Red-White Game.

Despite having a group that lacks playing experience in the SEC, Guiton is confident that he has the right mix of talent to support a stellar Razorback passing game this season.

“The further and further you go, the more ease you start to get,” he said after the fifth practice of the fall. “I don’t know if I will ever be fully eased until we win some games. But right now, I’m feeling good. I love the competitive nature in our room. You can tell everything is up for grabs.”

With 20 practices remaining before the season opener against Western Carolina in Little Rock, Guiton will just let everything sort itself out.

“We have plenty of guys competing their butts off, in order to be one of those three starters, but they also know when your time comes to shine, you better be ready for it.”

Razorbacks’ new faces at cornerback impressive so far

New Arkansas secondary coach Deron Wilson has been impressed with the new cornerbacks in early fall camp.

Through the first four days of fall camp, Arkansas secondary coach Daron Wilson has been impressed with some of the new faces at cornerback – transfers and freshmen – that he has briefly been able see in action.

Most notably was Georgia transfer Jaheim Singletary, a highly touted redshirt-freshman, who many expect to eventually be a mainstay for the Razorback defense. At 6-foot-2, 187 pounds, Singletary is one of the tallest Hogs at the position, with impressive speed and quickness.

“He has been really impressive so far,” Wilson said. “He’s getting the defense down, flying around, communicating, and fitting in with the rest of the guys.”

A 4-star recruit out of Jacksonville (FL) Riverside High School a year ago, Singletary was rated as the No. 8 cornerback prospect nationally, the No. 8 prospect in Florida and the No. 66 prospect nationally, according to 247 Sports.

“He’s been impressive, but to get on the field, we tell him to keep doing what he’s doing, and keep getting better,” Wilson added. “Because if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. And over these first four days he has been getting better every day.”

Singletary played in three games for Georgia last season, but retained his freshman status, with four years of eligibility remaining.

Wilson also praised the early performances of TCU transfer senior Kee’yon Stewart and true freshman TJ Metcalf, a 4-star recruit out of Birmingham (AL) Pinson Valley High School.

“They are still getting acclimated, but have been impressive, so far,” Wilson said. “If you walked on the field, you wouldn’t even know TJ is a freshman.

“Jaylon Braxton has been having a really good camp, also, talking from a new guys or freshman perspective,” Wilson said.

The 4-star recruit out of Frisco (TX) Lone Star High School, who flipped his commitment from Michigan State over the summer, was ranked the No. 10 cornerback in the country and the No. 109 ranked prospect overall. He’s the 24th highest rated Arkansas prospect since online rankings began.

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound Braxton has already been compared to former Arkansas and NFL standout Ahmad “Batman” Carroll, who still resonates with Razorback fans for his dynamic cover skills and ferocious hitting.

The season will kick off on Sept. 2, as the Hogs host Western Carolina in Little Rock.

Arkansas football adds Georgia linebacker to 2024 recruiting class

New defensive coordinator Travis Williams has added his first linebacker commitment to the 2024 recruiting class. Here’s more on Arkansas’ newest recruit:

[autotag]Arkansas football[/autotag] has landed another defensive commitment for the 2024 recruiting class. Three-star linebacker [autotag]Justin Logan[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Razorbacks early Wednesday morning via Twitter (X).

The Marietta (Ga.) native is currently rated as a consensus three-star prospect, and is borderline four-star status by all of the major recruiting outlets. The 6-3, 205-pound outside linebacker prospect is highly-coveted and his extensive offer list is proof.

Logan chose Arkansas over offers from Missouri, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Louisville, West Virginia, UCF, Pittsburgh, Colorado and many others. He is the first linebacker commitment for the 2024 recruiting class and was recruited heavily by new defensive coordinator [autotag]Travis Williams[/autotag].

Arkansas football is now at 18 commitments for the 2024 recruiting class and Logan is the ninth on the defensive side of the ball. The Razorbacks’ 2024 class is currently ranked No. 20 in the country by 247Sports and No. 22 by Rivals.