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 set to host major recruits for spring game on Saturday

Arkansas football is set to host a lot of major recruits on Saturday. Here’s some of the names that will be in town.

[autotag]Arkansas football[/autotag] has been busy hosting a plethora of major recruiting prospects over the last month or so, and Saturday afternoon will see that trend continue for the spring game. The Razorbacks will be hosting a few big names to watch for the 2024 recruiting class.

First, 2023 signee [autotag]Quincy Rhodes[/autotag] will be in attendance as he has yet to enroll in school and will do so following the spring. As far as the 2024 class goes, Arkansas is hosting some priority targets on both sides of the ball.

Three-star defensive back Tevis Metcalf, of Birmingham, Ala., will be on hand. The 5-10, 175-pound prospect has a connection to Fayetteville already as he is the younger brother of 2023 Razorback safety signee, [autotag]TJ Metcalf[/autotag], who is already enrolled on campus.

Four-star running back Nate Palmer, of Decatur, Texas, will be on hand for the Red-White game as well as Arkansas native and four-star offensive lineman Kobe Branham from Fort Smith. Branham is a 6-5, 320-pound prospect who has received numerous predictions and forecasts to commit to the Hogs.

Another talented name to watch for Arkansas fans is four-star defensive back Jaden Allen of Aledo, Texas. Allen has visited Fayetteville numerous times and has another official visit scheduled for June of this summer. He’s high on this staff’s priority list and could be one of Arkansas’ next commitments for the 2024 class.

There will likely be more big names that make it to Fayetteville over the weekend, but this is an impressive list for [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] and his staff that could mean more good news on the horizon.

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The Summer has been kind to Arkansas Football

Arkansas Football has had one of the best summers on the recruiting trail, as they have reeled in 12 commits over June and July.

Although the month of July is still in its’ early stages, Arkansas Football has grabbed its’ share of commitments for the 2023 class.

On Independence Day alone, Arkansas received pledges from four-star receiver [autotag]Micah Tease[/autotag] and three-star offensive lineman [autotag]Paris Patterson[/autotag]. Joining those two, are the commitments of safety [autotag]TJ Metcalf[/autotag] and athlete [autotag]Dylan Hasz[/autotag], which brings their 2023 cycle total to 20 commits.

Because of their recent streak, Fansided’s Saturday Blitz has named Arkansas as one of the five college teams with recruiting momentum in July.

Saturday Blitz’s Chris Peterson says that [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] and staff’s efforts are considered underrated for the hard work that they have done to build Arkansas’ future for success.

One college football team not getting enough love for its work on the recruiting trail this summer is Arkansas football, which has 12 commitments between June and July.

The Razorbacks have been busy in the month of July so far and have landed four pledges this month and none was bigger than four-star athlete Micah Tease, who committed on Monday. He’s ranked in the top 200 (No. 152 overall) and the 5-foot-11, 180-pounder is ranked 11th among athletes and should be a dynamic addition to the passing game.

The class already features four-star QB [autotag]Malachi Singleton[/autotag], but Arkansas football also landed some help on the defensive side of the ball Monday with the commitment of three-star DL Paris Patterson, who is ranked 492 overall, as well as three-star safety TJ Metcalf (504 overall).

The Razorbacks also added athlete Dylan Hasz on defense, giving Sam Pittman his 20th commitment this cycle and the Hogs a top-10 ranking so far in 2023.

As it stands, Arkansas currently owns the No. 6 recruiting class for the 2023 cycle according to 247sports. Among the 20 commits, six are four-star recruits.

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Committed: Micah Tease chooses Arkansas

Arkansas Football capped an amazing day in recruiting by landing four-star athlete Micah Tease.

What an eventful, yet perfect Independence Day for Arkansas Football’s 2023 recruiting class.

The afternoon began with the commitment of [autotag]Paris Patterson[/autotag], a three-star interior lineman from East St. Louis, Ill., and ended with four-star athlete from Tulsa, Okla., [autotag]Micah Tease[/autotag], pledging to the Razorbacks.

Tease announced his commitment to Arkansas at his high school on Tuesday evening, choosing the Razorbacks over Texas A&M, Notre Dame, and USC.

Gabe Brooks of 247sports says that Tease has the tools to be a great addition to either the receiving corps, or in the defensive backfield.

(Tease) plays fast with impressive functional athleticism. Shows easy speed with smooth acceleration and a big-play top end. Run-by burst at receiver and make-up speed in coverage. Good ball skills regardless of alignment, but especially if projected to the secondary. Displays impressive concentration and ball-tracking skill with speed, hand-eye coordination, and dexterity to make vertical plays on either side of the ball.

Tease is the No. 4 rated recruit from the state of Oklahoma by 247sports composite rankings, and the No. 11 overall athlete for the 2023 cycle. The commitments of Patterson and Tease are the third and fourth commits for Arkansas since the calendar turned to July, joining three-star safety [autotag]TJ Metcalf [/autotag]and athlete [autotag]Dylan Hasz[/autotag], twin brother of four-star tight end commit [autotag]Luke Hasz[/autotag].

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TJ Metcalf commits to Arkansas, giving boost to Hogs in recruiting rankings

By landing the three-star safety from Alabama, Arkansas Football now ranks No. 7 in recruiting for the 2023 cycle.

Arkansas Football has added another important piece to their 2023 recruiting class.

[autotag]TJ Metcalf[/autotag], a three-star safety from Pinson, Ala. has become the 17th commitment for Arkansas’ 2023 class, as he committed to the Razorbacks on Friday afternoon.

Metcalf announced his commitment in a video that was shot in his high school’s gymnasium. He began by being handed a shirt from his other three choices, Jackson State, Ole Miss, and Penn State. When he reached the top of the bleachers, he grabbed an Arkansas hat while talking to head coach [autotag]Sam Pittman[/autotag] on the phone. Once he placed the hat on his head, he told Pittman, “I’m coming home.”

Metcalf chose Arkansas over Jackson State, Penn State, and Ole Miss. While the major recruiting services projected Metcalf to commit to Arkansas, most felt that Ole Miss was next in line due to the fact that he is cousins with former Rebel wide receiver, DK Metcalf.

With Metcalf’s commitment, Arkansas has jumped Baylor in the 2023 recruiting rankings, as they stand at No. 7 according to 247sports.

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Arkansas in running to land safety from Alabama

TJ Metcalf, a three-star safety from Pinson Valley High School in metro Birmingham, has listed Arkansas among his top schools.

A three-star safety from the Yellowhammer State with strong SEC ties is considering Arkansas to be his college home.

[autotag]TJ Metcalf[/autotag], the No. 40 safety for the 2023 class from Pinson, Ala., released his top-10 over the weekend, and Arkansas made the cut. Along with Arkansas, Metcalf is considering Penn State, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Georgia, Florida State, Tennessee, Jackson State, and Ole Miss.

Arkansas offered Metcalf on February 7, and offered his younger brother Tevis 16 days later. The brothers went on a visit to Arkansas during the weekend of March 11.

Although Metcalf has not publicly stated that there is not a top school on his radar, there is one school to watch for, and that is Ole Miss.

Metcalf’s cousin, DK Metcalf, was a standout at Ole Miss, and currently plays wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks. During a visit to Tennessee earlier this year, Metcalf told David Johnson of 247sports that his cousin’s legacy at Ole Miss will not be a deciding factor.

“A lot of folks think it has a lot to do with it, which it does, but that’s not going to be really a deciding factor of where I go,” Metcalf told Johnson. “It’s just that they’re in the same boat as any other team. They just have to do more than what another team does,”

Arkansas’ 2023 recruiting class is ranked No. 6 according to 247sports. Among the 11 commitments in the class, one is from the state of Alabama. Dallas Young, a three-star corner back from Gardendale, Ala., ranks two spots above Metcalf in the state rankings at No. 23.

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Michigan State football makes top ten for 2023 3-star safety TJ Metcalf

Michigan State football makes top ten for 2023 3-star safety TJ Metcalf

Mel Tucker and Michigan State football continue their huge recruiting push in SEC territory with TJ Metcalf, a 2023 3-star safety out of Pinson Valley High School in Alabama. Metcalf included the Spartans in his top ten on Friday.

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 3 473 25 Safety
Rivals 3 NA 27 31

Vitals

Hometown Pinson, Alabama
Projected Position Safety
Height 6’1″
Weight 180 lbs
Class 2023

Recruitment

  • Offered on April 1, 2022

Top Ten

  • Penn State
  • Michigan State
  • Michigan
  • Georgia
  • Arkansas
  • Miami
  • Ole Miss
  • Florida State
  • Tennessee
  • Jackson State

Film

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