Arkansas JUCO targets land in initial Rivals JUCO Top 40
While the junior college ranks haven't produced as many high-level recruits as the transfer portal, there are still some diamonds in the rough who could produce at the SEC level.
Rivals released its initial junior college Top 40 list on Wednesday, and two targets who recently reported offers from Arkansas found themselves on the list.
Brien Taylor - Defensive End - Blinn College
Arkansas extended an offer to Taylor on Oct. 26, joining an offer list that includes Georgia, Auburn, Oregon and others.
Taylor debuted in the JUCO rankings as the No. 4 player in the class of 2024. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound defensive lineman has already planned an official visit to Georgia this coming weekend, and checked out Auburn during the Tigers' game against Ole Miss on Oct. 21.
Sources had indicated to HawgBeat previously the Hogs were done looking at defensive ends in the 2024 class after the commitments of four-stars Charleston Collins (Little Rock) and Kavion Henderson (Leeds, Alabama), but with the possibility of losing current Arkansas defensive end Landon Jackson to the NFL Draft at the end of the season, the staff would do well to add more depth to the defensive line.
Jayven Richardson - Offensive Tackle - Hutchinson Community College
It's no secret Arkansas needs offensive line help, and Richardson could prove to be a major contributor should he join the Razorbacks.
Arkansas extended an offer to Richardson on Monday, and he debuted at No. 11 in the JUCO rankings by Rivals.
Interestingly, Arkansas has several ties to Hutchinson Community College, which rests roughly 60 miles northwest of Wichita, Kansas' largest city.
For starters, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman was the head coach at Hutchinson from 1992 to 1993. He finished with an 11-9-1 record.
Pittman also tabbed former Blue Dragons head coach Rion Rhoades as his first linebackers coach in 2020.
On top of the coaching connections, the Razorbacks snagged long snapper Ashton Ngo from Hutchinson at the end of last season. The Andover, Kansas, native hasn't seen any time on the field so far this year.
Dave Van Horn and Arkansas baseball also dipped into the Hutchinson talent pool earlier this year with the addition of outfielder Will Edmunson.
So far, Hutchinson is a perfect 8-0 on the season and 5-0 in the Jayhawk Conference. The Blue Dragons' next game is against Independence Community College, which produced former Arkansas running back Raheem Boyd.