8/11/2020 football Edit

Arkansas lineman placed on scholarship

Luke Jones is entering his second season with the Razorbacks. (Andrew Hutchinson)

Andrew Hutchinson • HawgBeat

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Arkansas offensive lineman Luke Jones has officially been placed on scholarship, a source confirmed to HawgBeat on Tuesday.

Not a typical walk-on, Jones originally signed with Notre Dame as a 5.7 three-star recruit out of Pulaski Academy in Little Rock in the Class of 2018.

He spent just one year with the Fighting Irish before transferring back home to play for the Razorbacks, where he was actually committed before flipping to Notre Dame. NCAA rules required him to sit out last season.

Despite being a heralded recruit who likely would have been a contributor had he been eligible, Jones was initially not put on scholarship. By spending the last year as a walk-on, he will not be an initial counter. That allowed the Razorbacks to sign full classes in both 2019 and 2020.

Now going into his redshirt sophomore year, Jones figures to compete to be on Arkansas’ two-deep as an interior lineman. He could potentially start or be a backup at center or either guard spot.

In a Zoom videoconference with local media last week, head coach Sam Pittman - a former offensive line coach - mentioned he had been impressed with Jones so far during the team’s walk-through practices.

He becomes the 82nd player on HawgBeat’s projected scholarship distribution for the upcoming season. That leaves three spots for Arkansas to fill moving forward. For a comprehensive breakdown of the scholarship situation, click here.