The Arkansas Razorbacks have a good recent hit rate with junior college recruits and they're now on the prowl for more experienced talent in the 2021 class.
In 2018, Arkansas signed two junior college players that turned out pretty well, Rakeem Boyd and Dorian Gerald, and of the Hogs' two additions in 2019, one was a starter last season, Myron Cunningham.
Pittman noted after signing one junior college prospect, 6-foot-7 defensive lineman Julius Coates, in his first class at Arkansas that JUCO athletes are great–if you can evaluate them well enough.
"Junior college wise, I never want to go heavy junior college because I think we can build our team young," Pittman said. "I just want the best players we can get, so if we can go into the junior colleges and get one, two or three outstanding players that we think can change our program immediately, you have to be right on that now, you have to be correct on your evaluation. I don’t think we’d ever sign a whole huge number of junior college players just because I believe you have to base your whole program out of freshman and start in the state of Arkansas."
Pittman's staff has offered 10 2021 JUCO prospects and only one of them is committed already–linebacker Gereme Spragins of Hutchinson C.C., to Maryland.
The head hog hired long-time Hutchinson head coach Rion Rhoades to coach his linebackers and his connections should help ensure Arkansas has the latest and best intel on the top JUCO prospects.
More:
Closer look at Hutchinson C.C. DT DeMeco Roland
Closer look at Independence C.C. TE Quentin Moore
Closer look at Garden City C.C. DE Arvell Ferguson
The Arkansas Razorbacks offered Iowa Western defensive tackle Isaiah Coe on March 2 after Liberty, Memphis and UCF, and before Houston, Ole Miss, Missouri, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Louisiana and South Carolina jumped on board the Coe train.
An Illinois native, Coe had just two offers out of high school, Miami (OH) and South Dakota. In lieu of going to one of those programs, Coe committed to Iowa Western C.C. where he has blossomed into a top prospect.
When weighed by Rivals in his junior season, the defensive tackle checked in at 270 pounds. He's now 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds according to his Iowa Western profile.
