Arkansas fans tuned in to Twitter at noon Tuesday not only to wish Memphis Whitehaven linebacker Martavius French a happy birthday, but also to see him commit to the Hogs.
This particular recruitment has been a long process for the Razorbacks' staff, as they went hard after French from the very beginning. The NCAA junior non-contact period ended Sept. 1, 2018, and head coach Chad Morris and his staff immediately went "full tilt boogie" on French. The strategy resulted in a commitment
“Arkansas has been in constant communication with him since the beginning,” Whitehaven head coach Rodney Saulsberry said. “Even way before (Kenny) Ingram joined their staff. Arkansas built a relationship with him but it elevated even more with the hire of Ingram
“Kennyʼs hire was huge because he is not only a native of Memphis, but an alum of Whitehaven. He is one of us."
Saulsberry did not end there. He also explained the staff as a whole recruited him constantly.
“It is not like their staff didn't do a great job recruiting him (before the hiring of Ingram), it just elevated his recruitment," Saulsberry said. "The staff showed us that French was a top priority for the Arkansas program.”
The level of excitement and encouragement French brings to his teammates and coaching staff should make fans look forward to the moment his feet hit the campus.
“He keeps you going," Saulsberry said. “The guy is full of energy and a joy to coach. He has some learning and development to do, but he brings passion and energy...a motivator."
When most athletes hit campus, they have to learn the new system and develop their bodies, but French has a couple of intangibles that show you what kind of kid the Razorbacks are getting and what kind of player Morris is recruiting
“French is a kid that can be a little rambunctious at times, maybe even rowdy and have to reel him in sometimes, but he is still a good kid,” Saulsberry said.
Similar to Arkansasʼ other two commitments from this weekend, Saulsberry is very high on how French deals with his academics.
“He is a good student,” Saulsberry said. “We really challenge our kids to be better, display a great attitude and know their capabilities. We push them to aim for excellence and Martavius has that in him, understanding that he has the ability and display it as a student and a player.”
Every day, every practice, every class, every down in every game, Morris wants a competitive nature and will to win, and that is what the Whitehaven coach says French will bring to the table.
“He is ultra competitive and wants to win," Saulsberry said. "He has a high pain threshold, he has played through a lot of pain. I love that about him because he is all in and wants it bad. If he can keep the same energy and focus in the right direction, I canʼt wait to see him progress.”
Whitehaven also has another highly touted linebacker in Bryson Eason. When Saulsberry was asked about the status of Easonʼs recruitment, it was stated there is no timetable for a decision from him yet.
“Eason is a guy that is very focused on the team, not concentrating on his future school,” Saulsberry said. “Bryson will trim down his list, but is still limited and still going through the process. Right now, he wants to focus on a championship instead of recruiting. His list is down to eight but will eventually be trimmed to five.”
Arkansas beat out Ole Miss and Mississippi State for the services of French. Other schools that offered include Oklahoma, LSU, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri and Oregon.
For Razorback fans that want to catch Memphis Whitehaven in action during the 2019 season, the Tigers will be in the Natural State on Sept. 6 to play the North Little Rock Charging Wildcats.
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