Commitment Scouting Report: North Carolina 2022 RHP Carter Boyd

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Arkansas has landed its 11th verbal commitment in the Class of 2022, as Carter Boyd - a right-handed pitcher from North Carolina - announced his decision Monday afternoon.

While the other players in his class who have committed to the Razorbacks are either from the state of Arkansas or from nearby states like Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, Boyd will come to Fayetteville from a much less common recruiting ground.

In fact, if he eventually appears in a game at Arkansas, he’ll be the first North Carolina native to do so since Tim Smalling, who played in 2007 and 2008 before transferring to Virginia Tech. Smalling is probably best remembered for his three-home run game - one of 10 in UA history - at Ole Miss his sophomore year.

The Tar Heel State hasn’t produced many Razorbacks in other sports, either. Point guard Jalen Harris is the only North Carolina native in HogStats’ database of basketball players, while defensive end Chris Smith (Class of 2010) and linebacker Tyler Gilbert (2011) are the only football players from the state to sign with Arkansas during the Rivals era.

Head coach Dave Van Horn does have experience with Boyd’s travel ball organization, the South Charlotte Panthers, though. Ty Buttrey was a member of the Razorbacks’ 2012 signing class, but never made it to campus because he was a fourth-round pick and is now entering his third season with the Los Angeles Angels.

Most of the Panthers’ top players - and they consistently produce DI talent - end up at one of the many high-major programs in the Carolinas: South Carolina in the SEC and Clemson, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Duke and Wake Forest in the ACC. That doesn’t even include perennial top-25 teams like Coastal Carolina and East Carolina.

That’s why Scott Clemons - his coach with the Panthers - admitted he was a little surprised to see Boyd commit to the Razorbacks, as very few players of his caliber slip outside of the geographical footprint.

With the help of Clemons, HawgBeat has compiled a scouting report on Boyd and what he’ll bring to the table for Arkansas in a few years…

(For a complete list of Arkansas’ baseball commitments in the 2021, 2022 and 2023 classes, as well as updates, clips and links to other scouting reports on the recruits, click here.)