Five 2020 In-State Prospects Who Could Pick Up Arkansas Offers
Morrilton three-star quarterback Jacolby Criswell, Bryant three-star linebacker/defensive end Catrell Wallace, and Jonesboro defensive end/linebacker Jashaud Stewart are the only three in-state prospects who have landed offers from Chad Morris and his staff for the Class of 2020...so far. There are other in-state athletes who may possess what it takes to earn an SEC offer from the Razorbacks in coming months, and today we take a look at five of them that you should be keeping your eyes on.
Hightower very easily could have been named MVP of the Class 5A state title game as the Warriors knocked of four time defending state champions Pulaski Academy, but the award ultimately went to Justice Hill, who is now on campus in Fayetteville working out with the basketball team. Chris currently holds offers from Kansas, Liberty, and Memphis, but the Razorbacks are showing considerable interest.
Little Rock Christian offensive coordinator Brandon Middleton noted the interest from the Razorbacks:
“The Razorbacks are very interested in him,” said Middleton. “Coach Lunney came by multiple times in the season to check on him and his progress throughout the season. Chris is the best Class of 2020 wide receiver that I have seen this far. His size and speed combination is very rare. Another thing that sets him apart is his skills with the ball in his hands. He caught a lot of touchdown passes on the deep ball this year, but he caught just as many – if not more – off of hitches and quick screens. He is one of the most dynamic athletes I have seen in my five years of coaching in Arkansas.”
Smith currently holds offers from ULM and Tulane, but he certainly has the size and the skillset to play SEC football. He anchored the Charging Wildcats offensive line in an offense that sets him up well to play college football. North Little Rock head coach Jamie Mitchell believes Smith will be the most recruited athlete since his tenure began at North Little Rock.
“He is going to be a highly recruited kid,” said Mitchell. “He has all of the measurable, and his upside is huge. He’s long and athletic, and can bend and run. I think he will be the highest recruited kid we have had since I’ve been here.”
Mitchell noted that the Razorbacks do have Smith on their radar:
“Arkansas has him on their radar,” said Mitchell. “They have come through a couple of times, before and after Christmas.”
Moore is another one to keep an eye on. Several SEC schools are showing interest, with Ole Miss and LSU recently making visits to check in on him. Memphis also had staff members visit his school last week as well. West Memphis head coach Billy Elmore noted that Moore has a lot to offer both on and off of the football field.
“He is a great kid. He has never been a problem,” said Elmore. “He works hard and is a good student. As far as I know he has never even been in the principal’s office. He has a 23 on his ACT. He had 50 solo tackles, 19 assisted, 17.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, one sack, one forced fumbles, four interceptions and five pass break ups last year.”
Elmore noted that Arkansas coaches haven’t made it by to check in on Kendarrius yet, but they are expected to, especially with the amount of interest LSU and Ole Miss are showing.
Bailey is an athlete who switched to defensive end from linebacker once he moved up to the high school ranks, but he is one who could end up being recruited highly with a good spring in addition to solid efforts once camps roll around. Bryant head coach Buck James says he is a kid who has all of his test scores already, and who gets better every week. The Razorbacks are beginning to show a little interest in him.
“He is getting interest, he just need to get a little better technically,” said James. “He is a big, strong kid and will end up being an inside guy as he continues to grow. He is a great student and will have all the scores and is a very good young man. He got better every week of the season. He was a junior high linebacker, so took him a minute to figure out defensive line technical things.
El Dorado has produced several SEC caliber players over the years, and one young man who has a shot at being the next one is offensive lineman Dalton Perdue. He has the size at 6-6, 320 and currently holds an offer from UCA. Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, and Mississippi State are showing interest in him as well. El Dorado offensive coordinator Nick Vaughn said that Perdue will graduate high school a full year age earlier than others due to starting school early, but he really started to come on late in the season for the Wildcats.
“He is young for a junior, which has slowed his development in my opinion,” said Vaughn. “He started school early, so he should actually be a sophomore. He really started to come on late this year, and has lots of potential. He has great feet and is getting better. When he went to camp at Arkansas, he was 320 with baby fat, and he lost all of that by September. He has Arkansas, Mississippi State, Baylor, and LSU showing interest.”
Vaughn believes Perdue needs to have a big spring and show out once camps begin to see the interest continue to rise.
“He needs to have a great spring and good showing in camps to get those offers,” said Vaughn. “He is physical and athletic and very impressive with feet and hip flexibility.”
Anyone who follows Razorback recruiting knows that there is always a stud player that pops up between his junior and senior season. Sometimes it is in the spring, sometimes it is during camps. There very well could be someone pop up who is listed here today. There could also be someone else pop up that we aren’t talking about. The time of the year for these guys to stand up and stand out is upon us, and it should be fun to watch their development over the next several months.