FAYETTEVILLE — With recruiting visits still on lockdown because of the pandemic, John Ridgeway really had only one option if he wanted to see his potential future home.
So the big defensive tackle hopped in the car with his parents, girlfriend and dog and made the 8-hour drive from Bloomington, Ill., to Fayetteville.
Once on campus at Arkansas, Ridgeway was taken aback by the 76,000-seat Reynolds Razorback Stadium and in awe of the Razorbacks’ football facilities. Used to playing and practicing in blizzards in the spring, he was impressed by the indoor facility and loved the big weight room that wasn’t shared with another team.
It was a stark contrast to Illinois State, the FCS program where he spent the first four years of his college career.
“I was like, ‘Dang, that’s a lot. I could basically invite the whole town of Bloomington here if they wanted to,’” Ridgeway said about the stadium, before commenting on the other facilities. “I was a little starstruck about it (and) was like, ‘Dang, you guys got this in college?’”
Needless to say, Ridgeway fell in love with Arkansas on the trip and decided to transfer there over his other two finalists - which he declined to reveal, but rather joked that they were the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
The fact that the Razorbacks would give him an opportunity to expand his repertoire, as he’d get to play some nose tackle instead of just nose guard, was also a major factor, as was his desire to play on special teams - all in the best conference in college football.
“The best talent at the next level comes out of the SEC, so I figured why not go against them,” Ridgeway said. “It was also an opportunity for me to get looked at going at a higher level.”
For a school like Arkansas to even be an option for Ridgeway is remarkable considering his options coming out of Bloomington High in Illinois. A two-star recruit who starred on both sides of the ball, he generated some FBS - and even Power Five - interest early on, but bad grades prevented that from materializing into actual opportunities.
He managed to get it together, though, and landed at Illinois State in the neighboring town of Normal.
