7/24/2020 football Edit

Greenland DE JJ Hollingsworth first to call the Hogs for 2022 class

Razorbacks land 2022 defensive end JJ Hollingsworth. (Nikki Chavanelle/Rivals)

Nikki Chavanelle • HawgBeat

Managing Editor

Sam Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks get the ball rolling on the 2022 class with the commitment of Greenland defensive end JJ Hollingsworth. Born in Fayetteville, raised in Greenland, Hollingsworth waited just five days to silently commit to Pittman and the new staff after receiving his offer on July 13.

"Arkansas has been my dream school since I was a kid, so it wasn't a hard choice when God gave me the opportunity," Hollingsworth said. "I've talked to my family and prayed about it a lot and I feel like that's where God is telling me to be."

Hollingsworth made the commitment official and public on July 24, posting a video to Twitter, thanking his family, coaches and community for helping him achieve his dream. The Arkansas coaching staff teased his decision Friday morning, unveiling a 2022 class hashtag: #ARtime22.

Not only is the 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end the first commit in the class, he's also the first player from Greenland to pledge to the Razorbacks on scholarship.

"Being the first member, it means a lot because coming from a small school, not a lot of people take guys like me seriously, so we're often overlooked," Hollingsworth said. "Getting the chance to commit so early is a dream come true that I hope opens things up for other guys in the future.

"Coach Pittman was my main recruiter and I know he wants guys that want to be Razorbacks. I think he can get things turned around and have us competing for a national championship."

Hollingsworth is one of nine in-state prospects holding Arkansas offers in the 2022 class. Two more live just 15 minutes away, including linebacker Kaiden Turner who grew up playing football with Hollingsworth in Greenland before moving to Fayetteville.

With his size and athleticism, Hollingsworth has spent time all over the field but played mostly defensive tackle during his sophomore season. After suffering a broken arm a couple games into the 2019 season, it looked like Hollingsworth's chances of getting good exposure were limited.

Greenland still managed to go 7-5 with a 3A second-round playoff appearance and, with a cast on his arm, Hollingsworth had 33 tackles, 14 solo tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack on the season.

Hollingsworth posted his junior tape at the beginning of July and Kansas kicked off his recruitment with an offer on July 7, Akron followed suit a day later. He's also been followed by coaches from Arizona, Nebraska, Arkansas State, Baylor, Memphis, Rice, Tulane, Penn State, Colorado and more.

The coronavirus's impact on camps this summer has delayed Rivals' rating and rankings process for the 2022 class but Hollingsworth is likely to get his initial rating next month.

Arkansas joins just 19 other Division-I teams who've gotten a head start on the 2022 class. LSU, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State also have at least one commitment from a rising junior.