HawgBeat's Friday Night Lights Preview: Week 1

Each Friday, HawgBeat's Alex Trader will write a Friday Night Lights preview piece that gives a snapshot of the top high school games in the country involving Arkansas commits and targets and provides updates on how they're doing, as well as lists where all of them are playing and other top players in each of those games.

Maumelle @ Joe T. Robinson - 7 p.m. CT

**NOTE: This game was originally scheduled to be played at Maumelle, but it has since been moved to Robinson.**

The Week 2 destination was a no-brainer as it features three of Arkansas’ most highly touted commitments in the 2022 class. For the home team, Nico Davillier and Andrew Chamblee hope to carry on the momentum of their comeback win over Sylvan Hills.

Robinson won’t have an easy road trying to bounce back from their 60-28 loss to Pulaski Academy either. Maumelle’s four fourth-quarter takeaways surely had Senator coaches adding a couple of reps to the ball security period this week.

Drawing my focus for Robinson will be Rivals250 OT E’Marion Harris, who committed earlier this summer. The 4* lineman has SEC size already, and his 6-foot-7, 340-pound frame should prove an anchor in the Senators’ gameplan.

Running behind him will be ‘22 RB Daryl Searcy Jr., who holds offers from Arkansas State, Memphis and North Texas.

Last week kicked off the season for many future Razorbacks, as well as some of the staff’s most highly touted targets. Ashdown tight end and 2023 commit Shamar Easter posted a dominating two-touchdown performance, adding multiple pancakes and a blocked punt in a win over Hamburg.

Rashod Dubinion flashed some playmaking ability of his own with a shifty touchdown run from 35 yards out in Cedar Grove’s win over Tucker.

Rounding out the offensive side of the ball, California transplant Joey Su’a gave Liberty North’s defensive line fits as he manhandled defenders all night. His coach gave some thoughts on the 6-foot-3, 315-pound tackle’s first showing for Bentonville.

Defensively, Jordan Crook’s Duncanville squad ran into an immovable force in their opener against No. 1 ranked Mater Dei. In addition to the disapointing first week for the Panthers, the team is now looking for a new Sept. 10 opponent after their initial matchup of Bishop Sycamore was cancelled following a national scandal surrounding the seemingly fake program.

With the return of football on the Hill also comes the return of prospective Razorbacks making gameday visits - something the pandemic eliminated in 2020.

“Well, coaches have to go to work again,” head coach Sam Pittman said. “I mean, it's going to be great. Before the games last year, you just sat around waiting on the game, go out there and talk to the players. Now, you have to go to work again.

“That's going to be a lot of fun. Any good coach loves recruiting, so it'll be fun to see the families, see how excited they are to get on campus and watch the Razorbacks. So we're looking forward to it.”

This week, one of the Razorback’s earliest ‘22 commits will be in town. Clarendon tight end Dax Courtney told HawgBeat to expect nearly all of the in-state guys in the class to be in Reynolds Razorback Stadium for Arkansas’ 1 p.m. kickoff against Rice.

2022

Belleville (Mich.) @ Dearborn (Mich.) - 6 p.m. CT

Commit: Myles Rowser, 4* S (Belleville)

-- Belleville - Christian Rapley, 3* ATH (‘22) - holds offers from Kentucky, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, others
-- Belleville - Jeremiah Caldwell, 4* ATH (‘22) - previously committed to Kentucky, holds offers from Arkansas State, Iowa State, Michigan, Tennessee
-- Belleville - Deshaun Lee, 3* CB (‘22) - holds offers from Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Syracuse
-- Belleville - Aaron Alexander, 2* ILB (‘22) - Michigan commit

Cedar Grove (Ga.) @ Colquitt County (Ga.) - 6:30 p.m. CT

Commit: Rashod Dubinion, 4* RB (Cedar Grove)

-- Cedar Grove - Christen Miller, 4* DT (‘22) - No. 9 DT in 2022, FutureCast to USC
-- Cedar Grove - Joshua White, 4* DE (‘22) - Memphis commit
-- Cedar Grove - Janiran Bonner, 4* WR (‘22) - Georgia Tech commit
-- Cedar Grove - Kayin Lee, 4* CB (‘23) - holds five other SEC offers, FutureCast to Georgia

South Oak Cliff (Texas) @ Duncanville (Texas) - 7 p.m. CT

Commit: Jordan Crook, 3* LB (Duncanville)

-- South Oak Cliff - Malik Muhammad, 4* CB (‘23) - holds 38 offers, including Alabama, Arkansas, Cal, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, USC
-- South Oak Cliff - Jayvon Thomas, 4* ATH (‘23) - holds offers from Baylor, ND, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, USC
-- South Oak Cliff - Billy Walton, 3* DE (‘23) - holds offer from Kansas

Clarendon @ Barton - 7 p.m. CT

Commits: Quincey McAdoo, 4* WR & Dax Courtney, 3* TE (Clarendon)

Byrnes (S.C.) @ Dutch Fork (S.C.) - 6:30 p.m. CT

Commit: Eli Henderson, 3* OL (Byrnes)

-- Dutch Fork - Antonio Williams, 4* WR (‘22) - holds offers from Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Miami (FL), Michigan, Ole Miss, ND, Oregon, South Carolina, USC

Haywood (Tenn.) @ Crockett County (Tenn.) - 7 p.m. CT

Commit: Jaylen Lewis, 3* S (Haywood)

-- Haywood - Camron Douglas, 3* DT (‘22) - holds offers from Akron, Illinois, Memphis, Vanderbilt

East Ridge (Fla.) @ Lee County (Ga.) - 6:30 p.m. CT

Commit: Tyrus Washington, 3* TE (Lee County)

-- Lee County - Jaron Willis, 4* OLB (‘22) - Georgia Tech commit
-- Lee County - Qaeshon Sapp, 4* OG (‘22) - Florida State commit
-- Lee County - Quavian Carter, 3* S (‘22) - Michigan State commit

Ensworth (Tenn.) @ Christian Brothers (Tenn.) - 7 p.m. CT

Commit: Patrick Kutas, 3* OL (Christian Brothers)

-- Christian Brothers - Dallan Hayden, 4* RB (‘22) - Ohio State commit, his older brother, Chase, played in 23 games for Arkansas from 2017-19
-- Ensworth - Shamar Porter, 3* WR (‘23) - holds offers from Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Penn State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, West Virginia
-- Ensworth - Jacob Page, 3* WR (‘23) - holds offers from Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee

Thursday: Little Rock Parkview 47, Little Rock Southwest 0

Commit: James Jointer Jr., 3* RB (Parkview)

-- Parkview - Darien Bennett, RB (‘23) - holds offer from Arkansas, committing Jan. 26, 2022
-- Parkview - Jaylon White, 3* OLB/S ('22) - holds 21 offers, including from Arkansas
-- Parkview - Trent Bennett, 3* S ('22) - holds offers from Boston College, Colorado, Michigan State
-- Parkview - Kyndall McKenzie, 2* OL ('22) - Memphis commit

Greenland @ Elkins - 7 p.m. CT

Commit: JJ Hollingsworth, 3* DE (Greenland)

Fayetteville @ Owasso (Okla.) - 7 p.m. CT

Commit: Mani Powell, 3* LB (Fayetteville)

-- Fayetteville - Isaiah Sategna, 4* WR (‘22) - Oregon commit, No. 1 player in the state of Arkansas in 2022
-- Fayetteville - Kaiden Turner, 3* ILB (‘22) - Indiana commit
-- Owasso - Chris McClellan, 4* DT (‘22) - holds 34 offers, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, USC. Eight FutureCasts to Ohio State

Shiloh Christian @ Poteau (Okla.) - 7 p.m. CT

Commit: Kaden Henley, 3* ATH (Shiloh Christian)

Cambridge (Wisc.) @ Palmyra (Wisc.) - TBD

Commit: Eli Stein, 2* LS (Cambridge)

2023

De Queen @ Ashdown - 7:30 p.m. CT

Commit: Shamar Easter, 4* TE (Ashdown)

Eudora (Kan.) @ Baldwin (Kan.) - TBD

Commit: Jaden Hamm, 3* TE (Eudora)

-- Eudora - Jaiden Bender, 3* WR (‘23) - holds offers from Kansas, Kansas State
-- Eudora - Silas Etter, 3* ATH (‘22) - Kansas State commit

2022

South Gibson (Tenn.) @ Milan (Tenn.) - 7 p.m. CT

-- Milan - Anthony Brown, 3* WR (‘22) - visited Fayetteville in June, Arkansas in Top 5, commitment date set for Sept. 14

2023

Magnolia West (Texas) @ Temple (Texas) - 7:30 p.m. CT

-- Temple - Mikal Harrison-Pilot, 4* WR/S (‘23) - Arkansas offer, Rivals250 player in the class of 2023, visited Fayetteville in early June
-- Temple - Naeten Jeremy-Mitchell, S (‘23) - Arkansas offer, frequent visitor to Arkansas’ campus this summer

DeSoto (Texas) @ Bowie (Texas) - 7 p.m. CT

-- DeSoto - Johntay Cook II, 4* WR (‘23) - Arkansas offer, No. 66 in Rivals100 for 2023
-- DeSoto - Dahlyn Jones, WR (‘23) - Arkansas offer, also holds an offer from Kansas, visited Fayetteville in late July
-- Bowie - Devon Campbell, 5* OG (‘22) - recruited by now-Arkansas DL coach Jermial Ashley when at Tulsa, holds 27 offers but is FutureCast to Texas

Judson (Texas) @ Lake Travis (Texas) - 7:30 p.m. CT

-- Judson - Anthony Evans III, WR (‘23) - Arkansas offer, also holds offers from Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech, and G5 schools, visited Fayetteville in June
-- Lake Travis - Bo Edmundson, 3* QB (‘23) - holds offers from Kentucky, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Penn State
-- Lake Travis - Caleb Burton, 4* WR (‘22) - Ohio State commit

Conway @ Bentonville - 7 p.m. CT

-- Bentonville - Joey Su'a, OL ('23) - Arkansas offer, also holds offers from Georgia, Maryland, Michigan State, Oregon
-- Bentonville - Charles Nimrod, 3* WR ('22) - Tennessee commit

Mansfield Summit (Texas) @ Mansfield (Texas) - 7 p.m. CT

-- Mansfield - Brenden Jordan, 4* S (‘23) - Subject of last week’s HawgBeat Spotlight, holds offers from Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi State and USC in addition to Arkansas
-- Mansfield Summit - Joseph Adedire, 4* DE (‘22) - TCU commit

2024

Sheridan @ Hot Springs Lakeside - 7 p.m. CT

-- HS Lakeside - Braylen Russell, RB (‘24) - sole offer from Arkansas