FREE: Razorback Recruiting Rundown
The NCAA's month-long dead period finally comes to an end on Thursday. For those who may not follow recruiting quite as closely as others, now is a good time to get caught up on what's left for Arkansas' 2016 class.
The Razorbacks currently rank 36th in the nation with 15 verbal commitments and one early signee in JUCO offensive lineman Terrance Deion Malone. Four-star defensive end McTelvin Agim is still considered a commitment until he enrolls next week, giving the Hogs two early enrollees in this year's haul.
Arkansas plans to finish with 24 new additions when all is said and done.
So, where does the class go from here? Here's a breakdown of the remaining needs:
RUNNING BACK
The important thing to remember about this position as it stands right now is that four-star athlete T.J. Hammonds has been told he'll get every opportunity to help at running back, in addition to being a guy who can split out at receiver and return kicks and punts on special teams.
Getting four-star Devwah Whaley of Beaumont (Texas) Central on board was huge for the Hogs, especially after Alex Collins declared for the NFL Draft earlier this week.
Now the Razorbacks need at least one more, and they're expected to get a visit from at least one of their most-wanted prospects on January 29 when four-star Kyle Porter of Katy (Texas) makes his way to Fayetteville.
Porter will also make official visits at TCU and Texas over the next two weekends.
Another four-star, Rakeem Boyd of Houston (Texas) Stratford, is committed to Texas A&M but had said the Hogs will get an official visit late down the stretch. It is unknown whether he plans to keep those visit plans at this point.
One JUCO prospect who has recently been connected to Arkansas is Justin Crawford of Northwest Mississippi Community College, the same school Malone attended. Georgia, Ole Miss and Louisville are also involved with Crawford and the Razorbacks haven't extended an offer at this time.
OFFENSIVE LINE
This is a huge area of need as the Hogs will begin spring ball with just eight scholarship linemen, including Malone. To put that in perspective, Arkansas would like to always carry 15-17 every year, so it goes without saying that depth is becoming a major concern at this stage.
There are two on board with Malone and three-star Jake Heinrich of Urbandale (Iowa). Both guys are viewed as guard prospects, and the Razorbacks are now in need of a couple of tackles.
Arkansas would prefer to have at least one junior college tackle who can come in and help soften the blow of losing Denver Kirkland early to the NFL. Paul Ramirez of San Bernardino (Calif.) C.C. fits the bill, but he hasn't yet set an official date. That may change, so keep a close watch on him down the stretch.
Another intriguing prospect to keep an eye on is four-star Sean Foster of Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic. Foster recently de-committed from Minnesota and has reached out to the Hogs, who had already given him a look earlier this year. While he's not a JUCO prospect, it'll be interesting to see if the Razorbacks choose to make a move by bringing him in for a visit. Foster's dad played with Bret Bielema at Iowa.
LINEBACKER
There's still plenty of work to do here as Arkansas needs two more to go along with current commitments Alexy Jean-Baptiste and Dejon Harris.
The Hogs lost Jordan Carmouche's verbal pledge earlier this week, and it'll be key for Arkansas to hold on to Harris as he'll visit Colorado this weekend and Alabama on the final weekend. While Harris says he's still solid to the Hogs and that his trips are more about just enjoying the process, visiting the national champs on the final weekend certainly causes at least some concern.
Arkansas would like to add a JUCO player to the mix -- someone they feel could step in and help out early on the way Josh Williams did in 2014. Eldridge Thompson of Coffeyville C.C. is one to watch as he says the coaching staff told him they'll likely bring him in for an official this month.
Another prep player to keep tabs on is Giovanni LaFrance of New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine. LaFrance told HawgSports.com Tuesday morning that he has a tentative official visit scheduled for Arkansas' big January 22 weekend. He hasn't set that visit in stone, just yet.
DEFENSIVE BACK
One of the big names to know at this position is four-star cornerback Kristian Fulton of Metairie (La.) Rummel, and he'll be in town for an official visit on Jan. 22. The nearby LSU Tigers and the Florida Gators will also receive visits this month. Fulton is a teammate of Arkansas commit Briston Guidry at Rummel High.
Eric Cuffee of Waco (Texas) is a highly-regarded defensive back that could visit the Hogs on the final weekend. The Razorbacks have had Cuffee on their wish list for quite a while. Texas A&M and Oklahoma appear to be in good shape, as well.
There is one more prospect committed elsewhere who could visit on the final weekend but has chosen to keep his name off the radar for now. Arkansas has been on him for several months, though his name hasn't been connected to the Hogs publicly.
Coffeyville C.C. cornerback JaMarcus King's name is mentioned only because he was a major target for the Hogs last month before he signed with South Carolina. He was not admitted into SC, so he is now back on the market. It is unknown whether the Hogs will become a player for King's services again or if he'll stick it out with the Gamecocks, but he's listed because he has already made an official trip to Fayetteville.
OTHER
There aren't huge needs on the defensive line from a numbers standpoint, but the Razorbacks remain very much in the mix for defensive end target Allen Cater, who plans to announce his decision on National Signing Day.
Guidry plans to see Oklahoma and Arizona State this month, but the feeling as of today is that he'll stick with the Razorbacks.
At wide receiver, the Hogs will receive an official visit from four-star Houston commit Tyrie Cleveland on the weekend of the 22nd.