The final weekend of the 2020 recruiting cycle has come and gone. It was a relatively successful one for the Razorbacks as they gained two commitments, including their first 2021 commit, hosted 30+ in-state players for Junior Day and welcomed two promising grad transfers to campus as well.
It's now the dead period and while coaches are done traveling, they'll still be working the phones to make sure everything is in order for National Signing Day on Wednesday. Arkansas has already signed nine for the 2020 class, added two grad transfers and have eight more committed to sign Wednesday.
Remaining needs for the class include quarterback, tight end, offensive line and wide receiver. Arkansas still has 5-6 spots they can fill between now and signing day or before the beginning of the 2020 season.
NEW COMMITMENTS
Arkansas landed Troup County HS defensive tackle Andy Boykin on Sunday as he departed his official visit. The one-time Auburn commit is the Razorbacks' only defensive tackle commit in the 2020 class and a huge addition if he gets everything in order to enroll this summer. Boykin held offers from 14 other programs including Alabama, Florida, Georgia and others. The 3-star plans to sign his NLI on Wednesday at 1 p.m.
While Arkansas made a very strong impression on many in-state prospects that visited for Junior Day this weekend, they made Wynne OT Terry Wells feel at home, prompting him to become their first 2021 commit. Wells impressed this winter at UA camp where he won recognition as a top performer. That performance prompted offers from Arkansas, Kansas and more. This commitment is huge for the Razorbacks because it's been a couple years since they've landed top talent from in-state in the trenches.
REOFFERS
Arkansas took the opportunity to reoffer two of the top in-state sophomores on Junior Day. Maumelle Senior offensive tackle Andrew Chamblee was on campus and he also holds early offers from Kansas, Southern Miss, Missouri and more with his stock destined to rise.
He told Rivals: “It was great. All the energy, all the coaches were really nice and I think they’re really going to turn this program around.”
Parkview (Little Rock) standout running back James Jointer was reoffered and was especially thankful that the coaches at Arkansas still believe in him despite a season-ending ACL injury from which he's still recovering. Jointer recently picked up offers from Missouri and Louisiana Tech as well.
Jointer told Rivals: "The love that new coaches showed me really shocked me, I didn’t expect that. I loved the atmosphere. I can tell these guys, the new coaches, have something special.
“Coach Pittman, Coach Cooper, Coach Briles and Coach Smith, they were in the player’s lounge, joking around, they came up to my mom and told her, ‘You know he’s got an offer with this staff too.’ It was kind of cool. I know my mom was about ready to cry.”
BIG BOARD UPDATES
HOG: Jalent St. John was considering a last minute official visit to Missouri this weekend but did not take the trip. St. John is looking "all Hog" heading into Signing Day on Wednesday and the FutureCast picks reflect as much. The 4-star and No.9-ranked offensive guard in the nation was once committed to play for Barry Odom and Brad Davis and it looks like he will be once again.
TOSS UP: Arkansas has done everything they can do win over Tennessee offensive guard Marcus Henderson and it's coming down to the wire between Ole Miss and the Hogs heading into National Signing Day. Henderson had been planning to travel to Georgia this past weekend but he did not take the trip. While Arkansas is recruiting Henderson to play offensive line, Ole Miss has thrown around the possibility of him playing tight end or defense as a freshman. Henderson's two FutureCasts are in towards Ole Miss but the sheer lack of picks for him indicate that no one is 100% sure what the lineman will do on Wednesday.
HOG: There could've been no more positive sign for Arkansas's chances for Texas dual-threat QB Malik Hornsby than him cancelling his official visit to Baylor this past weekend. Hornsby is one of the top undecided quarterbacks in the nation with 26 Division-I offers in the bag. Hornsby's stock fell in the final recruiting rankings but he's got the type of talent that could make analysts look silly in the long run.
TOSS UP: Former Arkansas wide receiver commit Savion Williams is perhaps one of the toughest prospects in the nation to read but we do know his recruitment is down to Arkansas, TCU and SMU. Justin Stepp has been working very hard to try to close this deal but FutureCasts have been going in favor of the Horned Frogs. For Williams, TCU is half the distance from home that Arkansas is and he claims to have a great connection to that staff as well. Stepp went to Williams' basketball game Friday night, as did TCU's wide receivers coach.
This one feels like a toss up still. Arkansas only has one 2020 wide receiver signed. If Williams does not call the Hogs again, there's no back-up plan.
TOSS UP: Former Arkansas tight end commit Allen Horace took his final official visit this past weekend to Ole Miss and told RebelGrove that it's going to be a very hard decision. He did indicate to them that there is a favorite right now in the race but wasn't giving anything away. Horace plans to decide on National Signing Day between Arkansas, Ole Miss and UTSA. From the outside, it would be easy to predict Horace landing at one of the two SEC programs but insiders know his connection to Jeff Traylor and Barry Lunney at UTSA cannot be overlooked or understated.
Horace told RebelGrove after his visit: “I let this be known to all the coaches,” Horace said. “I’m looking for somebody that’s real and genuine. I don’t want to go into any robot program. I’m a person. That plays a big key factor. And if I feel home, obviously, I don’t want to go anywhere I can’t live after college.”
Horace is Arkansas's only discernible option left on the table at TE for the 2020 class (in the high school ranks) and it is perhaps the biggest need on the roster.
Arkansas hosted Clemson grad transfer defensive tackle Xavier Kelly officially and Oklahoma grad transfer linebacker Levi Draper unofficially this weekend. While Draper has yet to comment on his visit, Kelly was very complimentary and said he's closing in on a decision with no other visits planned yet. Draper on the other hand is considering other visits.
