Recruiting Roundup: Another 2023 Commitment Keeps the Hogs in the Top-10
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The Roundup
Hogs to Host Several Top Targets
This weekend is a massive one for the Arkansas staff, with a list of more than 10 high-level visitors set to make their way to Fayetteville.
Among them are a trio of top offensive line targets in Madden Sanker (Ga.), Charles Jagusah (Ill.) and Connor Stroh (Texas), who have recently included Arkansas in their top 10, four and five, respectively.
The three will have plenty of already-committed offensive talent accompanying them on their trip, with quarterback Malachi Singleton, tight end Shamar Easter and fellow lineman Luke Brown both slated for officials.
On the other side of the ball, Pinson Valley (Ala.) safety TJ Metcalf headlines the defensive group. Defensive backs coach Dominique Bowman will have some help in showcasing what Arkansas has to offer, with Razorback corner commit Dallas Young also making the trip from the Yellowhammer State.
Last but certainly not least, Eric Musselman and co. are expecting a top-10 basketball recruit on campus.
Ron Holland came in at No. 9 in the most recent 2023 Rivals Rankings and has some ties to Arkansas by way of his high school, Duncanville (Texas). His teammate, Anthony Black, tweeted earlier this week "Fay take care of my lil brother," and Duncanville has become a pipeline of sorts, with Jordan Crook joining Arkansas' 2022 football class, as well as a number of 2023-'24 prospects showing continued interest.
For more on how these visits go, plus an up-to-date look at who will be visiting Arkansas in the month of June, check out our June 2022 Visitors thread here.
Arkansas Sees Shifts in Rivals Ranking Update
This was a busy week in the recruiting world, and the rankings being updated were included in that chaos.
We saw a pair of Arkansas tight end commits drop in Luke Hasz and Shamar Easter, but also movement on a couple of other connecting fronts.
Hasz, who remained a 5.9-four-star through the update, fell seven spots to No. 78, while Easter suffered yet another slide from when he initially committed to the Hogs, down another 39 spots to No. 151.
Anthony Evans III, who was pledged to Arkansas from Thanksgiving until his recent decommitment, has shot from a 5.6-three-star to a 5.9-four-star and is now ranked the nation's No. 167-overall prospect in the '23 class.
For more on the movement from these three, as well as other Arkansas targets and commits, check out HawgBeat's full story here.
Singleton Named Elite 11 Finalist
Arkansas quarterback Malachi Singleton was another name that received a slight ratings boost this week.
Despite being listed as a 5.5 at the time of his commitment to the Razorbacks, Singleton's recruitment had begun to pick up steam, even adding an offer from his hometown Georgia Bulldogs.
With that came questions as to why Singleton remained a low three-star prospect, and though he couldn't quite make the jump to his fourth star, he now sits as the country's fifth-ranked dual-threat quarterback.
As well as being bumped up to a high three-star, Singleton received another bit of good news over the weekend, announcing via his Twitter that he'd been named an Elite 11 finalist.
A strong showing at the FInals in late June could mean an immense shift in the way Singleton is perceived by recruiting services and opposing fanbases, and also an opportunity for the Razorback faithful to see their future quarterback facing off against the nation's top QB talent.
Some of that talent includes former Arkansas targets Avery Johnson, Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma), Jaden Rashada and Rickie Collins (Purdue), as well as other big names like Christopher Vizzina (Clemson), Dante Moore, Malachi Nelson (USC) and Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee).
Diamond Hogs Land JUCO Pair
Arkansas capitalized on the momentum from winning the Stillwater Regional by securing commitments from a trio of players who will be on next year’s team.
While most of the attention was on Creighton outfielder Jared Wegner, a first-team All-Big East selection the Razorbacks nabbed out of the portal, they also landed Hunter Hollan and Tyson Fourkiller from the JUCO ranks.
Hollan is a left-handed pitcher who spent the last two years at San Jacinto J.C., leading the powerhouse program to back-to-back appearances in the NJCAA World Series as the team’s ace. In two seasons with the Gators, he started 34 games and went 19-6 with a 3.35 ERA, 200 strikeouts and only 45 walks in 153 1/3 innings.
Coming out of Spring Hill High in Longview, Texas, he signed with Texas A&M, but ended up taking the JUCO route instead. He was picked by the Brewers in the 15th round of last summer’s MLB Draft, but didn’t sign because he wanted to honor his commitment to TCU. However, Hollan once again found himself back at San Jacinto and is now headed to Arkansas.
Fourkiller is an infielder from Connors State C.C., where he put up big numbers as a sophomore. Playing in 49 games, he slashed .448/.551/.686 with five home runs and 60 RBIs. He also had a team-high 22 doubles and struck out just seven times in 172 at-bats.
The Stilwell, Okla., native had similar stats as a freshman in 2021. He posted a .433/.506/.607 slash line with five home runs and 41 RBIs in 150 at-bats.
Razorbacks to Get Visit from Wideout Target
In addition to this weekend's monster haul of visitors, the Razorbacks are set to host three-star wideout Davion Dozier out of Moody (Ala.).
Dozier, who was offered to kick off May, recently included Arkansas in his top five, with the Hogs being joined by Duke, Maryland, South Carolina and Tennessee.
With an official visit already in the works, it's no surprise that Arkansas made the cut. His comments in a recent interview with HawgBeat back that up, with him mentioning his relationship with the staff and other prospects who have visited.
"I think they’re building a great program over there, and the coach has been so real with me," Dozier said. "I know some guys who've been down there which also makes me want to go."
For more on his relationship with receivers coach Kenny Guiton, what he's heard from other recruits and more, check out our full story here.
The Film Room
The first of this week's two film breakdowns covered none other than 2023 Lee's Summit four-star wide receiver Joshua Manning.
Manning, who has emerged as one of the Razorbacks' top targets of late, put together a solid junior season, racking up nearly 1,200 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns for the Tigers.
His ability to track the ball in air and create separation on fade routes was on full display, and at 6-foot-2, 195-pounds he has elite level size to match up with any corner he'll face at the next level.
As well as his clear skill on the field, and an upcoming official visit, the Hogs may have one more ace up their sleeves in that Manning's mother played basketball at Arkansas back in her college days.
#Committed
The last, but arguably most important news from the week came unexpectedly late Tuesday night when Arkansas landed commitment No. 12 in its 2023 class with Isaiah Augustave.
Augustave, a three-star running back out of Naples (Fla.), announced his decision to commit to Arkansas during his official visit earlier this week. He broke down some of his reasoning for that decision in a story here.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound back is a big pickup for the Hogs, despite seemingly missing on perceived top targets Cedric Baxter and Drew Pickett earlier in the cycle. For my full breakdown of Augustave's film, check out HawgBeat's film breakdown below.