Texas QB Kaidon Salter will be back after first unofficial to Arkansas
Arkansas ended the recruiting dead period with a bang, bringing in a top quarterback target for an unofficial visit Monday. Cedar Hill High School (Dallas) dual-threat quarterback Kaidon Salter was counting down the days until he got to Fayetteville and the visit did not disappoint.
“I loved the visit," Salter said. "I got to see the whole campus, the indoor, the dorms where I would stay if I went here. It was beautiful. It was surprising but, at the same time, the fan base let me know everything on Twitter. The fan base is pretty straight forward. It was everything I expected.”
Despite getting his offer from Arkansas just one month ago, Salter's previous relationship with offensive coordinator Kendal Briles has been growing for a long time.
“I’ve known Coach Briles since I was a freshman when I went to camp at Houston," Salter said. "He told me he would find me again and he did. Our relationship is great. We talk all the time.”
Since that camp at Houston, Salter has moved high schools (from Bishop Lynch to Cedar Hill) and earned offers from 21 DI programs.
"My recruitment has been a bit surprising but I started expecting it after my big junior season," Salter said.
Leading Cedar Hill to the second round of Texas 6A playoffs, Salter had 2,550 yards passing and just over 600 yards rushing in his junior season with 38 combined scores. His dual-threat method of attacking defenses makes him an ideal fit for Briles' and Pittman's offense.
"Coach Pittman had great energy, I loved him," Salter said. "He told me I fit in the offense great. As I could see, I also fit. We watched some highlights and film from the QB history and I could see myself in this offense. I was in the quarterback room watching them go through fim, watched the techniques and drills, even watched the quarterbacks in the weight room.”
Six SEC programs have their 2021 quarterback locked in already while the rest are battling it out for some of the best in the nation. Salter visited Ole Miss with some of his 7-on-7 teammates on Sunday ahead of his trip to Arkansas with his mom and dad, and he also holds offers from Auburn, South Carolina and Tennessee. Salter also has programs like Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State contacting him recently.
“Most likely the SEC will probably be the best thing for me, most of my offers that I’m interested in are SEC schools," Salter said. "One of them might be the pick.”
Quarterbacks are typically some of the first to commit but Salter still has more programs to visit and official visits to take before making a decision.
“I’m not going to rush it but most likely I’ll hopefully be committed by my senior season or mid-season. Arkansas will most definitely get an official visit. I’ll look into Ole Miss more, I don’t know.”
What really separates Arkansas and the field right now?
"The people, they treat me like I’m already here."
