At the end of the 2022 season, Arkansas was in desperate need of wide receiver help with the loss of its top four receivers to either the NFL Draft or transfer portal.
It didn't take long, however, to find the first piece of the equation as the Hogs landed Texas A&M-Commerce wide receiver transfer Andrew Armstrong, who became the third transfer commitment after the season ended.
Armstrong said Thursday that he initially didn’t know if he was going to enter the transfer portal or not. When he finally did, his recruitment exploded.
“I didn’t know if I was going to hit the portal at first throughout the season,” Armstrong said. “But once I hit the portal, it was crazy. The first day was crazy. I don’t think I ate that day. I don’t think I ate that day, it was crazy. I was up from like 8 to like 10 o’clock to answer phone calls and things like that.”
Armstrong was named an FCS sophomore All-American for his performance during the 2022 season. He recorded 1,020 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 62 receptions for the year. He was rated as a 5.8 four-star transfer prospect by Rivals after earning just a two-star rating out of Bishop Dunne High School.
The Dallas native quickly picked up offers from Colorado, Missouri, Wisconsin and others. What set Arkansas apart was a call that came on Thanksgiving.
“When Arkansas (called), I talked to them the first day, but they didn’t offer me the first day,” Armstrong said. “They called me on Thanksgiving. That’s what really sold me. I’m like, they called me on Thanksgiving when they’re supposed to be home with their family, cooking, eating, having good family time, they’re thinking about me.”
That call on a day that is normally devoted to family stuck out to Armstrong. He scheduled consecutive visits with Arkansas and Missouri on Dec. 9 and 16, but after scheduling a visit to Fayetteville during that phone call, his mind was made up.
“I’m like okay, this is where I want to (be)…I like it like that,” Armstrong said. “So I set my visit up right then and there as soon as they called me on the phone. Came up here and I didn’t want to go nowhere else. It was locked in from that point on. I love it here. Man, I love it here.”
Armstrong and the Razorbacks will hit the field again Saturday for their 11th spring practice. Arkansas' spring schedule will come to a close a week from today when it hold its annual Red-White Game at noon CT inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
