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We've had a little movement since we checked in last week.
Arkansas landed a big commitment from Frank Ragnow, but couldn't work it out with Andrew Mike. Fortunately for the Hogs' class ranking, Ragnow was the higher-rated of the two.
So as of now, Arkansas has 207.84 points in the 247 Composite Ranking and ranked #30 overall. And there's really only a few more announcements Arkansas appears to be waiting on, so we can take a pretty accurate guess now of where Arkansas is likely to finish.
It seems the two names the Razorbacks have decent shot at landing are Solomon Thomas and Jojo Robinson.
- If Arkansas lands both and loses nobody else, that puts Arkansas at 226.64 points. If nobody else moved, that would be good enough for the #17 class in the nation. Of course, other schools will pick up plenty of commitments throughout the day tomorrow, so we'll guess that number will finish around #20 or so, which is where it would have finished in 2013.
- If Thomas chooses Stanford and Arkansas only gets Robinson, the Hogs finish with 213.16 points, which as of right now only moves Arkansas up one spot to #29.
- If the Hogs get Thomas but lose Robinson, Arkansas has 221.83 points, which puts them in the last few spots in the Top 25.
Those numbers are all without factoring in the possibility of Arkansas losing another player or two, which has been rumored.
There are also a few more players who officially are considering Arkansas but seem less likely to sign with the Razorbacks. Demetrius Jackson has given every public indication that he'll sign with Miami, but Arkansas' recruiting reporters seemed convinced for a long time he would sign with the Razorbacks. It will probably take seeing the actual LOI with his signature before everyone finally believes what he'll do.
Cornerback Lamont Simmons and linebacker Kenny Young are both technically still considering Arkansas. Simmons seems more likely a prospect than Young at this point. But it seems like there's always a Signing Day surprise or two.
But overall, Thomas' importance to the class ranking is clear at this point. Once again, Signing Day is the last opportunity to show the world (including prospects for next year's class) whether or not your program has much momentum going for it until the first game of the season, nearly seven months away.
If Arkansas signs him, the Hogs will likely have a respected class, they'll have an early video clip of a high profile prospect picking the Razorbacks running all day on ESPNU, and analysts will have to acknowledge Arkansas likely just improved its overall talent level. It's a big deal.
I say all that even though I think Robinson, just by virtue of his position and the type of athlete he is, is probably the more vital need to the team right now. Arkansas desperately needs a great playmaker at wide receiver more than they need an elite defensive end. But, Thomas brings a ton of positive media exposure with him if he picks Arkansas tomorrow morning, and Arkansas really needs some that too.
So there you have it. That's where Arkansas stands going into Signing Day. Now we just wait to see how everything falls tomorrow.
