The Razorbacks are enjoying a heck of a recruiting week here in mid March!
A day after landing one of their top tight end targets in Luke Ford, Arkansas picked up a commitment from Byron Hanspard Jr, a cornerback from the Dallas suburb of DeSoto.
It's a Blessing to announce this and I'm Truly Grateful to God for this Opportunity. #WPS #BeUncommon #BlessedBeyondMeasures‼️ pic.twitter.com/d4bhs3uj9O
— Byron Hanspard II (@bjhanspard94) March 15, 2017
Hanspard is a 4-star prospect according to the 247 Composite ratings. He can play either cornerback or wide receiver but Richard Davenport reports he’s being recruited to play defensive back. He chose the Hogs over offers from Oregon, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Vanderbilt, Houston and many others.
If his name sounds familiar, his father, Byron Hanspard Sr, was a star running back at Texas Tech in the mid-90s, even winning the Doak Walker Award in 1996 before embarking on an NFL career. Texas Tech was expected to land Hanspard Jr according to the 247 Crystal Ball, but he apparently took a liking to Arkansas on a visit during the Florida football game last year (see, cool stuff happens when you win!) according to Davenport’s article.
The Razorbacks signed a highly-touted class of defensive backs in February led by 4-star recruits Chevin Calloway and Montaric Brown. If Hanspard Jr maintains his rating and sticks with his commitment, it certainly looks like Arkansas is making a run at having a really solid secondary for what feels like the first time in a while. It’s very exciting.
This is Arkansas’ 4th commitment in the 2018 class and second 4-star commitment on defense, joining linebacker Bumper Pool.