Early Signing Day 2019 Primer

Tomorrow is the second ever Early Signing Period in college football. It’s expected to be a big day for the Hogs, who have been very active on the recruiting trail and are bringing in one of the more successful classes in recent history. Here’s a big explanation about the day as a whole and what to expect nationwide. Here’s what you need to know about the Hogs expectations for this week and what to watch while you’re seeing signings roll in and are definitely not tweeting at recruits. Don’t ever tweet at recruits.

Who Is Expected To Sign

Much like our last preview, we’re using 247Sports’ composite for consistency. Since that update the Hogs have added a few offensive linemen, all of whom are expected to sign early. Right now seven commits are expected not to sign in this three day period, there are various degrees of how concerning that is. From Burks and Henry’s no real concern at all, to the surprise and concern from Devin Bush’s announcement, there’s still some room for change.

Position Breakdown

Wide Receiver and Defensive End are the two most successful positions in this class. There’s also been a huge increase in numbers on the offensive line. That could also include the addition of Marcus Miller to the offensive line, switching from the defensive side of the ball.

Now the biggest weakness looks to be the linebacker position, but that could be addressed as well. Arkansas is still looking to add a few more to this class and are keying in on a couple of linebackers to close out this class.

Where Are The Hogs Recruiting?

Arkansas is hitting Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas hard, which is what they need to do. Eric Gregory and Shamar Nash both went to school at IMG Academy in Florida for their senior years but are both from the Memphis area and this map reflects that.

The addition of some JUCO offensive linemen has also added a couple from places the Hogs usually don’t add players. The success in east Texas has been a positive, and they’ve done a decent job with this year’s strong in-state class even though a few big names are leaving the state.

How About Those National Rankings?

Now these are definitely going to change, there’s also the change in rankings from the last time we looked a couple weeks ago to give you a sense of momentum. Arkansas is still in excellent position, but is likely going to take a drop with the large number of elite players committing on Wednesday.

The Hogs could stay in the top-20 in Rivals rankings, but teams like Florida, USC, Stanford, and potentially South Carolina and Miami are all likely to make pushes past the Hogs in those rankings. Despite that, it’s still a wildly successful class for the Hogs.

Who Could They Still Add?

Arkansas is looking to flip a couple of guys from other SEC schools, then there are two more players the Hogs are looking to grab. Here are those four ranked by their 247Sports Composite ranking.

• Jalen Catalon | S | 4-star | Deciding between Arkansas and Texas
• Lakia Henry | LB (#3 ranked JUCO) | 4-star | Currently Committed to Tennessee
• Gregory Brooks | CB | 3-star | Currently Committed to Mississippi State
• Sci Martin | LB (#51 ranked JUCO) | 3-star

Arkansas has room for 29, and currently sits at 26. So unless something changes with the current list of commits (always a possibility) not all four are joining, but things are looking especially good for landing Martin. Arkansas already has two of Catalon’s high school teammates in Enoch Jackson and Taurean Carter on board as well.