Countdown to Signing Day: Where the Hogs’ Class Stands

The games are over for the Hogs and fans have dove head first right into ‘crootin season. This year the Hogs have been more active on the trail than they have been in years and its paying results. Now with less than two weeks until the early signing period, here’s a rundown of the Hogs’ class of 2019.

Who’s On Board?

For consistency’s sake we’re going with the 247Sports composite throughout. In that ranking the Hogs have eight blue chip guys coming in. The nation’s top tight end in Hudson Henry, a trio of wide receivers of Treylon Burks, Trey Knox and Shamar Nash, New Orleans area cornerback Devin Bush, defensive ends in Collin Clay and Matio Soli, and quarterback KJ Jefferson recently got his fourth star. A handful of three stars are also in 247Sports’ top-500 as well.

Where Are The Hogs Recruiting?

The Hogs have travelled pretty well around the south, getting guys in nine different states. Another trend was that the current coaching staff has made a habit of bringing teammates in together. So far four sets of teammates have joined. Marcus Miller and Treylon Burks from Warren, Arkansas, Trey Knox and Adonis Otey are both from Murfreesboro, IMG Academy teammates Shamar Nash and Eric Gregory are both from the same Memphis area high school, and Mansfield Legacy teammates Enoch Jackson and Taurean Carter hope to bring in a third (more on that later).

After a long trend of having too few commits coming from Arkansas and Texas, the two highest states on the list are those two. The Hogs have gotten their most successful recruits from those two states and one of the most frustrating things of the Bielema area was the lack of recruiting in those areas. Seeing the focus on those states is a welcome sight.

Where Do They Line Up?

Wide receiver and defensive end are the two positions that have been the most successful by far. Arkansas needs some more talent in those positions because, well, they need more talent at just about every position. Above we’ve also listed the position rank of each player and the obvious highlights are Henry as the top tight end and Jefferson as the 12th ranked dual threat quarterback.

There are a handful of offensive linemen but the rankings among their peers are not the best. We’ve already touched on how this is an issue for the Hogs, so we won’t dive too deep into it. We’ll also look at the players Arkansas is also trying to bring in late in the cycle to help out with that need.

Where Does Arkansas Stand Nationally?

This is easily the best the Hogs have looked across the board. Unfortunately that’s not going to last. Arkansas is already at 24 commits and will add a few more, but they aren’t going to be big boosts to the overall ranking.

There’s usually a big wave of blue blood recruiters and west coast schools at the end of the cycle and plenty are likely to pass the Hogs. If you look at the blue chip guys that are left, about 50 are left. Arkansas has a decent shot at one more in Jalen Catalon, but 247Sports’ crystal ball lists the Hogs at 40% to land him. USC is forecasted as the favorites for five more (including two 5-star guys), Florida and Miami are the favorites for four, and Florida State, Washington, Tennessee, Penn State, Stanford, and Auburn are all looking to bring in multiple more.

That’s not to discount the success of this class, Arkansas will likely end up close to the 20th spot and that’s still one of the most successful classes the Razorbacks have had. But if you’re looking for the Hogs to rise up a little more, or even maintain, that probably isn’t going to happen. But Arkansas still has their best recruiting class of recent memory and easily the best of teams that haven’t made a bowl game in 2018.

Who Could Arkansas Still Add?

There are a handful of players the Hogs are still looking at, between the JUCO route or getting some late flips. Here is an incomplete list.

• Jalen Catalon | 4-star | Safety
• Gregory Brooks Jr. | 3-star | Cornerback | Mississippi State Commit
• Trevor Roberson | 3-star | Offensive Tackle | Texas Tech Commit
• Chibueze Nwanna | 3-star | Offensive Tackle | JUCO
• Myron Cunningham | 3-star | Offensive Tackle | JUCO
• Tim Anderson | 3-star | Offensive Tackle | JUCO

Catalon is the third Mansfield Legacy teammate the staff is looking to bring in and would easily be the highest rated guy left. Offensive line help is the main priority left with the Hogs looking to flip Roberson, who is 6’11” and 355 lbs., and could be moving from Texas Tech after Kliff Kingsbury’s departure. The trio of JUCO offensive linemen are being looked at for a more immediate impact as well, Arkansas is seen as the favorites for Nwanna, who is also the highest rated of the three.