Texas QB audibles, picks Arkansas

— Arkansas received its 16th oral commitment for the 2010 recruiting class Monday night when Spring (Texas) Westfield quarterback Jacoby Walker switched to the Razorbacks.

Walker, 6-2, 215 pounds, 4.59 seconds in the 40-yard dash, originally committed to Kansas but reopened his recruiting after the resignation of Jayhawks Coach Mark Mangino. He visited Utah and committed there about a week and a half ago before making an official visit to Arkansas over the weekend.

Westfield Coach Corby Meekins said Walker’s intelligence gives him an edge.

“He’s a coach on the field and he knows the game inside-out,” Meekins said. “He’s only 17, and we expect him to continue to grow. He won’t turn 18 until the middle of the summer.”

Walker, who was a finalist for the Houston Touchdown Club Offensive Player of the Year, completed 148 of 238 passes for 2,383 yards and 25 touchdowns with 7 interceptions and rushed 118 times for 347 yards and 7 touchdowns.

He also had scholarship offers from Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Syracuse, Houston and others.

Walker is a December graduate. He will enroll at Arkansas in January and be able to participate in spring practice.

Meekins said Walker was a three-year starter and ran a similar type of pro-style offense as Arkansas.

“We’re under center about half the time and in Shotgun the other half,” Meekins said. “He’s taken snaps under center and turned his back to the defense with play-action and come out of it and read the defense.

“I think it’s good fit for him offensively.”

Oral commitments are nonbinding.

Sports, Pages 26 on 12/23/2009

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