LITTLE ROCK — One of the nation’s top tight end prospects is ready to make his decision public.

Pulaski Academy’s Hunter Henry will announce his college destination at 4 p.m. Thursday at the school gymnasium.

Henry, 6-5, 235 pounds, 4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has more than 25 scholarship offers but will choose from Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Stanford and Vanderbilt. CBS Sports Network national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rates him the nation’s No. 52 prospect.

“Hunter is one of the top three tight ends in the country,” Lemming said. “He has great size and hands. I’ve seen him the last couple of years and got his film. I don’t know if there’s a better tight end in the country.”

Arkansas and Georgia appear to have the inside track for Henry.

His father, Mark, a teaching pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, played at Arkansas from 1988-1991 and earned All-Southwest Conference honors as a center as a senior. Hunter’s mother, Jenny, is also an Arkansas graduate and Skip Coffman, his grandfather, played basketball for the Hogs in the early 1960s.

That may lead some to think his family ties favor Arkansas, but Henry lived in Georgia for a good amount of his childhood while his father was the lead pastor of North Metro Church in Marietta, Ga.

Landing Henry and luring away North Little Rock running back Altee Tenpenny from Alabama are crucial for the Hogs’ in-state recruiting efforts. Tenpenny has visited the Hogs and plans to again Saturday.

“It’s important for any school to keep their local guys at home,” Lemming said. “Particularly Arkansas because they have only have six or seven a year they go after. Him [Henry] and Tenpenny are two superstars.”

Henry, who made 64 receptions for 1,091 yards and 16 touchdowns last season for the Class 4A state champions Bruins, could potentially slide into the spot senior Chris Gragg will vacate after this season.

Mark Henry was teammates with Arkansas recruiting coordinator and running backs coach Tim Horton, who is Hunter’s lead recruiter, on the Hogs’ Southwest Conference championship teams in 1988 and 1989 and on the 1987 team when Henry redshirted.

WEIGHING OPTIONS

Arkansas is hosting one of the top linebackers in the Midwest, Eric Beisel, for an unofficial visit today.

Beisel, 6-4, 236, 4.51, of Fenton (Mo.) Rockwood Summit has 10 scholarship offers, including ones from Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Arizona State, Illinois and Kansas. Beisel, who reports a 415-pound bench press and 535 squat, planned to arrive in Fayetteville on Monday night so he could catch the Hogs working out in the weight room this morning.

“I want to get there as early as possible because I want to watch the intensity and have some fun and watch how they go about their business.” Beisel said.

Beisel’s interest in the Hogs has been high after an early March visit to Fayetteville. Much of his interest in the Razorbacks stems from his relationship with linebackers coach Taver Johnson.

“He’s just a high intensity guy,” Beisel said. “I can tell he knows what he’s doing. He has a vision and I know he wants to get a lot of things done at Arkansas. He’s been recruiting me very hard.”

The trip will also be a fact finding mission for Beisel, who has several questions he hopes to get answered.

“We’re going to ask a few questions like, what are the chances of Coach Johnson being there for the another few years?” Beisel said. “Where am I on their list? Am I a top guy? Am I a priority? Just those type of questions. We’re going to ask a few big questions and see if they’re the right choice for me.”

The Razorbacks, along with Missouri, Arizona State and Illinois are the finalists for Beisel’s signature come signing day.

“If they do give me all the answers I want they’re definitely up there,” Beisel said. “They’re already up there but to get those questions out of the way would be relaxing.”

Beisel is planning to make his college decision in the near future, but did say he might delay deciding on a school until after the season.

“I’m kind of closing it down, ready to make a decision here shortly,” Beisel said. “Arkansas is one of my top schools and I was kind of saving them for one of my last trips. “

E-mail Richard Davenport at [email protected]

Sports, Pages 17 on 07/17/2012