Arkansas, Arizona fighting to end for linebacker

Sunday, July 29, 2012

— It’s an Arkansas and Arizona battle for junior college linebacker Myke Tavarres, and his decision could come soon.

Tavarres, 6-2 1/2, 215 pounds, 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of College of the Siskiyous in Weed, Calif., has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon State, Rutgers and Texas Tech. He officially visited the Hogs on Wednesday-Friday this week.

“It surpassed my expectations,” Tavarres said of the Arkansas visit. “I came in not really knowing what to expect, but it met everything I wanted it to.”

The trip allowed Tavarres to get a small taste of what being a Razorback is like in a state where football is so important.

“I met a few kids and they thought I was coming to Arkansas to play football,” Tavarres said. “They asked to take my picture ... which was really cool.”

Tavarres, who recorded 51 tackles, 12 1/2 tackles for loss, 41/2 sacks and 1 interception last year, said he was impressed with the Arkansas players.

“That was a really neat experience,” he said. “I got to see what the players thought about the coaches and how living in Arkansas really was. So I got the feel for that. Also I got to meet the players and see their personalities and see what their goals were.”

Tavarres, whose chief recruiters at Arkansas are receivers coach Kris Cinkovich and linebackers coach Taver Johnson, said he hopes to make a decision before next Wednesday, but it could take longer.

“This put Arkansas back into the running,” said Tavarres, who will graduate in December and enroll at his new school in January. “I’m actually now at a clean slate. I have to go home and talk to my family and talk to my loved ones. I have to talk to them and figure things out. From then on out, I can make a decision from there.”

READY TO VISIT

Arkansas’ game against Alabama on Sept. 15 is a big game for obvious reasons, but it will also be a date the Hogs use as a big recruiting weekend. Arizona offensive lineman Kenny Lacy, who reports 31 scholarship offers, said he plans to make an official visit that weekend.

Lacy, 6-5, 272, 5.1, of Phoenix Mountain Pointe, has offers from Arkansas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Arizona State, Nebraska, UCLA California and others. Offensive line coach Chris K lenakis is his lead recruiter at Arkansas.

“I like the tradition they have up there. They win a lot of games, and it looks like they’ll be winning for awhile now,” Lacy said. “I like Coach K a lot. I’m excited to come down there to see their facilities and what they have to offer.”

Lacy, who’s rated the No. 16 offensive tackle in the nation by national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network, has narrowed his list to Arizona and Arizona State along with five other schools he plans to visit — Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, UCLA and Cal.

Klenakis’ enthusiasm and the way the Hogs use their offensive tackles are a hit with Lacy, he said.

“He’s very excited about football,” Lacy said. “We talk every single week. He’s a real good coach. I’ve talked to him about the schemes a little bit, and I like how they play with a strong and weak tackle.”

PATRIOT ACT

Little Rock Parkview basketball guard Roshunda Johnson is looking to narrow her list of 10 scholarship offers in the near future, and Arkansas has a good shot of making the cut.

“I love their facility, and I enjoy talking to the coaches all the time,” Johnson said. “McKenzie Adams just committed and she’s my best friend and I would enjoy playing with her.”

Combination guard McKenzie Adams, 5-9, of Frisco (Texas) Centennial chose the Hogs in June over approximately 15 scholarship offers.

“She said she loves Arkansas, that’s the reason why she committed so early,” said Johnson, who also said she will probably make her decision in the spring.

Johnson is being recruited at Arkansas by Coach Tom Collen and assistant coach Tari Cummings.

“I love the way Coach Collen coaches,” said Johnson, who is rated the No. 72 prospect in the nation by Dan Olson Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. “I think he’s a very good person. He and I get along really well.”

E-mail Richard Davenport at

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Sports, Pages 28 on 07/29/2012