Georgia prospects safety Kirk Tucker and corner back Chris Murphy didn’t have any grandiose images of Arkansas before visiting Fayetteville over the weekend.
That has changed.
“My thought about Arkansas before I came here was like open space, country,” said Tucker, who is from Tucker, Ga. “But it actually really opened my eyes. My family and I like Arkansas a lot. We didn’t expect anything that Arkansas had to offer as a state and as a college.”
Tucker, 6-2, 187 pounds, 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, was one of about 50 prospects who visited during the Arkansas Red-White spring game on Saturday. The estimated crowd of 51, 088 was the biggest shocker for him.
“The fan base, to be able to get 51,088 people just for a spring game, that really impressed me a lot,” said Tucker, who reports having about 13 scholarship offers, including ones from Arkansas, Stanford and North Carolina State.
Tucker, who reports a 3.5 grade-point average, listed his top five in order as Stanford, North Carolina, Arkansas, North Carolina State and Louisville.
Murphy, 5-10, 180, 4.4, of Marietta Lassiter High School, reports 16 scholarship offers from schools like Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt and Missouri.
“It was better than I expected it to be,” said Murphy, who reports a 3.4 GPA. “I didn’t expect the facilities and everything to be as good as they were.”
Arkansas, Murphy said, has moved in contention.
“Arkansas was just like a another school but like going on the visit it really moved them up there,” Murphy said. “I’m strongly considering Arkansas now.” ‘AT HOME’ WITH HOGS
Arkansas appeared to seal-up defensive lineman Bijhon Jackson’s commitment after Saturday’s visit.
Jackson, 6-2, 325, 5.1, of El Dorado, pledged to the Hogs in December. But he received a scholarship offer from Alabama on April 11 and mentioned at the time he would likely attend a summer camp there, something he is unlikely to do now.
“Fayetteville is just the place for me,” Jackson said. “I feel comfortable in Fayetteville. I feel at home in Fayetteville. That’s just the place for me. I couldn’t go anywhere else.”
Jackson set a state record with a 335-pound power clean at the state high school weight lifting championships in Russellville about two weeks ago.
FRAZIER FEELING ‘GOOD’
Arkansas is hoping Springdale Har-Ber defensive lineman Josh Frazier, 6-4, 334, 5.1, will join Bijhon Jackson in the 2014 class. He said the fans showed him a lot of love.
“I signed about 20 autographs,” Frazier said. “That kind of makes you feel good.”
Frazier, who has nine scholarship offers including ones from Arkansas, Southern Cal, Alabama and Texas A&M, said his mother, Donna, likes the Hogs and Aggies.
“She really likes the Arkansas coaches.” said Frazier, who plans to announce his top five or six schools on May 23. “She thinks they’re a very genuine group and really have the best interest for me.”
Frazier had nice things to say about Arkansas defensive line coach Charlie Partridge as a man and as a coach.
“He’s a really good guy, and he’s put some defensive linemen into the NFL, which is another factor that I look at too,” Frazier said.
GRAGG GETTING CLOSER
Pine Bluff sophomore tight end Will Gragg, 6-4, 238, 4.7, received a scholarship offer from Arkansas after his performance at last June’s summer camp. And he enjoyed his visit on Saturday so much he was tempted to cancel scheduled trips to Ole Miss, Alabama and LSU.
“After that experience yesterday [Saturday] it was hard to keep calm and keep that mind set about keeping your options open.” Graggsaid Sunday.
His relationship with the Hog coaches continues to grow.
“I feel really comfortable with all of the coaches especially with coach [Barry] Lunney, which is my tight ends coach and Coach B.” said Gragg, the younger brother of former Razorbacks tight end Chris Gragg, whose eligibility has expired.
WOWED BY CROWD
Athlete Davion Hall, 6-3, 194, 4.5 seconds in the 40, of Liberty-Eylau, Texas, is a prize recruit the Hogs would love to land. The announced crowd of more thn 50,000 got his attention.
“The fans, I wasn’t expecting that many people,” said Hall, whose cousin Jarrion Lawson is a member of the Arkansas’ track and field team. “That was big crowd for a spring game.”
He signed about 30 autographs for Hog fans.
“That made me feel real good,” Hall said. “Most of them were asking me if they [Hogs] had a chance to get me. I was like it could be a good possibility.”
Hall who has pledged to Baylor, lists the Bears, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas A&M in order as his top four schools.
‘FEELS LIKE HOME’
Arkansas was the first school to offer a scholarship to Carrollton (Texas) Hebron sophomore offensive lineman Zach Rogers, and several others have followed.
Rogers, 6-3, 295, 5.06, reports five other scholarship offers, including Texas, Oklahoma and UCLA. But he said Saturday’s visit aided the Hogs’ chances.
“I felt more comfortable here,” Rogers said. “It almost feels like home now . I’m extremely glad we came up here.”
The estimated announced crowd of 51,088 impressed him.
“It just confirmed what I already thought about the Arkansas fans,” Rogers said. “They’re crazy about everything that goes on there.”
E-mail Richard Davenport at [email protected]
Sports, Pages 19 on 04/23/2013