THE RECRUITING GUY

Northside defensive end shows off body of work

Fort Smith Northside defender Daytrieon Dean (25) attempts a tackle against Little Rock Parkview's Caelon Harden during a 2012 game.
Fort Smith Northside defender Daytrieon Dean (25) attempts a tackle against Little Rock Parkview's Caelon Harden during a 2012 game.

Fort Smith Northside defensive end Daytrieon Dean will be one of several junior prospects from Arkansas participating Friday in the U.S. Army All-American combine in San Antonio.

Dean, 6-3, 260 pounds, 4.89 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has been training hard for the combine and is eager to see how he stacks up against other top juniors from across the nation.

“I know for a fact I want to improve my 40 time,” said Dean, who has scholarship offers from Arkansas and Ole Miss. “Hopefully get it down to a 4.7.”

Dean’s workout regiment includes working out at school and after school with a personal trainer.

“Each day we’ll have a particular body part,” said Dean, who is also drawing interest from Alabama, Oklahoma State, Auburn, Nebraska and others. “One day we’ll do chest and the next day it will be legs, the next day it will be back. I do a lot of cardio things I’ve never really done before.”

The results of the intense workouts are paying off.

“I’ve already gained two inches in my thighs and put on 10-15 pounds,” Dean said.

Dean recorded 50 tackles, 6 sacks and 1 tackle for a loss this past season while missing most of two games because of an ankle injury. He grew up a Razorbacks fan and has visited the Arkansas campus several times.

He said his lead recruiter at Arkansas, tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr., is keeping him up to date on Arkansas’ search for a defensive line coach to replace Charlie Partridge, who was recently named head coach at Florida Atlantic.

“He was saying whoever they hire as the D-line coach, they’re No. 1 priority is forme to meet him,” Dean said. “I’m really looking forward to that. Whenever they hire him and set the date for me to meet him, that will be my next visit.”

Arkansas fans hoping for an early commitment from Dean will likely have to wait for awhile.

“I was talking to my mother about that,” Dean said. “She told me she doesn’t want me to make my decision until my senior year. You’ll probably see my decision made from the summer to maybe the beginning of my senior year.”

Other Arkansans participating in the combine are North Little Rock receiver K.J. Hill, Jonesboro sophomore running back Denzel Mitchell and Dardanelle defensive end Parker Witt.

READY TO ROLL

Shreveport Evangel Christian has produced numerous highly recruited prospects, and Coach Byron Dawson believes Arkansas commitment Jared Cornelius is as good a receiver as the school has produced.

“We’ve had a lot of great receivers come through our school, many All-Americans, and Jared is as good as any guy we’ve had in recent history,” Dawson said. “He’s a play-maker, he has great hands, he has great speed and most importantly he’s a high-character guy and has a great work ethic. He puts in the time and will be a great leader on the team.”

Cornelius, 6-1, 190 pounds, 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash, orally committed to Arkansas in August but switched to TCU on Dec. 13 after taking an official visit to Fort Worth. He switched back to Arkansas five days later and signed a financial aid agreement with the school after a talk with Coach Bret Bielema.

Cornelius had 90 receptions for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior and finished his senior season with 82 catches for 1,189 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Cornelius is among five signees who are expected to enroll in January and participate in spring practice.

“I feel like the kid is really going to be a difference-maker,” Dawson said. “He had Notre Dame interested and TCU, Baylor and Missouri and so many top-notch programs that really wanted him. I think he’s wanting to go someplace where he can make an impact and come in and play early.”

Email Richard Davenport at [email protected]

UA commitment list

WR JARED CORNELIUS * 6-1, 190, 4.48, Shreveport Evangel

RB JUAN DAY 6-2, 210, 4.5, North Little Rock

LB DWAYNE EUGENE 6-2, 220, 4.5 Metairie, (La.) Rummel

LB KHALIA HACKETT 6-2, 208, 4.63 Douglasville (Ga.) South Paulding

DE JAKE HALL 6-5, 230, Springdale Har-Ber

K COLE HEDLUND 5-10, 170, Argyle, Texas

DL BIJHON JACKSON 6-2, 325, 5.1, El Dorado

TE JACK KRAUS 6-5, 240, 4.9, Bentonville

WR COREY MCBRIDE 6-2, 180, 4.34 Geismar (La.) Dutchtown

WR TORRANCE MOSLEY 5-10, 175, 4.4 Geismar (La.) Dutchtown

CB CHRIS MURPHY * 5-10, 180, 4.4 Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter

QB RAFE PEAVEY * 6-2, 208, 4.5 Bolivar, Mo.

TE RAVIAN PIERCE 6-4, 230, 4.53 Plantation (Fla.)

OL JOVAN PRUITT 6-6, 295, 5.1 Dallas Bishop Dunne

DB SANTOS RAMIREZ 6-2, 180, 4.55, Shreveport Evangel

CB HENRE TOLIVER 6-1, 180, 4.56 Metairie (La.) Rummel

DL ARMON WATTS 6-5, 270, 5.1 St. Louis Christian Brothers

UA SIGNEES

WR CODY HOLLISTER 6-4, 205, 4.5, Arizona Western CC

OL SEBASTIAN TRETOLA 6-4 1/2, 315, 4.9, Iowa Western CC

2015 commitments

DE/TE JAMARIO BELL 6-6, 230, 4.7, Junction City

DE HJALTE FROHOLDT 6-5, 275, Denmark

OL COLTON JACKSON 6-6, 291, Conway

OL ZACH ROGERS 6-3, 295, 5.09, Carrollton (Texas) Hebron

QB TY STOREY 6-3, 217, 4.92, Charleston * Signed an institutional financial aid agreement and will enroll in January

Sports, Pages 30 on 12/29/2013

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