LITTLE ROCK — One of the nation’s top offensive linemen, Reeve Koehler of Honolulu St. Louis High School, orally committed to Arkansas on Saturday during his official visit.

“I come from a high school that’s all boys,” Koehler said “Our brotherhood on the team is a big influence. Seeing how the team [Arkansas] went through all the negatives of last year and how they came close to together and how they’re hungry to succeed next year, it made me want to be a Razorback right then and there.”

Keohler, 6-3, 315 pounds, 5.2 seconds in the 40-yard dash, is rated a four-star prospect by CBS Sports Network national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming.

The lineman said he was impressed with the reception he received Friday night during a visit to a local restaurant.

“The fans are crazy,” Koehler said. “I love them. I don’t want to give up too much for future recruits, but it was special.

“It was definitely the turning point for me to make me to decide. It was one of the turning points that made me lean and today, in talking to some of the players, made me decide.”

Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who recruited Koehler while at Tennessee, was a big part of his decision along with Coach Bret Bielema.

“He became like a second father to me,” Koehler said of Pittman. “Coach B was always a gentleman, and he’s all about linemen.”

Koehler said he had planned to go home and talk to his parents before deciding between Arkansas and Kansas, but that changed Saturday.

“They saw how excited I am about everything,” he said. “I told them I wanted to commit. They were like, ‘Are you sure you want to do it?’ I told them I’m 100 percent sure.”

Sports, Pages 34 on 01/20/2013