Massachusetts back wants taste of ‘big-time’

Arkansas Assistant Coach Joel Thomas works with the Razorbacks during practice on Saturday, March 30, 2013 in Fayetteville.

Arkansas Assistant Coach Joel Thomas works with the Razorbacks during practice on Saturday, March 30, 2013 in Fayetteville.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Massachusetts running back Johnathan Thomas is excited about the possibility of playing football in the SEC after receiving a scholarship offer from the Arkansas Razorbacks about three weeks ago.

Thomas, 5-11, 205 pounds, 4.47 seconds in the 40-yarddash, plays at Danvers St. John’s Prep and is scheduled to arrive in Fayetteville later today and will visit the Razorbacks on Monday.

“It’s going to be my first time coming to Arkansas,” Thomas said. “I’ve heard about the fans, the SEC, the great facilities. I’ve never really experienced it. I’ve never really been to, like, a big, big-time program like Arkansas. I’m just excited about this. It will be a great experience.”

Thomas also has scholarship offers from Boston College, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Holy Cross. He said Arkansas running backs coach Joel Thomas was excited about the trip because he will get to meet Coach Bret Bielema and the rest of the staff.

“The reason why I picked Monday was Coach Thomas told me to come Monday because the whole coaching staff is going to be there,” the running back said.

Thomas said his father, Nathan, who works for the state police, approves of the Razorbacks’ running backs coach.

“My dad said he really likes Coach Thomas,” Thomas said. “That’s what he told me, and when my dad likes a coach that makes the school even better.”

A good visit could convince Thomas to become Arkansas’ fifth commitment for the 2014 class.

“It’s a possibility,” he said. “I don’t know if I would do that right away.”

Thomas said he is especially looking forward to seeing Arkansas’ facilities.

“I think they’re going to be top-notch. I know they’re going to be top-notch because I’ve seen pictures of them,” said Thomas, who has a 3.5 grade-point average and plans to major in business. “That’s pretty much it.”

SAFETY LIKES UA

Arkansas has recruited the Tulsa area successfully over the years, and the Hogs are hoping to add Jenks safety Steven Parker to that long list.

“I try to tell every scout, coach that I’m interested in anywhere,” Parker said. “Arkansas is definitely a college I want to look at.”

Parker, 6-3, 190 pounds,is rated as the No. 58 prospect in the nation by national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network and has scholarship offers from 24 schools, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas and Texas A&M.

Several of Parker’s friends have urged him to be a Razorback.

“It’s a college that a lot of my friends really like,” Parker said. “Everyone in the hall saying, ‘Arkansas, yes that’s a great school to go to.’ Even watching them throughout the years they’ve always been a pretty good program and it’s always been a school I’ve been interested in.”

Parker said Arkansas defensive coordinator Chris Ash told him that his talents are needed at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

“He said I could fit into their defense,” said Parker, who said Ash visited his school Friday. “They’ve been looking for taller, fast safeties to cover more field and come up to make the tackle. That’s what he said he wanted.”

Parker said he and his father plan to visit the Hogs but no date has been set.

FORWARD THINKING

One of the elite 2014 basketball prospects in the nation, power forward/center Goodluck Okonoboh of Wilbraham (Mass.) Wilbraham & Monson Academy, has been communicating with Arkansas associate head coach Melvin Watkins.

“He said it was a good atmosphere, a good place to develop your game if you’re trying to get to the next level, and there’s just good people at Arkansas,” Okonoboh said. “I have to take that into consideration and make Arkansas a place of choice.”

Okonoboh, 6-9½ , 222 pounds, doesn’t know the exact number of scholarship offers he has received, but Arkansas, Connecticut, Indiana and Syracuse are among the schools that have offered. He said he is considering a visit to Fayetteville.

“I haven’t really had a chance to really sit down with my coach and my father to think about the schools I’ll be going to visit,” Okonoboh said. “So I don’t want to name any schools and schools I’m not going to visit just yet.”

Okonoboh, who plays for Mass Rivals during the spring and summer, is rated the No. 20 prospect in the nation by ESPN. Building relationships with coaches along with feeling at home on a school’s campus are among his main concerns.

“When you go on your visit, you’re going to know whether you like that place or not,” Okonoboh said.

E-mail Richard Davenport at [email protected]

Sports, Pages 29 on 05/05/2013