Safety Marquese Dudley-Gordon of Weston (Fla.) Cypress Bay almost doubled his scholarship offers with his play in his school’s spring game May 18 in front of several college coaches.
“I picked up about eight offers from my spring game,”Dudley-Gordon said. “I picked up Bowling Green, Florida State, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Minnesota and others.”
Dudley-Gordon, 6-0,180 pounds, had offers from Louisville, Marshall, San Diego State, South Alabama Cincinnati, Wake Forest and Pittsburgh before the spring game.
Dudley-Gordon said Arkansas defensive line coach Charlie Partridge was in the crowd.
“I was excited to show him how I play and what I’m really good at,” Dudley-Gordon said.
Dudley-Gordon said he believes one particular tackle helped him get the eight new scholarship offers.
“I blew the kid up,,” Dudley-Gordon said.
Dudley-Gordon’s mother, Susan, said she noticed a lot of phone activity among several college coaches in attendance after the play.
“My mom told me when they saw the hit, all the coaches picked up their phones and called the head coaches,” Dudley-Gordon said.
Dudley-Gordon is one of several South Florida athletes who took notice of the Razorbacks after they signed heralded recruits Alex Collins and Denver Kirkland in February. Collins, a running back, is expected to report to Arkansas today for summer school.
“I haven’t talked to him,” Dudley-Gordon said of Collins. “I was actually going to speak to him real soon about Arkansas because he probably knows a little bit more than I do.” IOWAN LIKES BIELEMA
Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema’s move from Wisconsin to Fayetteville has been well received by tight end Matt Nelson, who lives in Big Ten territory.
Nelson, 6-8, 250 pounds, 4.8, of Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Xavier High School, has scholarship offers from nine schools, including Arkansas, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Iowa and Iowa State. He said the Razorbacks offered him about a month and half ago.
“It’s a great program now that Bielema’s there,” Nelson said. “He brought the tradition down from Wisconsin to an SEC football team, which is really an exciting aspect in itself. Everybody there seems really nice and really knowledgeable.”
Nelson said he also likes how Bielema develops players while they’re in his program.
“He’s known for producing great athletes, great big athletes, ” Nelson said. “You just see those lines back at Wisconsin, you’re just amazed at the NFL-type lines. If you look at anyone else in the program, they’re massive. He just turns out NFL players.”
Nelson said a visit to Fayetteville is a possibility.
“I may go down there this summer,” he said. “I haven’t really made plans with my parents, but I could see that possibly happening .”
Arkansas offensive line coach Sam Pittman visited Nelson’s school Wednesday.
“He’s a funny guy,” Nelson said. “He’s cracking jokes all the time.”
Nelson reports a 4.33 grade-point average and said he is looking to become the first in his family to study pre-med.
“It’s just interested me since my first science class,” he said.
Nelson said he is also impressed with Arkansas tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr.
“He’s a good guy, too,” Nelson said. “He’s very knowledgeable, and he also respects me as a student. He’s a very respectful guy.”
Nelson said he plans to make his decision at the end of June or early July.
“It’s a just a feeling in your gut, that’s all what it all comes down to it,” he said. “There’s a lot of aspects that go into the right school for a person.” MEAD LIKES BASEBALL, TOO
Arkansas hopes Tulsa Union receiver Jeffery Mead follows the path of his cousin, former offensive guard Alvin Bailey, to Fayetteville.
Mead, 6-6, 180 pounds, reports having scholarship offers from approximately 14 schools, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska and California.
“I have a lot of kids at school that want to go to Arkansas and I hear nothing but good things about Arkansas,” Mead said. “I’m fairly interested.”
Mead is a three-sport athlete in high school, excelling in basketball, baseball and football. Football is the one sport he said he is certain to play in college.
“I have no problem playing two,” said Mead, who lists baseball as his second-favorite sport. “It will probably be hard, but I’ve been doing it all my life. It’s kind of hard to imagine not playing at least two of the three.”
Mead said he doesn’t have a timeline for making a decision.
“I plan to take all five official visits,” said Mead, who has a weighted 4.24 grade point average and wants to major in business. “I’ll probably start cutting it down at the end of this summer. I don’t know when I’ll make a decision.”
E-mail Richard Davenport at [email protected]
Sports, Pages 33 on 05/26/2013