Arkansas’ football team has 18 oral commitments for the 2014 class heading into the first day of the national signing period, but the Razorbacks are going to have to sweat out two or three others today who could give the class a boost.
Arkansas is still awaiting word on defensive end Solomon Thomas of Coppell, Texas, receiver Jojo Robinson of Miami Northwestern and cornerback Lamont Simmons of Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines.
Robinson, 6-0, 186 pounds,4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash, is rated a three-star-plus recruit by recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of CBS Sports Network. He took an official visit to Fayetteville on Jan. 24 and is expected to choose between Arkansas, TCU and South Florida today. Robinson will make his announcement at 9 a.m.
Thomas, 6-3, 261, 4.7, is rated as a four-star prospect by Lemming and has narrowed his list of schools to Arkansas, Stanford and UCLA. Thomas, whose sister Ella is a student at Arkansas, is scheduled to reveal his decision at 7 a.m. on ESPNU.
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Simmons, 6-2, 175, 4.53, visited Arkansas on Jan. 18 and said the visit helped the Razorbacks’ chances of landing him. He is expected to choose between Arkansas, Penn State and Southern Cal, and he will make his announcement at 7:30 a.m.
Arkansas’ 18 oral commitments include five prospects from Arkansas, led by El Dorado defensive tackle Bijhon Jackson, and four each from the states of Florida and Louisiana.
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Jackson, 6-2, 330, 5.1, orally committed to Arkansas on Dec. 20, 2012, and helped lead El Dorado to the Class 6A state championship this past season. He said he will fax his national letter of intent to Arkansas at 8:30 a.m. following his 8:10 signing ceremony at the school.
“It will awesome to officially be a Hog,” said Jackson, who is rated a four-star prospect by Lemming. “I don’t think it’ll feel much different for me because I’ve known all along that I wasn’t going to change my mind.”
The Razorbacks’ other four prospects from Arkansas are defensive end Jake Hall of Springdale Har-Ber, athlete Josh Liddell of Pine Bluff Dollarway, tight end Jack Kraus of Bentonville and running back Juan Day of North Little Rock.
Day, 6-2, 210, 4.5, is another four-star recruit who committed to the Hogs on Jan. 7, 2013, the same day he received his scholarship offer. He missed most of last season after injuring his knee Sept. 20 against Pine Bluff.
“I feel blessed to get to play football at the highest level,” said Day, who is expected to fax in his letter of intent at 7 a.m. “I can’t wait to get to campus and compete with the best and keep following my dreams.”
Miami Killian defensive end Anthony Brown, 6-3 ½ , 235, is a three-star prospect who chose Arkansas over Cincinnati, Michigan State, Mississippi State and others. He said he will fax his letter of intent shortly after the school’s signing ceremony at 8:30 a.m.
Defensive end Demetrius Jackson of Miami Booker T. Washington will sign with Miami or Arkansas at 7 a.m.Jackson is orally committed to Miami, but he took an official visit to Arkansas on Jan. 24.
Three high school prospects - quarterback Rafe Peavey of Bolivar, Mo., receiver Jared Cornelius of Shreveport Evangel and cornerback Chris Murphy of Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter, and a junior college recruit, receiver Cody Hollister of Arizona Western Community College, signed institutional financial aid agreements with the Razorbacks in December and are enrolled already.
The national signing period ends April 1.
Arkansas commitment list 2014 COMMITMENTS
POS., NAME HT. WT. 40 SCHOOL
DE Anthony Brown 6-3 ½ 235 NA Miami Killian
WR Jared Cornelius * 6-1 190 4.48 Shreveport Evangel
RB Juan Day 6-2 210 4.5 North Little Rock
WR Kendrick Edwards 6-6 200 4.6 Miami Norland
LB Dwayne Eugene 6-2 220 4.5 Metairie (La.) Rummel
CB Cornelius Floyd 6-1 175 4.48 Miami Gulliver Prep
LB Khalia Hackett 6-2 208 4.63 S. Paulding (Ga.)
DE Jake Hall 6-5 230 NA Springdale Har-Ber
K Cole Hedlund 5-10 170 NA Argyle, Texas
DL Bijhon Jackson 6-2 325 5.1 El Dorado
TE Jack Kraus 6-5 240 4.9 Bentonville
ATH Josh Liddell 6-1 198 4.43 Pine Bluff Dollarway
CB Chris Murphy * 5-10 180 4.4 Marietta (Ga.) Lassiter
QB Rafe Peavey * 6-2 208 4.5 Bolivar, Mo.
OL Jovan Pruitt 6-6 295 5.1 Dallas Bishop Dunne
OL Frank Ragnow 6-6 291 5.0 Victoria (Minn.) Chanhassen
DB Santos Ramirez 6-2 180 4.55 Shreveport Evangel
LB Randy Ramsey 6-3 210 4.57 Fort Lauderdale Dillard
CB Henre Toliver 6-1 180 4.56 Metairie (La.) Rummel
OL Brian Wallace 6-6 304 5.2 St. Louis Christian Brothers
DL Armon Watts 6-5 270 5.1 St. Louis Christian Brothers * Has signed an Institutional Financial Aid Agreement and enrolled
JUNIOR-COLLEGE SIGNEES
POS., NAME HT. WT. 40 SCHOOL
WR Cody Hollister 6-4 205 4.5 Arizona Western CC
OL Sebastian Tretola 6-4 ½ 315 4.9 Iowa Western CC
Sports, Pages 19 on 02/05/2014