Football wasn't in the early plans for junior college All-America cornerback Joesph Putu, who will start an official visit at Arkansas today.
Putu, 6-2, 195, 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash while playing at North Dakota State College of Science, was born in the Ivory Coast, moved to Rhode Island when he was about 6 years old and was exposed to football.
"I never liked football," Putu said. "I was a like a soccer guy. I really wasn't into football. The more I watched it, I got into it."
Some classmates pushed him to give football a try in the seventh grade.
"I just started liking it," Putu said.
He had scholarship offers from Alabama-Birmingham, North Texas and Tennessee State, but when his highlight film got distributed to other schools, his phone starting ringing.
UCLA, Florida, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Iowa State, West Virginia and Nebraska started reaching out. Putu made an official visit to Alabama-Birmingham last weekend and earlier this week to Toledo, who recently offered him.
Texas A&M and Florida tried to get Putu to cancel his visit to Arkansas in favor of a trip to their schools, but he declined.
Puto, who played high school football at Providence (R.I.) Mount Pleasant High School, earned second-team All-America honors after intercepting 10 passes this season.
Arkansas defensive coordinator Robb Smith visited him Jan. 21 and extended a scholarship offer. Arkansas Coach Bret Bielema and Smith visited him Thursday.
He said the chance to play for the Hogs and in the SEC would be big for him and his home state.
"It would mean a lot because I'm coming from Providence, Rhode Island," Putu said. "Nobody goes there and recruits. By me playing in the SEC, that would open up opportunities for some of my cousins and some of my old teammates and kids back home that look up to me."
As for what Razorbacks fans will see if he decides to sign: "A hard worker, someone that's good on and off the field. I have great character. I'm easy to coach."
Safety is focused
Coach Bret Bielema likes to say he wants to recruit uncommon men.
Hard-hitting safety Micahh Smith, who arrives in Fayetteville today for an official visit, fits that mold in the way he prepares for each game.
"I know about every player, every receiver I've gone against," Smith said. "Every person I know their background. Sometimes I even know what classes they're not good at, people they hang around with and their personality, work ethic, stuff like that. I really focus and have passion in what I do.
Smith, 6-0, 196, 4.54 in the 40-yard dash, of Marshall, Texas, has six scholarship offers, including Northwestern (La.) State, Lamar, Texas State, Sam Houston State, and Stephen F. Austin.
He has interest from Arkansas, Oklahoma State, North Texas, Tulane, Tulsa and others. He believes the Razorbacks will extended an offer soon.
"I feel like it's basically going to be there," Smith said.
His mother, Tomiko Smith, teaches chemistry at nearby Longview High School.
"My mom has worked hard to get where she is, she's working on her doctorate at Houston and she's still teaching," Smith said.
Smith carries a 3.7 grade-point average.
A big fan of CSI Miami, Smith hopes to work crime scenes and solve cases, but doesn't see himself working on bodies in a lab.
"I can't do that, no way," he said.
Smith isn't that way on the field. His highlight video shows a very aggressive and physical player.
"It's crazy how I am on the field," Smith said. "You would never think I would be like that. When I get on the field, I knock people out. I hit people so hard they couldn't even walk on the field."
Smith, whose lead recruiter is defensive backs coach Clay Jennings, thinks he could commit to the Hogs during the visit.
"I feel like it's pretty high because the coaches seem pretty good," he said. "I just have to have to see how everything is."
Arkansas will also host running back target Kyle Porter, 5-11, 194, 4.4, of Katy, Texas; linebacker Dee Walker, 6-3, 210, of Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County; and offensive lineman Paul Ramirez, 6-7, 295, of San Bernardino Valley College in California.
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Sports on 01/29/2016