Kofi Boateng's high school coach believes the Arkansas Razorbacks are getting one of the country's most competitive players.

"He was a phenomenal player," Arlington (Texas) Lamar Coach Laban Delay said of Boateng. "If he's battling up against two defenders, Kofi is going to come down with the ball."

Boateng came down with plenty of footballs during the past three seasons as a wide receiver at Lamar.

Boateng, 6-1, 183 pounds, caught 27 touchdown passes, including 11 in 2015. He finished with 46 receptions for 782 yards as a senior, earning a first-team spot on the All-District 4-6A team.

Experts at ESPN.com, Rivals and Scout ranked Boateng as a three-star recruit.

Boateng said Arkansas' family atmosphere appealed to him.

"Once I got down there and I met all of the players, that's a place where I wanted to be at," said Boateng, who was ranked as No. 96 wide receiver in the Class of 2016 by ESPN.com. "The program is headed in the right direction."

Boateng also considered Mississippi and Wisconsin, along with 28 other schools, before choosing Arkansas last summer.

"We want to be one of the most successful teams in the SEC and in the nation," Boateng said.

Delay said Boateng understands that earning playing time in the SEC is earned, not handed out.

"There's not going to be any weeks where he can take one off," Delay said. "Everybody in that conference is competing at a high level. He's embraced that. He's looking forward to competing with the best in the nation."

Delay compares Boateng to former Lamar star Jalen Austin, who is now at TCU. Austin played as a true freshman last season for the Horned Frogs.

"Jalen had strong hands as well," Delay said. "I would put Kofi in the same category as him."

Boateng is no stranger to AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, where the Razorbacks play Texas A&M in the Southwest Classic each September. Boateng played at the stadium three times with Lamar High School.

"It's amazing being able to be down there on the field that NFL teams play on," Boateng said. "It's something special."

Delay said he is looking forward to seeing Boateng play in his hometown.

"It is a big stage," Delay said. "Jerry Jones doesn't do anything small. It will be nice for him and nice for his family."

Boateng said he believes playing high school football in Texas is as good a way to prepare for the SEC as one can experience.

"Texas high school football was something special," Boateng said. "Many kids don't get to wake up every Friday night and know they'll get to be broadcast nationally or in the Metroplex."

Boateng said he isn't worried about being behind other freshman recruits in the 2016 class. He graduated from Lamar on June 4, after other players had already arrived on the UA campus.

"I've been working out here [in Texas] with the weight plan that I got," said Boateng, who arrived in Fayetteville in late June. "I'm a fast learner. I should pick up things quickly."

Sports on 07/11/2016